Mother's Day Craft Ideas from our Readers

Crafts

We went to a dollar store and found some metal plant holder tubs (they are even hand painted) and I am going to have my little one's fill them with dirt and put some greenhouse flowers in them for the grandparents. The planters are $1each and the dirt is cheap and a 4 pack of plants is only about a buck. And they made it themselves. -- Stacy from MN

Purchase an inexpensive canvas bag from a craft store (about $3-$4) and have your kids put handprints all over it using acrylic paint. Then paint (or draw with a paint marker) one one or both sides, "Mom's Hand Bag" (or "Grandma's Hand Bag"). -- Valerie, 41, from VA

A creative keepsake or Mother's Day gift for Grandma...  a homemade brag book.  Determine the size of cardstock and number of pictures you want to use.  It's nice to keep it to one picture per page.  This is a good way to keep it simple.  It's also an easy way for those who are new to scrapbooking or just think they aren't crafty to get a feel for scrapbooking without feeling overwhelmed by the scope of the project.  You can put pictures on just the front side of each piece of paper or on both sides, and decorate however you want.  -- Carrie, 30, from WA

Here is a great Mother's Day gift that my daughter's kindergarten class made for all the moms last year.  Using cement mix (or plaster of Paris) pour the mixture into a plastic saucer that you can buy at the dollar store. They are made to go under planters to catch the overflow water.  Now you get a handful of different items and let the kids decorate it. Mine has a whole bunch of different things from the dollar store craft aisle. Like butterflies, beads, colorful rocks, even a handprint. My friend's was just a handprint and a ton of sparkles. Let it set overnight or maybe longer. Then you have a great garden stone! -- Kristin, 31, from Ontario

I have done this for the past 4 years in my Sunday School class (which is 2-3's). I take a small cheap whisk and have the kids fill it with the Hershey's Hugs & Kisses and then wrap cellophane around it with a bow and attach a tag that says "Whisking you a Happy Mother's Day full of Hugs & Kisses" And then I let the kids draw a picture on the back.  They love doing this and it keeps them busy for a little bit while trying to stuff the kisses between the whisk. -- Jerri, 22, from TX

The best Mother's Day gift that I ever received was a homemade book of my daughter's artwork. All the pictures were on 8 x 11 1/2 paper and bound up with a laminated cover that my daughter also created. Now she enjoys looking through her artwork as much as I do! -- Maureen, 43, from Ontario

Usually I like to make all the Grammies a a nice flower pot since it is the start of planting here.  This year I am using terra cotta pots and will use my DD's hand prints.  One will choose one color and the younger one will choose another, putting their prints around the pots.  One year I have photocopied pictures and used modge podge to put them onto the pots (better for indoor pots).  I've also used this handprint idea on shirts that my whole family got when money was tight the first Christmas after our DD was born. -- Courtney, 29, from PA
 

A nice Mother's Day gift is a memory jar. Fill a pretty jar with pieces of paper in it. On the paper you write down favorite memories you have of your mother/about your mother. Tie a ribbon around the jar and you have the perfect memory jar to give your mother as a gift. Your mother will enjoy picking out a "memory" and reading it. -- Brandy, 27, from IL

My children will be painting inexpensive terra cotta pots and planting our favorite perennials inside for a gift that lasts forever.  This year we will be planting strawberries to give to Grammy, and special neighbors,  for mother's day.  The pots were $2.00 - $8.00 depending on the size.  The special paints found at a craft store were $1.49 per color.  The sealant was around $6.00, and the strawberry plants were free from our garden.  -- Amy, 33, from NY

I had my kids paint their hands and then hand stamp inexpensive muslin fabric.   We made throw pillows out of them with names and dates.  Made nice mother's day gifts for Grandmother.  This could be used for Father's Day too. Might be fun to paint feet if you have babies or younger children. -- Frances, 48

A Mother's Day potluck brunch is always fun.  We make those special dishes we love but can't have very often.  We also bring extra plants, seeds and cuttings from our flower beds and trade and share.  It's a great relaxing social meal instead of grabbing bites of cold food between spills and cutting up food for little ones. The new plants are a reminder of our growing friendship throughout the summer. -- Nancy, 40, from WI

This may seem like a "no-brainer" to most of you, but my Mom says the best Mother's Day present she ever got was when I sent her a letter.  I just used some nice stationery I new she would like and sat down to tell her how much I appreciate her.  I spent very little money but the impact was huge. -- Elizabeth, 35, from LA

