12 Mother's Day Crafts for Kids to Make for Mom

The days of pasta necklaces and grade-school drawings as gifts made-for-mom may seem trite, but these artworks are treasured nonetheless. Any Mom will tell you this: The best Mother's Day gifts are those that are handmade, especially when they're made by the special little people who made her a parent in the first place.

As for what makes for a one-of-a-kind handmade gift on Mother's Day? As long as it was crafted with love, any mother would be thrilled to receive something her kids made with their own two hands. You likely already have the household supplies to get them started like paper, ink, and pantry staples, but simple arts and crafts supplies—such as clay, beads, and fabric—can take their work to the next level. Use family memento for your kids' inspiration: scrapbooks, family photographs, and shadow boxes are great places to start. Then add a personalized touch with their handprints, drawings, or handwriting. They double as a thoughtful keepsake: Think personalized tote bags, custom cards with quotes, fingerprint art, handmade necklaces (but with a special technique for finesse), and sweet-but-simple fingerprint cards or classic coupon books, that will surely put a smile on Mom's face. These projects are good for little crafters of all ages—toddlers, preschoolers, and older children alike.

Not only will Mom love these gifted crafts, but your kids can get their creative juices flowing while having a blast making them. Whether you gift-wrap and present your kids' crafts with her Mother's Day breakfast in bed or celebrate her by making these crafts together as a family, this year will surely be a special occasion to remember.

Here's a sweet variation on the "I love you thiiiiis much" theme: an expandable hand-shaped card for Mother's Day. Trace your child's hand on card stock to create a template and cut it out. Accordion-fold a piece of 11-by-17- inch paper to the width of the template—you'll have enough room for about four hands, depending on your child's size. Trace the template onto the paper and cut it out, leaving a portion of each pinkie and thumb intact to keep the hands connected. Then it's ready to decorate!

Shop Now: Recollections White Card Stock Paper, $4.49 for 50 sheets, michaels.com; HP Paper Printer Paper, $23.54 for 500 sheets, amazon.com; Loops & Threads Créme Cotton Yarn, $4.99, michaels.com.

No more searching for the right card—now a truly one-of-a-kind option is at your fingertips. Press your thumbs into an ink pad to make the momma animals, and dip your (or your little one's) pinkies for the babies; let dry. Draw the details with a fine-tipped marker, and post as a card made special for Mom.

Shop Now: Recollections "Pink Buttons" Card Stock Paper, $4.49 for 50 sheets, michaels.com; Tim Holtz Distress Mini Ink Pad Kit, $11.99 for four colors, michaels.com; Uni Posca Fine Bullet Tip PC-3M Paint Marker, $3.99, michaels.com.

Kids can make Mom a new necklace by rolling, kneading, and shaping clay into beads that—with an adult's helping hand—are baked in the oven and strung onto leather cord.

For older kids who know their way with a needle and thread, they'll adore embellishing this printed photograph for Mother's Day with the real equivalent of a heart emoji.

There's no need to buy Mom spring flowers this year when your crafty young gardener can make ones that last longer. Gather branches that have fallen outside; let dry, if necessary. Snip petal clusters off pink or red freeze-dried hydrangeas and glue them to branches.

For an unexpected alternative to flowers, try this balloon bouquet. Use our template to print letters on card stock; cut them out, and then punch a hole at the top of each. String the letters onto three helium-filled balloons using baker's twine. Finally, fasten the balloons to Mom's chair or bed, spacing them out a bit. The cheerful display will have her floating on air.

Shop Now: Bonjour Fete "Soleil" Helium Balloon Bundle, from $25 for 9, bonjourfete.com; Celebrate It Baker's Twine, $4.99, michaels.com; Recollections "Tangerine" Card Stock Paper, $4.49 for 50 sheets, michaels.com.

Let Mom sleep in—room service awaits! The finishing touches to this breakfast tray? A sunny arrangement of tissue paper flowers. Make Mom a pretty bouquet that will stay fresh forever. Layer 5-by-15-inch sheets of tissue paper, alternating colors. Make 1-inch-wide accordion folds. Wrap one end of a pipe cleaner around the center of the folded paper, and twist to secure. Round the edges of the folded paper with scissors. Fan out folds, and gently pull apart each layer of tissue paper to create petals.

Shop Now: Craft Craze Tissue Paper, $12.97 for 100 sheets, amazon.com; Caydo Colorful Chenille Stems, $7.79 for 700, amazon.com.

Extra, extra! Read all about Mom by publishing your own Mother's Day newspaper. Download the clip-art, then print on ivory paper, and add a drawing or a photo.

Shop Now: Recollections Ivory Card Stock Paper, $4.49, michaels.com.

Do nature one better and give Mom everlasting tulips, complete with messages from the heart. With a few folds of colored paper and a piece of wire, you have a beautiful Mother's Day greeting. Craft a single flower or a whole arrangement of sweet sentiments.

Shop Now: Recollections "Tangerine" Card Stock Paper, $4.49 for 50 sheets, michaels.com; Rose Mille 16-Gauge Green Cloth-Wrapped Floral Wire, $2.75 for 8 pieces, rosemille.com.

Help Mom snag the best seat in the house with tickets that double as a cute card. Download our clip-art. Print, cut out, and fold. Slip it into a small envelope addressed to the guest of honor.

Shop Now: Recollections "Roses" Card Stock Paper, $4.49 for 50 sheets, michaels.com.

With a little help from an adult—that is, you!—kids can create adorable cards, boxes, labels, pins, and tags using our printable "Mom Rules" clip-art.

Shop Now: Cheerful Ren Blank Button Pins, from $7.50 for 6, etsy.com.

Handcrafted end pages featuring kid drawings transform basic journals into keepsakes for Mom. A journal of any size will work. Measure the book's original endpaper, then cut your little crafter's picture so that it's slightly wider to accommodate the fold. Next, use a paintbrush to apply white glue evenly over the endpaper. Lay artwork over the glued area and press, starting at the center and working out. Wipe off any excess glue; trim the edges with a utility knife if needed. Close the journal and stack heavy books on top. Let dry overnight.

Shop Now: Andrews Blaine Ltd. Bright Ideas White Leatherette Zipper Journal, $19.95, barnesandnoble.com.