How to Create Pet Birth Certificates

While commercial pet birth certificates are available online, some pet owners prefer to personalize their own as a record of the event. The advantage of doing it yourself is you have control over the design. Think about the information you want to include before you begin. Consider name, type of pet, date, place, and weight at birth, parents' names for purebred lineage, color, gender, number of animals and birth rank in the litter, breeder information, and other details. Whether you design it on the computer or draw it by hand, the same steps apply.

Things You'll Need

Heavy stock paper Calligraphy pen(s) Colored inks or watercolor paints Photographs

Instructions

- 1
  Decide whether you want your birth certificate to be vertical or horizontal (portrait or landscape layout). Considerations might include where you want to place photographs or how much room the lettering will take up.
- 2
  Place the border first, using a ruler for accuracy and consistency if you're drawing by hand. If it is decorative rather than plain, consider a row of paw prints or series of photos.
- 3
  If you're including photos, decide where you want to place them. You can use one or more or add pictures of other pets in the family. Leave adequate space for them with light pencil marks. Wait to place actual photos until after the certificate is complete.
- 4
  Select a font and size for the text, perhaps making the name larger than other information. Lay the text out on the page in pencil first, using erasable pencil if hand-drawn to keep lines straight.
- 5
  Go over the text in ink, marker, or calligraphy pen. If you make a mistake on an original, you can always fix it with correction fluid and make a color copy.
- 6
  Add the photos last. Place photos on the page with double-sided tape down the sides on the back of the pictures.
- 7
  Find a suitable frame for your birth certificate and a place to hang it. The glass will protect your work from dust and marks over time.