40 and fabulous: Ideas for a memorable 40th birthday.

Whether you are planning the party for your own 40th birthday or you are planning a surprise party for someone hitting the big 4-0, you’ve come to the right place to get great ideas for everything 40-related. We’ve got you covered with 25 40th birthday ideas for activities and decorations, 40th birthday gift ideas, and wishes for birthday cards for a 40th birthday.

Gifts galore: 40th birthday gift ideas.

The 40th birthday is traditionally known as the ruby jubilee. Accordingly, a traditional 40th birthday gift would be rubies or jewellery with rubies. If you are looking for a more innovative and fun gift for your loved one turning 40, we have 5 ideas that will make your gift unforgettable.

Birthday Gift Idea #1: Newspaper from the past.

What happened 40 years ago? For this 40th birthday gift idea, search for news articles and incidents that happened on the exact birthday date. Find 4 to 5 newsworthy and positive things and put them together in a newspaper. Adobe Express helps you find the right design and personalise a newspaper for the most important incident of this exact date – the birth of your loved one. Of course, it’s the leading headline of the day!

Birthday Gift Idea #2: Recap of 40 years.

If your research does not really result in much newsworthy content for your birthday newspaper – other than the birth of your loved one, of course – it might be nice to create a photo collage of the person’s pictures as a 40th birthday gift. Ask family members if they can share some of the best pictures from their family photo album. Mix them with pictures you’ve taken on activities together with the person. You can now create the perfect collage that recaps the last 40 years. Leave some room at the end of your collage or photo album for the next 40 years!

Birthday Gift Idea #3: Retro Gaming Night.

Remember when you were a child and spent your weekends together with your friends and the best games and consoles? It was plenty of fun and time just flew by. Imagine you could play those games once again with your best friend turning 40 this year? With this 40th birthday gift, you organise a surprise 40th birthday party for your friend and spend your time together as though you were children again. Find your friend’s favourite console plus their favourite games. In most cases you can order them online.

Birthday Gift Idea #4: Bucket List Bucket.

Does the celebrant have a bucket list? If so, raising money for them and the activities on their bucket list can be a great 40th birthday gift idea. Why not present the money in a bucket for the birthday person’s bucket list (pun intended!). While the person might first wonder why you gave them a bucket for their 40th birthday, a sign saying "Bucket List Bucket" and finally, the money in it, will solve the riddle.

Birthday Gift Idea #5: Weekend Getaway.

Surprise your loved one with a special trip over the weekend as a 40th birthday gift. Book a room in a spa hotel or choose a sports activity that you’ve always wanted to try together. Enjoy spending time together catching up, eating nice food, and making new memories.

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Cheers to forty: 40th birthday cards.

Let’s be honest: Of course, you can go into town and buy a birthday card. But how about creating a 40th birthday card yourself? It gives you endless opportunities to design it with photos of the person turning 40. If you need some inspiration, here are five ideas for wonderful 40th birthday card designs:

40th Birthday Card Idea #1: Classic.

Choose a picture of colourful balloons or a birthday cake for your 40th birthday card. This is a classic version you can use if you don’t know the recipient too well.

40th Birthday Card Idea #2: Minimalist.

This is a modern 40th birthday card version. Choose a simple background colour and an elegant font for your design.

40th Birthday Card Idea #3: Funny.

For a guaranteed laugh – look for a funny photo of the recipient and choose a funny headline such as "This person is turning 40 today. Unbelievable!"

40th Birthday Card Idea #4: Caricature.

If you are a talented artist, you can draw a caricature of the recipient, highlighting specific facial features. And if you are less talented at drawing – try it anyway!

40th Birthday Card Idea #5: The past vs. now.

Choose a photo from the recipient’s childhood and put a current photo next to it. Maybe you can even find two pictures in which the person has a similar pose. This will make the comparison even better!

With Adobe Express, you can choose from a wide variety of professionally designed templates for 40th birthday cards or you can start a design from scratch. Upload photos from your computer or smartphone and add a personal message and wishes for your loved one. When you’re happy with your finished 40th birthday card design, just download and print it or send it digitally to your loved one.

