What a friendship card quote is
A friendship card quote is a short line, 5 to 30 words, that names a shared memory, a trait you value, or a wish for the friend. The quote sits above your handwritten message and signature. Cards with a printed quote plus two or three handwritten lines get kept more often than cards with a signature alone.
Quote length drives the layout. A 5 to 10 word line fits a 4x6 card. A 10 to 25 word line fits a standard 5x7 card. A 25 to 50 word line needs a larger card or a separate insert.
How to pick a quote
- Write one sentence about the friend. Example: "She drove 200 miles to my surgery."
- Find a quote that repeats that idea in different words.
- Read the quote out loud. Cut any line that sounds stiff.
- Check the source. Unsourced quotes on the internet get misattributed about half the time.
Quote types and examples
Short quotes (5 to 12 words)
"The only way to have a friend is to be one." Ralph Waldo Emerson.
"A friend is a second self." Aristotle.
"Friendship is a sheltering tree." Samuel Taylor Coleridge.
Funny quotes
"A friend is someone who knows all about you and still loves you." Elbert Hubbard.
"I don't need a friend who changes when I change and who nods when I nod; my shadow does that much better." Plutarch.
Quotes for long distance
"I would rather walk with a friend in the dark, than alone in the light." Helen Keller.
"Distance means so little when someone means so much." Unknown source.
Quotes for a long friendship
"A friend may be waiting behind a stranger's face." Maya Angelou.
"Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another, 'What! You too? I thought I was the only one.'" C.S. Lewis.
Attribution and copyright
Quotes from authors who died before 1928 sit in the public domain in the US. Emerson, Aristotle, and Plutarch fall in that group. Quotes from Maya Angelou, C.S. Lewis, and Helen Keller need a source line. Short quotes used on a personal card fall under fair use. Quotes printed on cards for sale need written permission from the rights holder.
Write the author's name under the quote. If you cannot find the author, write "Author unknown." Do not write "Anonymous" for a line you found on a quote site.
Common mistakes
- A quote longer than 50 words. The card becomes a page.
- A pronoun with no clear referent. "You" in a printed quote can point to the wrong person.
- An inside joke with no context. The friend gets it. The friend's partner does not.
- No signature. A card with no name gets tossed.
Handwriting the quote
Use a black or blue pen with a 0.7 mm tip. Write on a flat surface. Leave one blank line above your signature. Add the date. A date turns the card into a record. A 2024 card found in 2044 carries more weight than one with no year.