A birthday coloring book made from your photos stars the birthday child on every page: the first steps of the year, the beach in summer, the new bike, the best friend, the dog, and the party itself. Coloriki turns up to 40 of your photos into coloring pages, adds a color cover with their name in the title, and gives you a print-ready PDF or a printed paperback. It is a party activity, a party favor and a keepsake in one.
This page covers how to build a birthday coloring book, what to put on the pages and the cover, how to print one copy per guest as favors, and how far ahead to order a printed book so it arrives before the big day. If you are giving a book to someone else's child, there is a gift card option at the end.
How to make a birthday coloring book
- 1 Gather the year in photosPick up to 40 sharp photos from the past year where the birthday child, family or friends fill most of the picture.
- 2 Choose one style for the bookClassic for all ages, Little Hands with very thick lines for ages 2 to 5, Detailed for older kids, or Cartoon and Kawaii for a playful look.
- 3 Write the cover and dedicationGive it a title like "Noah Turns Five", a subtitle with the year, and a short dedication from you.
- 4 Arrange and caption the pagesPut the pages in order, month by month or favorite first. Add short captions: a place, a friend's name, a date.
- 5 Download or order printedDownload the PDF to print at home, or order an 8.5 by 11 inch paperback at least two weeks before the birthday.
Birthday coloring book ideas
The best birthday books tell a small story. The most popular idea is the year in photos: one or two pictures from each month, in order, ending with the party. Children enjoy seeing how much happened, and parents get a record of the year that the child has made their own with crayons.
- The year in photos, month by month, ending with last year's cake
- Then and now: a baby photo next to a photo from this year
- My favorite things: the toy, the park, the pet, the food, the friend
- My people: one page for each family member and best friend
- A first-birthday book of the baby's year, for older siblings to color
- A yearly tradition: a new book every birthday, kept on a shelf
Birthday coloring book favors
A coloring book makes a party favor that guests actually use. Download the digital book as a PDF and print one copy per guest at home or at a copy shop. The PDF is yours to print as often as you like for personal use, so you buy the book once whether you print three copies or twelve.
For favors, choose photos that include the guests: the class trip, the playground, last year's party. Children look for themselves first. Staple each copy or put it in a paper folder with a few crayons, and you have a favor bag that is personal to this party.
At the party itself, set out a few printed pages on the table as an activity while guests arrive, and use the free happy birthday page maker for a page with each guest's name, or the birthday child's name and age in a big star.
The cover and the pages inside
The cover is printed in color with the photo you choose, your title and a subtitle. A photo from the party, the birthday child blowing out candles, or a big smiling portrait all make a strong cover. Keep the title short and personal: their name and their new age.
Inside, every book follows the same structure, so you do not need a template. There is a "This book belongs to" page for the child to write their name, your dedication, every photo as a coloring page with an optional caption, and a last page, "My favorite page was...", where the child draws their own picture. You can reorder, remove and add pages before you order.
When to order
Printed books take 3 to 5 business days to print, then shipping. Shipping is included in the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the EU and the UK. To be safe, order at least two weeks before the birthday.
If the party is closer than that, choose the digital book and print it at home or at a local print shop. The printed paperback also includes the PDF, so you can always print extra pages for guests.
A gift card for a child's birthday
If you are invited to a birthday and do not have the family's photos, a gift card lets the parents make the book themselves. Choose a digital book or a printed book, then send the card by email on the birthday or print it to put inside a birthday card. Gift cards never expire, so the family can wait until after the party to choose the year's photos.
Digital or printed birthday book
| Digital book | Printed book | |
|---|---|---|
| What you get | Print-ready PDF, US Letter or A4 | 8.5 by 11 inch paperback with a color cover, PDF included |
| Pages | Up to 40 | Up to 40, printed on both sides of the paper |
| Party favors | Print one copy per guest | One book for the birthday child; print favors from the PDF |
| Time needed | Print at home when you are ready | Order two weeks ahead: 3 to 5 business days to print, then shipping |
| Best with | Crayons, pencils, markers on thicker paper | Crayons and colored pencils |
Tips for a birthday book
- Start choosing photos a month before, a few each week.
- Include photos with guests if the book will be a party favor.
- For a child under five, choose Little Hands and fewer pages.
- Short captions work best: "Zoo, May" or "With Grandpa".
- Put the best smiling portrait on the cover: it stays in color.
- Order the printed book two weeks before the party.