For Mother's Day this year I think I will get an inexpensive plastic pot or container.  I can have my 2 yr old daughter paint/decorate the outside and stencil on it "Granny's Garden".  Then I will get some potting soil and some inexpensive plants from the local produce market and have my daughter plant them in the pots.  I can use the opportunity to teach her a little about gardening and taking care of living things.  (This will hopefully be good considering she is getting a little sister or brother this summer) Also I think I will take some pictures of her working on the project and present the plants and a framed picture to my mom and mother-in-law for Mother's Day.  I think I will also make another one for my daughter and stencil "Sarah's Garden" on the pot so she can keep watching the plants grow all summer long.  Hopefully it will all turn out.  Happy Mother's Day everyone! -- Joyce, 29, from PA

Great Mothers Day Gift for Grandmas who cook with their grandkids! Buy a blank canvas apron (at Walmart in the hobby/craft section.  Have an adult write their favorite recipe to make together in fabric marker on apron chest, then with fabric paint, have kids put handprints on the apron with names underneath.  If you don't want to buy paint, trace hands with marker!  Also cute to write saying instead of recipe... "sweetest grandma" or something clever.  If you're really talented, you can painted/draw baking items on it (bowl, spoon, cookies, etc!) -- Tracy, 28, from MI

My daughter started making these, with a little help from me when she was 5. Tear colored tissue paper into any small (2") piece. Take any clean glass container, baby food jar, relish jar, bottle, etc. Using a foam brush coat it in watered down tacky glue (Aleene's). Stick the pieces of tissue on glassware in random fashion. Again cover with the watered down glue. Let dry.  Place tea light, or flowers into container.  IF you use silk flowers and want them to 'stand' up, stick a ball of playdoh in the container first, then add the flowers. Cheap, easy and pretty too! -- Michelle, 43, from PA

Since we just purchased a home, we are cutting back on our gift spending. For Mother's Day, I am letting  my 5 year old make things. We bought a bag of colored sand with seashells at a dollar store. I also got small, glass votives to put the sand in and top it with a shell or two. Total cost per gift will be around  $.70 and everyone will enjoy knowing he made it. We will plant a flower seed in a votive or small flower pot. He will also make the cards with regular craft items..buttons, markers, stamps, stickers, etc.  -- Nicole, 28, from TX

For Mother's Day, I am making all the mothers (mom, sister, friends) in my life personalized note cards.  I have used my leftover scrapbooking cardstock and I have created great looking cards for almost nothing. -- Katie, 32, from IN

For mothers day, you can make a gift basket with things from the Dollar Tree: Make a spa gift basket, they sell exfoliating gloves that come in green, pink or blue, along with some epsom salts that you can mix with one drop of essential oil (this makes a good foot rub solution) and give mom a good foot rub for mothers day! -- Angela, 33, from SC

For a quick and easy gift for just about anyone on your list, try this.  I took two of those nylon "sports" chairs that fold up, and bought some of the outdoor paint that is sold at Walmart in the craft section, right next to the regular craft paint.  I wrote "#1 Mema" on one, and "#1 Pepa" on the other, and gave it to my parents. It took several coats of paint, as it soaked quite a bit on the fabric, and I wrote it on the back of the chair, so in case it did bleed when damp, it wouldn't bleed on their clothing.  Of course, the chairs cost $10-15, but the paint was only $1.50, and everyone thought I had them custom made! -- Rachel, 33, from OK

A pot of Cookies! Have your kids decorate a batch of cookies in shapes of Flowers maybe a butterfly or ladybug to accent. Then take a terra cotta pot and have the kids put their hand prints or paint hearts or whatever. Put some craft foam in pot and put cookies on sticks wrap with colorful plastic wrap & put in the pot. Viola! This is very cute & very cheap! There are so many variations that can be done! Have fun & experiment! After moms, grandmas or aunts have eaten cookies it can be used to put a pretty flower in!  -- Mandy from OR

I found this recipe for soaps to give out for different occasions. Simple to do, everyone loves them! Symbols Of Spring Soaps What you Need: Colorful soap with smooth surfaces (like glycerin soaps) Stickers Thick white craft glue parafin wax Double boiler Water 1. Unwrap purchased soap. Smooth rough edges by wetting with water and smoothing with fingers. Let dry. 2. Affix stickers to top of soap as desired. Use thick white craft glue, if necessary, to help stickers affix to soap. 3. (This step should be done by an adult!) Fill bottom of double boiler halfway with water. Place pan over water and place on stove. Melt parafin wax in top of double boiler. Carefully remove pan of wax. Dip the stickered surface only into the wax. the wax must be melted and hot or the coverage will be too thick. Turn soap right side up and let cool. 4. After they are cool, wrap individually, or put in a small basket with tissue paper on the bottom and a ribbon on the handle. Make a great Mother's Day gift! -- Brenda from TX

