Holiday Planning & Ideas Mother's Day 30 of Our Best Handmade Mother's Day Gifts By Alexandra Churchill Alexandra Churchill Alexandra is a former digital editor for MarthaStewart.com. Editorial Guidelines Updated on April 19, 2021 11:00AM EDT Share Tweet Pin Email We independently evaluate all recommended products and services. If you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation. Learn more. Photo: James Ransom Flowers are nice and breakfast in bed is practically a given, but any Mom loves a gift that comes from the heart. We've rounded up our best Mother's Day gift ideas over the years including DIY token jewelry, pampering spa sets, and photo-printed gifts—and each one says "Mom, I love you." 01 of 31 Chelsea Cavanaugh What do you give the woman who gave you everything? Flowers, jewelry, breakfast in bed—all of those things are a given. For Mother's Day this year, present her with a gift that honors her past, celebrates the present, and will carry poignant meaning into her future. And in order to offer a gift so personalized to Mom, it's best made with your own two hands. Celebrated on the second Sunday in May, Mother's Day is a time for us to show love and gratitude to our moms. Whether you're detailing a masterpiece weeks out or looking to change plans last minute, we have handmade gift ideas for Moms of every personality and interest. Is she a gardener? Gift her with a bouquet of farmers' market blooms wrapped in patterned paper (using our printable clip-art). Is she crafty and creative? Surprise her with an decoupaged phone case or a fabric flower pin sewn in her favorite hue. Is she a style maven? Gift her with a baked-clay necklace fresh out of the oven. Is she the sentimental type? She'll adore a set of chair pillows printed with the faces of her family members. Is she a self-defined trendsetter? She'll jump to the occasion to wear a pair of hoop earrings by her favorite artisan (that artisan being you). All of these ideas will offer more than fleeting happiness—instead, it will give her a tangible sign of your bond. Just like pasta necklaces and grade-school drawings, these are the handmade tokens that she will display with pride. 02 of 31 Shell Trinket Trays Ryan Liebe For the mom who's got gadgets and gizmos aplenty, transform a scallop shell into a keepsake she's shore to love. Cut out a circle of scrapbook paper that's an inch bigger than your shell all around, then brush the back of the paper with découpage glue and press it on, starting at the center, and smoothing out any air bubbles. Trim the excess, leaving just enough to wrap over the edges, and let it dry. It's just the right size to hold a pearl (naturally) or any of her other little treasures. Shop Now: Florida Beach Weddings Real Irish baking Scallop Shells, 3 1/2" to 4", $8.50 for 6, floridabeachweddings.etsy.com; Recollections Double-Sided Scrapbook Paper, 12" by 12", in Teal Distress and Neutral Soft Floral, $1 per sheet, michaels.com; Recollections Scrapbook Paper, 12" by 12", in Teal Watercolor, White Floral Script, and Navy Leaf (similar to shown), $1 per sheet, michaels.com. 03 of 31 Clay Necklaces Get the Clay Necklaces How-To Chelsea Cavanaugh Believe us when we say that making these crescent-and-tube pendants is easier than baking cookies. Once you've picked out clay colors, beads, and cording, pick up a craft knife, a glass or two to help you trace the half-moon shape, and a small metal rod to wrap clay around to make tube beads. 04 of 31 Heart-Embroidered Photograph Get the Heart-Embroidered Photograph How-To Johnny Fogg Her favorite memory of you two together is captured in a single snapshot. Add a few stitches in red embroidery thread using our easy-to-follow template, and she'll treasure the heartfelt sentiment. 05 of 31 Painted Ceramics Get the Painted Ceramics How-To Addie Juell In her flower delivery, the only thing more important than the blooms themselves is the vessel they're displayed in. Take plain, inexpensive pottery and make it look absolutely artisanal with a little ceramic paint and a few quick-and-easy brushstrokes. 