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Wishes for four decades: 40th birthday wishes.

Have you finished designing your 40th birthday card but are still looking for the right 40th birthday wishes? We have compiled ten 40th birthday wishes you can use to wish someone a happy birthday. Some are funny – for people you know well – while others can be used for colleagues or neighbours you might know less well.

1. You’re not 40. You’re 21 with 19 years of experience!
2. Happy birthday! And thank you so much for turning 40 before me!
3. A big birthday like this is worthy of a huge celebration! Happy birthday!
4. For a person like you who has the enthusiasm of a 20-year-old and the wisdom of a 50-year-old. Happy 40th birthday!
5. Happy 40th birthday! In dog years, you’re only 6. Don’t worry!
6. The first 40 years of childhood are always the hardest!
7. Signs of turning 40 may include: 1. Passing out at parties when sober. 2. Forgetting your original hair colour. 3. Waking up all night to pee. 4. Buying your first pair of reading glasses. 5. Listening to your favourite bands on the oldies station.
8. On your birthday, I want you to know how much I cherish you and how grateful I am to have you in my life. Happy birthday!
9. Getting older is mandatory. Growing up is optional!
10. We might need to call the fire department to help with all these candles! Happy birthday, friend!

Celebrating in style: 40th birthday decorations.

Set the right tone for a 40th birthday party with amazing decorations. Whether you want to decorate your own birthday party location or you are surprising someone on their special day, decorations help make this event an unforgettable celebration! Here are five ideas for your decoration plans!

40th Birthday Decorations Idea #1: Piñata.

Fill a piñata with the favourite sweets and chocolates of the celebrating person. Beating it until it breaks, and all sweets come "raining" down will make them feel like they’re a child again.

40th Birthday Decorations Idea #2: Photo story.

Ask close friends and family members for photos from the special person’s childhood and youth. Find a place where you can hang them and let them tell the story on their own.

40th Birthday Decorations Idea #3: 40 balloons for 40 years.

Take 40 balloons for each birthday year in beautiful colours like pastel and gold. Put them together in a big 40. This is a perfect background for a photo with your birthday guests.

40th Birthday Decorations Idea #4: Garden games.

If you want to decorate outside in your garden, entertain your guests with some classical garden games like boccia or ring toss. This is a perfect opportunity for all guests to join in for short games and small talk if they don’t know each other well.

40th Birthday Decorations Idea #5: Picnic.

Another great idea for celebrating outside in a garden is a picnic. Put some blankets on the soft grass and prepare some delicious snacks like fresh fruit, cookies, and sandwiches. You can also combine this 40th birthday decoration idea with some garden games, too!

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Good to know.

How do you make someone’s 40th birthday special?

To make someone’s 40th birthday special, you might want to organise a little surprise birthday party with friends and family. Choose a location you can prepare beforehand in peace, so that the birthday person will not accidentally discover. Involve friends and family members to help you decorate the place nicely. Don’t forget to get the candles on the cake ready as soon as the person celebrating birthday arrives.

What do people want for their 40th birthday?

If you are looking for the perfect gift for a 40th birthday, think about doing an activity that you always wanted to do together but couldn’t ever find the time for. You could design a very personal gift certificate with Adobe Express, print it and present it as a gift. If it’s the birthday of a person you don’t know too well, a voucher for a nice restaurant combined with beautiful flowers is a safe bet. You can find more 40th birthday gift ideas in this article.

What do you write in your 40th birthday wish?

The big 4-0 is a special birthday, so you should definitely think beyond "Happy birthday!" as a 40th birthday wish. You might want to put a funny wish on the cover of the birthday card and then continue with more personal words. A funny example for the cover could be "The first 40 years of childhood are always the hardest!". We have included more wishes – funny and neutral ones – in this article.

Is Adobe Express free?

Yes, you can use Adobe Express for free. It features a wide range of professionally designed templates, videos, photos, videos, and audio within the basic version. Get access to quick actions and resize images, convert to other image formats, remove backgrounds. Make the most out of your designs with useful tools, tutorials, and tips from Adobe Express.