I purchased a scrapbook for my daughter's grandparents. For each holiday I let my daughters create a new page (crayon, marker, paint, etc.). I glue on a current photo of my girls and we give it to Grandma & Grandpa to add to their "Scrapbook of Love". It's a great way for the girls to participate in the giving and it will be a wonderful keepsake for Grandma & Grandpa to look back on and see how their girls have grown. This is a cheap idea for every holiday yet priceless and full of memories. I was even feeling creative enough to include a poem I had written in the front of the book. -- Angela from PA

An inexpensive mother's day idea we do is in our MOMS Club we make doormats, you go to the store and buy cheap door mats and then cheap latex paint (that's the only paint that works) and have you kids put paint on there feet and step on the mat as if there walking and it makes a really cute gift. For an added touch you can write on it Nana's House where small feet are aloud or something to that or MeeMaw's House where the smaller you are the more loving you get. -- Heather from MD

For Mother's Day: Clay Pot (we used a tall one) Acrylic Paints Potting Soil Tomato Plant Thumb print flowers on the side of the clay pot from the kids - - - paint the stems, leaves and write Happy Mother's Day on the side of the flower pot - plant the tomato. -- Tina from MD

Mother's Day Gift I taught 1st and 2nd grade for 16 years. For Mother's Day we made paper weights. Use an old salad dressing bottle cleaned out well outside and inside. Fill with water, add color of your choice (food coloring), put in a few plastic or silk flowers and screw the lid on tight. (Hot glue gun it if needed.) Use a paint pen on the outside to write a message and sign your child's name. -- Audrey from TX

Easy craft idea for Mothers Day or any other special occasions. 1 canning jar bag of potpourri 1 string of X-mas lights (small string 15-25 lights) 1 lace doily 1 big rubber band Put the potpourri and the lights in the jar. Make sure the lights can be seen from bottom to the top. The plug end of the lights should come out the top of the jar (so you can plug it in). Put the doily over the top of the jar and fasten with the rubber band. I like to use my hot glue gun and glue some of the pieces of potpourri on top of the doily. Plug it in and enjoy the sweet aroma of the potpourri.  -- Melanie from MN

A cute Mother's Day gift: Mix plaster of Paris and pour into a paper cup 1/2 way up. While still wet, put in a plastic fork with prongs sticking up. After it hardens, peel off the cup. Let children paint the base and then write out a recipe, a poem or put a picture in the fork prongs. It becomes a great recipe holder, message holder near the phone or to hold a photograph. We put in a recipe of LOVE for Mom! -- Tara from LA

Exfoliating Foot Scrub (make as much as you want - it keeps for weeks in the refrigerator) 1/2 cup sugar 1 tsp. Olive Oil or fragrance oil 5 squirts of your favorite lotion Mix together all ingredients and pack into a jelly jar, twist on the lid, add a decorative ribbon and Voila! Happy Mothers Day! Directions for Use: Once a day rub onto feet with a cloth, scrubee or just your hands for about a minute. Rinse well and your feet will be softer and prettier in just 2 days. -- Jennifer from IN

For an inexpensive Mother's Day Gift - take those perfume sample pads from Avon and put them between cloth squares or rounds to make an inexpensive sachet. When I taught preschool, I would have my students paint empty Lipton tea bag envelopes, put the sample pad in there and then close it up with a pretty flower sticker on each side. With the cloth squares, we would glue on lace to one inside before putting the top side on. -- Judy from VA

My mother loves flowers but just doesn't have the knack of putting flowers together. So every Mothers day I make her a basket or pot of flowers. Take a container and line with plastic if it is not water proof. Place plants like 4" house plants or 6 pack annuals sold in garden centers in the container. Make sure the container is full. Choose annuals like impatiens or green leaf begonias because they can take lower light. Fill in the gaps with light potting soil and top the soil layer with moss. My yards has lots of free moss growing naturally. Place a bow in the container or on the handle and voila! -- Lu from TN