06 of 31 Personalized Pink Leather Valet Tray Get the Personalized Pink Leather Valet Tray How-To Anusha Rajeswaran Give mom the gift of organization with this adorable and useful pink leather valet tray, to place beside her bed or on her desk. You can even personalize it with a monogram or sweet message for the woman who raised you. 07 of 31 Photo Throw Pillow Joyce Lee Does she have a favorite family photo? More than one? Use it as inspiration to make a pillow that she can snuggle with at home. Here, the photos are printed on paper-backed linen, which feeds into your home printer. Shop Now: Jacquard Belgian Linen Fabric, 6' by 42", from $40, inkjetfabrics.com; Heat 'n Bond Lightweight Iron-on Fusible Interfacing, $44.58, amazon.com; 3M Scotchgard Fabric & Upholstery Protector, $5.33, amazon.com. 08 of 31 Fabric Floral Pins Get the Fabric Floral Pins How-To James Ransom A fresh bouquet from the florist is nice, but these fabric flowers are even nicer—and they will never, ever wilt. Make ones based on your mother's favorite flower or craft a bunch for her to mix and match as she likes for pins, brooches, hair accessories, and keychains. 09 of 31 Green Tea and Rose Sugar Scrub Get the Green Tea and Rose Sugar Scrub How-To Anusha Rajeswaran Give Mom the gift of a home spa day. This soothing homemade exfoliant calls for a few natural ingredients—sugar, coconut oil, green tea, and dried rose petals—all of which pack a powerful punch. 10 of 31 Tea Satchets and Gift Box Raymond Hom Is she a tea-drinker? Here's an easy, pretty way to personalize her morning cup. Make sachets to fill with a mix of her favorite loose teas (or create custom blends from dried herbs and edible flowers, such as mint and hibiscus). Add tags, and place in a gift box. Shop Now: Recollections Super Flower Lever Punch, $15.99, michaels.com; Celebrate It Kraft Jewelry Box, $1.49, michaels.com; Véritable Edible Flower Set, $59.99, williams-sonoma.com. 11 of 31 Midnight Lavender Rose Chamomile Bath Salts Get the Midnight Lavender Rose Chamomile Bath Salts How-To Jena Carlin and James Rude An ordinary soak in the tub becomes a real retreat with this set of bath salts combing four natural ingredients: black sea salt, rose buds, lavender, and chamomile. 12 of 31 Pressed-Flower Bar Soap Get the Pressed-Flower Bar Soap How-To Anusha Rajeswaran She loves a bouquet, but how about a new take on it? Pick her favorite flower—we like smaller varieties like roses, lavender buds, and bluebonnets—and use our easy melt-and-pour technique for lovely soaps. 13 of 31 Recipe-Printed Heirloom Tea Towels Get the Recipe-Printed Heirloom Tea Towels How-To Whether it's Grandma's lasagna or Mom's famous chocolate chip cookies, every family has a recipe that's been passed down from generation to generation. Our friends over at Spoonflower show how handwritten recipe card can be printed onto tea towels, turning them into treasured family heirlooms. 14 of 31 Teacup Lights Get the Teacup Lights How-To Here's a new way for her to enjoy "tea time." Antique teacups—in their pretty, feminine prints and color palettes—were upcycled into beautiful candles. 15 of 31 Decoupaged Flower Vases Get the Decoupage How-To Poppytalk Looking for a beautiful new vessel in which to display your Mother's Day bouquet? For this handmade vase, by our friends from Poppytalk, all you need is some inspiration and a few empty bottles, glasses, or jars. 16 of 31 Photo Canvas Case No sewing required! For this sentimental accessory, a favorite family photo can be printed on cotton and ironed on the back. In it, she can carry her keys, phone, and other indispensables. Shop Now: Printable Cotton Fabric Sheets, $17.50 for 6 sheets, amazon.com; Heat 'n Bond Lightweight Iron-on Fusible Interfacing, $44.58, amazon.com; Imagin8 Natural Canvas Pouch, $5.99, michaels.com. 17 of 31 Sequined Monogram Coin Purse Petra Bindel A little glitz (and in this case, craft glue) helps Mom shine. Draw her initial on a leather coin purse with tailor's chalk. Trace letter with a thin line of craft cement, then adhere a 4-millimeter sequin strand along line; cut off strand and glue the end. Shop Now: Simplicity Single Strand Gold Sequin Trim, $4.19, joann.com; Madewell The Leather Pouch Wallet, $29.50, madewell.com. 18 of 31 Hoop Earrings Get the Hoop Earrings How-To Raymond Hom For a minimalist style maven, try fashioning a pair of earrings. To make a few surprisingly inexpensive pairs, all it takes is high-quality yet inexpensive gold wire, a couple of tools, and a few minutes of your time. 19 of 31 Beaded Necklaces Sarah Anne