How to make a newspaper for your baby's first birthday (with FREE Canva template)

You blinked, and your baby’s already turning one! Celebrate the milestone with a custom newspaper – perfect as party decor, a photoshoot prop and a keepsake you’ll treasure (and bring out again at their 18th birthday!)

With our free Canva template, it's quick and easy to create – even for busy parents. You can get started right away with the link below, or keep reading for the story behind the template and tips for making it your own.

First birthday newspaper template

We're excited to introduce another template made in partnership with creator Chantal DiSarro, whose viral pregnancy announcement inspired so many parents-to-be to share their own news with newspapers. (You can get her pregnancy announcement template in our Ultimate guide to making a baby newspaper.)

Fast forward and Chantal's son Banks is back in the headlines! For his Halloween-themed first birthday party, she turned to newspapers again – this time as table decor and to set the scene for a spooky photoshoot:

Now, Chantal has adapted her template for more general use, making it easy for you to customise and celebrate your little one’s birthday in your own style. It’s all set up for our digital tabloids, which you can print from 1 copy. The template is free to edit on Canva:

First birthday newspaper template

What's in the template? 

The 4-page layout is set up to the correct dimensions for our digital tabloid size and includes:

• Front page: Bold headline text and space for a photo
• Back page: A grid to showcase those adorable monthly baby portraits
• Blank internal spreads: Ready to use as-is for decoration or photos, or to personalise with your own content

Keeping the internal spreads blank works well if you just want to use the newspaper for decoration or photos. But you could also use the space to share special details and memories like:

•  A timeline of milestones: Highlight first steps, first words or first holidays in a chronological format
• Baby’s favourites: Make a note of favourite foods, books, toys, activities or songs
• More photos: Include candid moments or outtakes that didn’t make the monthly portrait cut
• A letter to your baby: Write a note about their first year and what you hope for their future – friends and family could send messages, too!
• Handprints or footprints: Scan and include their tiny hand or footprints, printed at life size

These are just a few ideas to get you started – think about the moments that made you smile, laugh or tear up and let the newspaper tell your family’s unique story!

How to order your newspaper

When you've finished adding your content, it's time to turn your design into a real newspaper!

To print your newspaper, we need a PDF. If you've created your design in Canva, follow our ultimate guide to download your design as a PDF.

Check your PDF closely after downloading to make sure the final PDF matches up with your design in Canva.

The template is set up to print with the design on the front and back pages (pages 1 and 4) with a blank internal spread. After you've customised your design, follow our Canva guide to print your newspaper.

When you're ready to order, click the blue 'upload PDF' button at the top right of our website. You'll be able to create a Newspaper Club account and upload your PDF.

Our automatic PDF checker will flag up anything that doesn’t follow our artwork guidelines, like low-resolution images or content in the margins. If you need any help with your PDF, just write to our friendly team at support@newspaperclub.com.

When will your newspapers arrive? Delivery takes 1 - 7 working days in the UK, and slightly longer for overseas. Check our delivery calculator to see when to expect your order to arrive.

Any questions?

If you have any questions about making your newspaper, we're here to help! Just write to our team at support@newspaperclub.com.