A card for a sibling should look like the person who stole your chips, not like a generic “to my sister” layout from a rack. On Ottermagic you upload a clear photo, run Style Swap or Face Swap (or Pet Swap if the family dog is the real subject), preview until you would recognise them in a hallway, then order a printed A5 or take the e-card. That is the whole job. Start at Ottermagic.com.
Siblings sit in a slightly different pile from parents or aunts and uncles. The humour can be sharper. The photo is often an old holiday crop or a blurry night out. The card still has to land as affection, not a roast they did not agree to.
What works for siblings
Style Swap is the default. You keep their face and clothes as the starting point, then redraw them as Brick, Chibi, Anime, Watercolour, Caricature, Cartoon, Classic Cartoon, Action Figure, Clay 3D, Retro Halftone, Retro Game, Royal Portrait, Pixel Art, Bobblehead, Sticker Sheet, Tarot Card, Photobooth, Sketch, or whatever live look fits. A sister who still builds Lego will enjoy Brick. A quieter brother may prefer Sketch. You do not need a “sibling” template for that to work.
Face Swap is the scene gag: their face in a finished illustration. Lucky Leprechaun is the named example in the live set. Use it when they would laugh at being dropped into a costume. Skip it if they are tired of being the joke of the family chat.
Pet Swap belongs on sibling cards more often than people think. Plenty of brothers and sisters share a childhood pet, or send each other pictures of the current one. If the birthday is “from the dog”, start there.
Text Swap covers the year you cannot find a single usable photo. A name and a short line still make a designed front. When a better picture turns up, switch back to a photo mode.
Sister birthday cards
Sister cards fail when they lean on a slogan you would not say out loud. The photo does more work than “world’s best sister”.
Try a recent picture, not the one from school sports day unless that is the running gag. Daylight, facing the camera, hair and glasses in frame. Then pick a style that matches how she actually talks:
- Photobooth, Cartoon, Chibi, Emoji for a messy, informal sister
- Anime or Action Figure if that is her shelf
- Watercolour, Sketch, Royal Portrait for a milestone year or a sister who would hate a bobblehead
- Clay 3D or Brick if she likes objects and a bit of extra
Face Swap can work for a themed night out or a hobby you both know. Keep the scene on her side of funny. If you hesitate before sending the preview to yourself, pick Style Swap instead.
Inside, mention one specific thing from this year. The 330gsm gloss A5 is sturdy enough to write on if you leave it blank. A printed message is fine when you are posting straight to her.
Brother birthday cards
Brother cards have the opposite trap: people reach for the loudest caricature because “he can take it”. He can. He might still prefer to look like himself.
Caricature, Bobblehead, Retro Game, and Pixel Art are fair if that is his humour. Royal Portrait can be surprisingly good for a brother who would never buy that card for himself. Classic Cartoon sits in the middle.
If you only have a side-on photo from a football match, retake or pick a clearer still. Face Swap needs the front of the face. Style Swap is kinder to a slightly imperfect snapshot, but it is not magic for a thumb over the lens.
A card “from” a sibling and a pet can be two products: one Pet Swap for the animal, one Style Swap for him, or a single Pet Swap if the dog is the point.
Twins, stepsiblings, and the sibling who is also your flatmate
Twins. Do not upload a tight double portrait into a one-face Face Swap and hope. Crop to the person you are celebrating, or make two coordinating cards. Style Swap on a clear pair can work if both faces are large and lit. Judge the preview honestly.
Stepsiblings and half-siblings. The word on the inside matters more than the style. Write the name you actually use. The artwork can stay as warm as any other sibling card. There is no need for a special “blended family” filter.
Older and younger gaps. A card for a much older sister can look like a card for a friend: Sketch, Watercolour, Photobooth. A card for a teenager brother can handle Chibi or Retro Game without turning him into a toddler, if the photo is current.
Photos siblings actually have
The camera roll for brothers and sisters is rarely a tidy headshot.
- Crop the group holiday picture so one person fills the frame.
- Avoid restaurant lighting that turns everyone yellow.
- Sunglasses are a problem unless the joke is the sunglasses.
- Childhood scans can be charming in Sketch and a poor match for Face Swap.
- If they hate photos of themselves, ask for a recent one under a pretext, or use Text Swap.
A well-lit kitchen selfie beats a “fun” club photo. You can take a new picture the next time you see them and still post a UK A5 in around 3–5 working days, as long as the birthday is not tomorrow.
Printed A5 or e-card, in the UK or the US
| Where you are | What to buy | Why |
|---|---|---|
| UK, enough working days | Printed A5 | 148×210mm folded, 330gsm gloss, envelope included, printed to order in the UK, Royal Mail around 3–5 working days, recyclable stock, water-based inks |
| UK, last minute | E-card | Hi-res, watermark-free download; print at home or send the file |
| US, about three weeks or more to go | Printed A5 | Same card and envelope, sent by airmail to a US address in around 2–3 weeks |
| US, less than three weeks | E-card | Same artwork, ready the moment you pay; print locally or message it |
| Either, if the preview is a gift in itself | Poster or canvas | Available; check Ottermagic.com for live wall-art details |
Leave the inside blank if you want handwriting. Add a printed line if the envelope is going straight in the box. Checkout is in pounds in the UK shop and dollars in the US shop. Support: support@ottermagic.com (reply within one working day).
Other shops, briefly
Moonpig and similar catalogues have plenty of sister and brother rhymes. Lookalikey may suit you if you want a text-led design and no photo. Check those sites if that is the purchase. For a sibling who should look like themselves in Brick or Watercolour, buy on Ottermagic.
Ready when you are
Make the card look like your sister or brother, then send it. Upload a photo, try Style Swap or Face Swap, and keep the preview you would put on their fridge. Order a printed A5 (148×210mm, 330gsm gloss, envelope; Royal Mail around 3–5 working days in the UK, airmail around 2–3 weeks to the US) or take the e-card if you are in a hurry. Start at Ottermagic.com.
FAQ
Can I make one card for two siblings?
You can if the photo shows both faces clearly and the preview still looks like them. For Face Swap, prefer a design that expects more than one face, or make two cards. A muddy group shot will disappoint both of them.
What style should I pick for my sister?
Pick for her, not for “sisters” as a category. Photobooth and Cartoon are easy everyday choices. Watercolour or Sketch if she would keep it. Brick or Clay 3D if she likes that kind of object. Generate two and choose the one you smile at.
Is Face Swap too much for a sibling?
Only if the scene is meaner than your actual relationship. A playful costume is fine when they would send the same thing back. Style Swap is the safer birthday default.
Can I send a sibling card from the US?
Yes. Order from the US shop and the printed A5 goes by airmail to a US address in around 2–3 weeks. If the birthday is sooner than that, take the e-card and send or print the file.
What if my sibling hates having their face on things?
Use Text Swap, or a Pet Swap of an animal they love. A photo mode is optional. Kindness beats a perfect likeness they did not want.