Ward These chic one-of-a-kind treasures are easy to make. Bright beads are looped and linked together, then tied off with pretty cord or ribbon. Make one in Mom's favorite color, or make a loop of beads for each one of her children in their one color. The added significance just might make her tear up. Shop Now: Fire Mountain Gems Hematite, Wooden, Yellow-Quartz, and Agate Beads, from $4.50 a strand, firemountaingems.com; Cordeliere Cotton Trim, $2.98 per yd., mjtrim.com. 20 of 31 Sleep Mask Get the Sleep Mask How-To Bryan Gardner As any mom will tell you, beauty rest isn't always easy to come by. But a silky-soft eye mask in a colorful print will help her catch some zz's (or at least, look stylish). 21 of 31 Lavender Lip Balm Get the Homemade Lip Balm How-To Bryan Gardner Mom is always giving out kisses to everyone in the family—she deserves the perfectly pampered pout! In this particular balm, we used lavender, which helps to soothe, relax, and relieve stress. 22 of 31 Marbleized Glassware Choose from a palette of your Mom's favorite colors, and make a matching set or a stand-alone statement piece for her kitchen. A marbleized surface is achieved by allowing paints of different colors to flow together and "marble" on the surface being painted. She'll display this custom-made collection with pride (and not just when guests come over). Shop Now: Pottery Barn Hammered Short Drinking Glasses, $10 each, potterybarn.com; DecoArt Glass Paint, $2.99, michaels.com. 23 of 31 Wrapped Bouquet Aaron Dyer Flowers for Mom become instantly more memorable and gift-worthy when you present them in one of these pretty patterned cones. And with a range of motifs—geraniums, lemons, and mixed greenery to name a few—there's infinite mix and match possibilities. Get the Geraniums Clip-Art Get the Lemons Clip-Art Get the Berries Clip-Art Get the Small Mixed Flowers Clip-Art Get the Large Mixed Flowers Clip-Art 24 of 31 Embroidered iPhone Case Get the Embroidered iPhone Case How-To Burcu Avsar You always keep Mom on speed dial for her sage advice, her laundry tips, and roast chicken recipe, so why not give her phone some added hand-stitched flair? The perforated phone case here lends itself well to different kinds of designs: Try backstitching or cross-stitching. 25 of 31 Knotted Headband Get the Knotted Headband How-To Kate Mathis If Mom's a style maven, this one's for her: It's a classic accessory made from luxurious modern fabrics—crushed velvet or satin silk blend. And because fabric glue and a tie-knot adheres the fabric, there's no sewing required. 26 of 31 Handwritten Recipe on a Pie Plate Get the Handwritten Recipe on a Pie Plate How-To ASHLEY POSKIN Mom's casserole deserves high honors in this family project. Transfer her handwritten recipe card onto a dish, trace it over with a glass paint marker, and bake it in the oven. It will be displayed proudly in their kitchen for generations to come. 27 of 31 Upcycled Frames Get the Upcycled Photograph Frames How-To Ashley Poskin The only thing better than a family photograph is one paired with an heirloom. In this project, we used mirrors and trays to craft a one-of-a-kind treasure for her living room wall. 28 of 31 Embroidered Napkins Get the Embroidered Napkins How-To Handwritten letters and cards may be a dwindling art, but these table linens will preserve Mom or Grandma's signature forever. 29 of 31 Silhouette Portrait Get the Framed Silhouette Art How-To Anusha Rajeswaran For any mother, her children are her heart and soul, so why not leave a reminder somewhere she will see it every day? This personalized pinboard can display a few sweet mementos of her daughters including black and white photos, a pink ribbon, and a child's portrait in silhouette. 30 of 31 Framed Family Tree On Mother's Day, celebrate Mom, her mom, and all of the moms that came before her. A framed family tree in full illustration has a sophisticated charm and a pleasing symmetry that's perfect for display on her living room wall. 31 of 31 Needle-Felted Heart Mug Cozy Get the Needle-Felted Heart Mug Cozy How-To Kara Whitten If your mom is a tea aficionado, here's a thoughtful gift to keep her mug warm and her hands protected. Craft a felted, soft-to-the-touch cup cozy with a heart, her name, or a simple "Love You." Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit