50th Birthday Banner Ideas (Wording, Photos and Sizes)

What to put on a 50th banner

Start with the number. Write it as 50th for a clean, familiar look, or spell out FIFTY when you want the word itself to be the headline. The number is usually the biggest line, since guests read it before they read the name.

Then add the honoree's name, the one people already say out loud: Dave, Auntie Renee or Grandpa Joe. A short name is easier to read from a driveway than a long one, and it gives the banner a clear subject.

Last, add one line that sounds like the person: a joke about the milestone, a toast, or a welcome. Three lines or fewer is plenty. A line you leave empty is switched off on the banner, so you can skip any line you do not need.

• The number: 50th or FIFTY, as the biggest line
• The name: the one people already use
• One line with personality: a joke, a toast or a welcome
• A time or place, only if guests need it

Funny or classy: choose the tone first

A gentle joke is the most common choice for a 50th, and it usually gets the biggest laugh. Jokes about the milestone itself work well: the number, the new decade, the cake or the stack of cards. Keep every joke off looks, weight, health and memory. Those are the lines that turn a party roast into an awkward moment, and the honoree is the one who stands under the banner all night. For wording that works at any birthday, see birthday banner ideas.

A classy banner uses fewer words and a calmer color pair. A plain Happy 50th with the name, or a line about the good things the honoree has done for other people, reads like a keepsake. Some families keep the banner afterward, so choose a line you would be glad to see in a photo later on.

Pick one tone and stick to it. A loud number with a quiet line can feel mixed up, so if the party is loud, keep the wording loud too.

A 50th for him

For a man turning 50, bold and simple usually lands. Black and gold, navy and gold, and black and orange all give strong contrast on the photo designs. The birthday photo banners page offers the instant photo frame used in the ideas below, and a candid party picture of him suits that frame well.

Wording that suits him: Fifty and still the favorite, The legend turns fifty, or a plain Happy 50th, Dad with the name under it. If he has a hobby such as fishing, golf or grilling, put a nod to it on the small line, where it adds a laugh without taking over the banner.

A 50th for her

For a woman turning 50, warm colors and a gentle line tend to suit the day. Maroon and gold, purple and gold, and purple and white look warm in the photo ring and the instant frame. A smiling photo of her makes the banner a natural backdrop for guests who want to pose in front of it.

Good lines for her include Fifty, glowing and grateful, Happy 50th, Mom, or a line about what she is known for, such as the host, the baker or the one who remembers every birthday. Keep her name big, so the banner reads as hers and not as a generic party sign.

A surprise party: hang it where the guest walks in

For a surprise party, the banner has one job: be the first thing the guest of honor sees when they walk in. Hang it on the wall of the room they enter, across the doorway from inside, or over the table where the cake will sit. Guests who know the plan can keep the banner rolled behind a chair until the cue, then hold it up together.

A plain welcome line works well here, because it reads as a normal greeting until the door opens. A welcome banner with a line such as Come in, the party is waiting does the job.

A yard or driveway banner for a drive-by

A drive-by party works when the banner can be read from a slow car. Hang it on the garage door, a fence or a post near the curb. Keep the words to the name, the number and the time, because a driver has only a few seconds to take in a banner. How to hang a banner covers fences, posts and garage doors step by step.

Letter height decides how far a banner reads. Letters about 1 inch tall are easy to read from 10 feet, and each extra 10 feet calls for another inch. A 6 x 2 ft banner suits a short driveway, and an 8 x 3 ft banner suits a long fence line near the road. The live preview shows the letter sizes on the banner, so you can check before you order.

Colors and sizes for the room

Black and gold, navy and gold, and slate and gold are the classic pairs for a 50th, and they suit a man or a woman. The color list also has pink pairs. Pink is one choice among many, not the starting point, so pick the pair that matches the party decorations first.

Size follows the room. A 4 x 2 ft banner fits a dessert table or a front door. A 6 x 3 ft banner fits a garage door or a dining room wall, and an 8 x 4 ft banner fits a fence or the wall of a hall. Upright 2 x 4 ft banners on the custom vinyl banners page suit a door frame.

Prices depend on the design. A 6 x 3 ft photo banner is $71.95, and the same size with words only is $57.95. A 13 oz banner weighs about 1.6 lb at 6 x 3 ft, and brass grommets sit around the edges for hanging. For more on sizes, see our banner sizes guide.