Some of our favorite things about you Jar. I read about this once in a magazine and have made several. One for my husband that we sent to work so it is on his desk, one for a young nephew that lives out of state, my aunt, and friend. Take a clean spaghetti sauce jar, cover the top with fabric and fill with little slips of paper. (Spring colors of paper would be pretty for mothers day (we did Valentines and used red, white and pink.) On each slip of paper write down a memory, favorite quality, funny story or anything that will brighten someone's day). For mothers day, have all your siblings write them and include their name. We also did this for my mothers 60th birthday party (she had the jar, we just gave her "refills"), and had everyone close to her write some slips. On the outside of the jar make a sign that says Some of our favorite things about you and tie it with ribbon. Tell your mom to pick one slip a day. When you see the jar is running low, a different holiday will be approaching and you can give her refills. -- Krissy from NY

Pens in a Pot

You will need:

3 ball point pens

a 4-6 inch clay pot

3 silk flower stems

floral tape

Scissors

pinto beans and raffia.

Fill your pot with beans to 1 inch from top. Tie raffia bow around neck of pot for decoration. Cut flower head off stem and tape to top of pen with floral tape. Take leaf off floral stem and tape to near bottom of pen (1 inch from tip) Now re-tape entire body of pen with floral tape to hide the pen. Throw away the pen cap and you now have a beautiful flower pen. Put all 3 pens in pot and its a great gift for the kitchen counter. -- Lori from TX

When we were expecting our daughter, my husband and I decided we would teach our children to create the gifts they'd give for holidays rather than buy it for them and slap their name on the tag. This is what I did for my husband's first Father's Day, but it could easily be adapted for Mother's Day. My daughter was only a couple of months old so I found some thick paper similar to card stock (construction paper will work too!) I painted the bottom of my daughter's foot and stamped it several times on the paper (leaving plenty of space between foot prints) until I got what I deemed the perfect print. Then I did the same for her hand on a different sheet of paper. I cut the prints out to be the size of a business card and glued them back to back. On one side I wrote her full name and the date. On the other side I wrote a beautiful (but short) poem I'd found on the internet. It was about the trials and tribulations of parenting and a reminder that (my daughter) would always love him. He was so touched that he put it in the photo holder of his wallet so he could see both sides and he says he'll never take it out. I've also seen him proudly, show it to friends and clients. It just goes to show, the best gifts don't have to cost a penny! -- Cindi from GA

I just wanted to send an inexpensive idea for Mother's Day gifts that we are doing. I like to do things that will preserve for a long time... so we are buying the little path stones (concrete -from Wal-mart $1.17) and putting the kids hand prints and footprints on them. I have the craft paint already. I just bought a huge can of concrete sealer for $5.00. You can put the heals of the kids hands together to make butterflies... put the year... or even a saying. We are using, "Granddaddy's weeds, Mammy's garden." And changing it for each set of grandparents names. Don't you hate receiving and getting gifts that you can't find room to display it or knowing it will end up in the trash before the year is over? Talk about an inexpensive, practical, and long-lasting gift that everyone will treasure. -- Katherine David

I just made this for the grandmas for Mother's Day, but it would also work for a Father's Day gift for Dad to put on his desk at work! This is a craft our Moms group did -- and they got it from Martha Stewart. It's easy and ADORABLE! Get four wooden cubes, six pictures of your cute kids and some decoupage. Cut the pictures: If you have 1 1/2 inch blocks, you cut your picture into a 3x3 square, and then cut that into 4 pieces (1 1/2 in. square each). Decoupage one side of each block and stick the picture on. Rotate the cubes and repeat for all six sides. When it's dry enough, cover all the sides with decoupage (this may take some time because you have to wait for some to dry before you can turn them to do the other sides). And you're done -- a cube puzzle of your six pictures!-- Laurena from CA

Last year for Mother's day my four year old made his grandmothers a cheap and easy picture frame. We bought cardboard picture frames from Wal-Mart (found in the craft section). The picture frames cost around two dollars each. My son painted and decorated the frames with art and craft paint. Then I stenciled the word Grandma or Nana (depending on what my son called her) at the bottom. Then he chose a snapshot of himself which fits perfectly into these frames. These picture frames were such a hit with the grandmas that we also did it for the grandpas for Father's Day. My son sends his grandparents a different snapshot of himself every couple of months so they can stay updated with how fast he is growing. (my husband is in the military and we don't get to visit very often) -- Christina from CA

For Mother's Day, children can grow mom a plant/flower. I know this is an oldie, but I've always enjoyed receiving them. Take a styrofoam cup or empty can and add potting soil and flower seeds. They can, of course, decorate the cup/can with construction paper, stickers, or anything else. If you start this now, you will have a small plant by Mother's Day. My son did this when he was in kindergarten and I still have that plant! It's a special gift made by their own hands! -- Beth from NJ

