I make fake newspaper front pages for people’s birthdays… and somehow people pay me for it
A few months ago, a friend asked me to make a fake newspaper front page for her dad’s 60th birthday.
It had a ridiculous headline like:
“LOCAL MAN FINALLY ADMITS HE DOESN’T KNOW HOW TO USE THE TV REMOTE.”
I added fake “breaking news,” old photos, quotes from family members, and a completely unnecessary weather section saying there was a 100% chance of Dad complaining about the price of everything.
Everyone at the party loved it.
So I started offering them as a side hustle.
People send me photos and stories about someone, and I turn them into a believable-looking newspaper front page. Birthdays, retirements, anniversaries, office parties, even wedding gifts.
The weirdest request so far was for a friend who wanted an entire front page dedicated to his buddy finally finishing a 10-year-old video game.
I charge around $20–$50 depending on how much customization they want. Most of the work is actually collecting the stories and figuring out how to make the jokes fit naturally.
It sounds completely ridiculous, but people seem to love giving someone a physical “newspaper” announcing their extremely insignificant life achievements.
Now I’m wondering what other bizarre personalized things people would actually pay for.
What’s the weirdest personalized gift/service you’ve ever paid for—or thought about selling?