11 First Mother's Day Gifts That Are Extra Special

The day she became a mother changed her life forever. What follows is a year of her baby's firsts: first smile, first word, first step. What day comes as a close second in sentimentality? It's her first Mother's Day. Make this holiday especially memorable with a handmade gift that she'll treasure for years to come. There will always be flowers and breakfast in bed—and maybe even a surprise activity or two—but an heirloom gift lasts a lifetime. Any mom would love to unwrap personalized keepsakes like scrapbooks, shadow boxes, framed handprints and foot tracings of baby, as well as memory quilts, lockets, and photo-printed accessories.

Mothers make the most avid chroniclers, and her collection of illustrations, photographs, and objects tell her child's story: from the onesie that her baby arrived in at home to the first stuffed toy in the nursery. And yet with all of life's new adjustments as a parent, many new mothers find themselves without the time to store, organize, or make use of these mementos in a meaningful way. Help her celebrate those big milestones and Baby's "firsts" with fill-in growth charts, baby books, and libraries. They all capture each and every moment of a child's first year. Even everyday playthings—crayons, baby bottles, and little playthings—make for colorful, easy-to-assemble wall art.

These kind of gifts promote the idea of heralding special occasions and everyday ones, too. Whether she's your wife, daughter, friend, or sister—your choice of these handmade gifts will be the one that she remembers.

A framed shadow box like this one holds every precious trinket that she's collected over the last months from the first pair of shoes to first toys and photographs that captured every moment along the way, or a print copy of the newspaper from the day her baby was born.

Shop Now: Studio Décor White Shadow Box, 16" by 20", $30, michaels.com.

As the family grows, so does the family tree. Capture the evolution of her family in a beautifully intricate wall mount such as this one.

If baby (and mom) are ready to part with that first blanket, offer to make a memory quilt out of it. Stitched together with scraps of fabric here and there, it's the perfect way to preserve a piece of those special items that are simply too precious to toss.

Even if a picture's worth a thousand words, one of mother and child together only needs three: I love you. To emphasize the sentiment, copy one of her favorites and add a heart in bright embroidery thread.

For a modern piece of artwork that can be updated over the years, frame a paper silhouette of the mom and her baby together. In fact, create one for every member of the family and you have an heirloom-quality gallery wall.

She keeps her little one close to her heart—literally!—with this charm necklace. For an extra special touch, have the locket laser-inscribed with her baby's date of birth by a professional. Start by making a template for the photo: Press a piece of paper into the locket opening, and score around the edge with a pencil. Cut it out, slide it in, and resize it as needed. Print the desired photo on heavyweight printer paper. Use template to cut photo to size, then slide into locket. Add a jump ring, and thread with cord. For the card, choose an image that can incorporate the locket (such as by attaching it to a baby's hand or placing it on an artist's easel). Print it on card stock, make a hole with a micro punch, and tie the cord through it.

Shop Now: Gorjana Bali Antique Locket Necklace, $65, shopbop.com. HP Heavyweight Project Paper, $15.56 for 250 sheets, amazon.com.

Instagram might be her go-to for taking perfect photos of her baby's most candid moments, but this plain canvas case is the perfect way to appreciate those captured moments in real life. Size a photo to fit on the pouch, keeping finished images at least 1/4 inch from the edge of the pouch. Print on cotton, and remove backing. Place scrap fabric between iron and your printout before ironing. Iron cotton to webbing. Cut photo to desired size. Remove the webbing's backing, and iron onto canvas case. Let cool; spray with fabric protector.

Shop Now: V V Prints Inkjet Printable Cotton Fabric Sheets, $17 for 6, amazon.com. Paper Source Canvas Pouches, $20 for 3, papersource.com. Thermoweb Heat'n Bond Light Weight Iron-On Fusible Interfacing, $3.78, amazon.com. Scotchgard Fabric & Upholstery Protector, $10, amazon.com.

As a mom, cuddles and naps are just one of the many perks to the job. This plush throw pillow adds a personal touch to down time. Size the photo (if desired, leave a border for a framed effect). Print on linen; remove backing. To make fabric sturdier, back the linen with a piece of fusible interfacing. Cut it to the same size as the linen, and iron it to the back side of printout. Place scrap fabric between the iron and printout. Cut a piece of linen to the same dimensions as your printout before ironing. With right sides facing, sew around perimeter, leaving a 1/4-inch seam allowance. Leave a 3-inch slit at bottom. Turn right side out. Stuff with fiberfill, and hand-sew the slit closed.

Shop Now: Jacquard Belgian Linen, 6' by 42", $40, inkjetfabrics.com. Thermoweb Heat'n Bond Light Weight Iron-On Fusible Interfacing, $3.78, amazon.com. Scotchgard Fabric & Upholstery Protector, $10, amazon.com.

Here's a sweet idea: Trace her baby's hand over paper and put it in a beautiful frame. Tell the lucky mom to repeat this process over the first few months to document his or her growth.

Help mom put all those photos to good use by printing out these easy-to-install, easy-to-remove wall statements for her. Design your own custom wallpaper through a service such as WeMontage.com, which lets you upload your favorite photos, create a custom photo collage, and print on large, removable wallpaper with adhesive backing. The final product comes on thick canvas-like paper with a matte finish that adheres to flat walls and textured surfaces without causing damage.

Junior is the perfect reason to finally collect all those family recipes. Start the book now and we guarantee it will make the perfect graduation present years later.