Inexpensive Cool Gift

What you will need:
Epsom Salt
Food Coloring
Glass Jars (baby food jars work well)

Take a carton of epsom salt and divide it into 4 large bowls (one for each of your food coloring. Add a couple of drops of food coloring at a time to the Epsom salt, mixing until well blended. Add more coloring, a couple drops at a time until you achieve your desired color. Then layer the salts in the glass jars so they look like those jars of colored sand that people make. You can also use a stick or other skinny object to slide down the side of the jar to add more decoration to the jar, this will make v's in your design. Then you can add a label with directions: Add to bath water to relax and sooth muscles. You can also decorate the lid of the jar to make it look fancier. This is also a great project for kids to do. -- Beth from MI

Mothers Day (or any other day) craft: Great for Grandma! (Grandpa too).
Bookmarks; Use 5x7 card stock or other heavy paper. Cut into bookmark width strips. Stamp baby's toes (use non toxic ink or paint) and draw antenna on big toe for a caterpillar, add eyes, feet, grass etc. Use thumb with pinky finger prints on each side for ears to make a rabbit .Draw on whiskers, eyes etc. Laminate with a self adhesive sheets for a great useful keepsake. If you love your babies little feet like I do you'll treasure having this. -- Peggy from TX

For Mother's Day this year, my kids and I made refrigerator art galleries for their grandmas. Of course, you have to have a grandma that loves to display artwork and pictures from the grandkids!

You can do A LOT with lids from baby food jars! Last year, I hosted a playgroup at my house. I had about 20 lids saved, which I had cleaned and then spray-painted with cheap (bought from $1 store) paint. The kids cut out pictures from magazines, greeting cards and even family snapshots, and glued them inside the lids. We then glued a magnet to the back. Voila! A homemade fridge magnet for MOM! -- Lisa from CO

Crayola makes this - Model Magic. You can pick it up at Wal-Mart or your local craft/hobby store. It comes in 1/2 oz. bags. Take the molding clay out of package and roll out with a rolling pin or pat out with your hand, have your child push their hand in the clay and make a hand print. This air dries and comes in different colors so you don't have to color. You can take a straw and punch a hole throw to hang it once it is dry. Also, you take a toothpick or stick and write their name anywhere on it. If you are like me, we are going it for Grandma. A bucket of 12 - 1/2 oz. bags is only $12.99. There are 7 grandchildren and the other parents are chipping in so the cost will be minimal to us all. Then we are going to make a mobile out of it for hanging all hands. -- Jana from TX

A few years ago, my husband took our three kids to the workshop to make my Mother's Day gifts. He took three pieces of scrap wood and cut each into a heart shape. Then, each child picked out a different piece of wrapping paper and glued the paper onto the wooden heart. Next, they trimmed the hearts with scrap pieces of lace. I cried when I opened each one. Each one is prominently displayed where I can see it everyday. -- Pattie from PA

Last year my daughter made stationary for me in her kindergarten class. The took plain white typing paper and put their thumb print in several different places around the page. Then they drew an animal around the print (cat, mouse, dog) - very simple drawings. I also got matching envelopes. We made these for the grandparents Christmas gifts this past year also. They loved it and it's something to cherish forever. -- Gail from GA

What we did... I purchased craft sticks (the wider ones, like tongue depressors) and we painted them in vibrant colors, one for each grandchild. Then, we wrote their names on them, and put a magnet strip on the reverse side. We also purchased wood star cut outs and glued them on the ends of the craft sticks. We also got a small black board (at the craft stores) and put magnets on the back of it. We painted the wood trim in bright colors, stripes, polka dots, etc. and glued more stars on it. On the blackboard, we wrote with paint pens "Grandma's All-Stars". We think she's going to LOVE it! Plus, each grandchild will have a place to see their art or photographs on grandma's fridge! -- Heidi from WI

I have two ideas for mother's day crafts. Both of these are inexpensive if you have a well stocked craft closet. Last year we made magnets from the fun foam. Each mom and grandma got one magnet that spelled "MOM" and then a couple of heart magnets, a sun magnet and some flowers. We only used 1/2 sheet of fun foam in each color. This made about five gifts. This year we plan to use up the leftover fun foam from last year and make picture frames with a picture inside. Use heavy cardboard or card stock for frame outline and then cover in foam and decorate. I usually only buy fun foam once a year when the craft store has it on sale. Hope this gives some ideas for everyone. -- Amanda from FL

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