It won’t be long and Mother’s Day will be here so now is the perfect time to start thinking about gifts, especially if you want to do something unique and personal.
I’m not sure about you, but speaking for myself as both a daughter and a mother of three, Mother’s Day gift ideas are tough. I have pretty much everything I need and I can never really think of anything that I want, except new books but my pile is a little ridiculous already so that’s not really an option either. Speaking to the mothers in my family and asking if they have any gift requests is never helpful because the go to answer is generally ‘no, not really I have all I need’ or just some family time would be lovely. Family time for me is difficult as I live in a different state to my mum so ducking over for Mother’s Day lunch is really not an option.
Mothers who seem to have it all will still appreciate a thoughtful gift, and it is fantastic if you can incorporate that into something useful, something personal and/or something unique. Not just another box of chocolates, bottle of wine or dust collecting trinket.
One better than just thoughtful is something creative that you have taken the time to make for her yourself, or helped the kids make.
I have spent the afternoon surfing for inspiration and compiled a list of some great creative Mother’s Day gifts that are sure to be a hit with mums and grandmothers of all ages.
Photos are an amazing gift and there are so many ways that you can use them. Photo books are a great idea, and I think that’s what I did last year. These are a great gift when the family is long distance, my mum doesn’t see my kids very often so a photo book that spans the previous 12 months of my children’s lives attaches her to what we’ve been up to. You can add funny or informative captions to make the memories extra special. There are also photo collages, home made photo frames, scrapbook albums, key rings, mugs and calendars. The list really is endless.
If you are interested in photo books there are some great deals on through Snapfish, BigW and Kmart photos. Keep an eye out and you can get some great bargains.
Handprint Art
One of the gifts I got a couple of years ago, which I need to update, is a handprint canvas of all the kids. And I LOVE it. But don’t be limited to traditional art. Handprint art can be quite versatile. I found some fabulous ideas today. You could do a handprint apron with all the kids handprints in the shape of a flower and it’s stem, you could create a white tablecloth with handprints and special memory messages from all the people the hands belong to – and this is a gift you can add to every year as the children grow. Not to forget the traditional handprint canvas that will take pride of place on the wall for all time.
Make a Coupon Book
This is a great idea. It is simple, customisable and limited only by your imagination. Be sure that you aren’t giving her time off duties that are already the responsibility of someone else in the household but aside from that the scope is endless. A pretty spiral notebook with some stickers, nice pens and imagination will make a coupon book that will be cherished. Some fantastic inclusions would be a night off cooking, a week off folding laundry, a family outing, a childfree day of shopping, a movie night with the whole family. These can be things she would enjoy on her own or to get the family together. The coupons don’t have to be for things that would be expensive and it certainly shows time and love put into the gift.
Original Child’s Artwork
Where there are children who attend daycare, kindy or school there is an untapped wealth of original art. Art that mulitplies, rapidly, and it doesn’t take long to start wondering what can be done with it. I hate the idea of getting rid of it but I do realise (especially by child number three) that you just can’t keep everything. So pull out some of those precious paintings and add the Name and Date then buy a funky frame and that special piece can grace the wall for always.
Home Spa Supplies
Mums deserve some pampering, there’s no doubt about it, and often that is not something they would buy for themselves. So what about making your own bath bombs and bubble baths for a relaxing and soothing time out for mum, and this way you can blend her favourite fragrances to make it super special.
There are some simple and effective tutorials and recipes on the internet for homemade bath and body products from soaps, bath bombs, lipglosses and foot soaks and scrubs.
Create a Memory Keeper
Get yourself, and the kids and grandkids, together with some good quality pens and stationery and write down some of your favourite memories. The funny ones, the special ones, the embarrassing ones – all of the good memories from your times together.
The actual memory keeper could be one of many. A pretty notebook that they can all be stuck in, a scrapbook of memories, a memory chain where the paper is turned into links and joined together in a paper chain or a memory jar where they are all folded and placed in a pretty glass jar which you could paint and decorate any way that you like.
Mason Jars
Mason Jars are great for everything really. I came across a lot of fabulous ideas. The one that really took my fancy is Mason Jar Sewing Kits which you can turn the top into a pincushion. You can find the instructions at Wait ‘Til Your Father Gets Home. The jar holds threads, tape measure, some pins in top and anything else you want nice and handy when you have the sewing machine out. You could also make up recipe mixes in mason jars with a recipe card and all the dry ingredients in your jar. This is a great medium for your bath products, you can paint and decorate them for vases and storage jars, the options are endless.
So don’t leave it until the last minute to rush out for a box of chocolates or a bunch of flowers. Start thinking about a project now and make mum something she will cherish forever.
I devour books, vampires and supernatural creatures are my genre of choice but over the past couple of years, I have broadened my horizons considerably. In a nutshell – I love to write! I love interacting with a diverse range of artists to bring you interviews. Perhaps we were perfect before – I LOVE WORDS!