Home-made Mother’s Day Gifts

Mother’s love to receive gifts where some time and effort has been given to something unique for her. With young children an adult is likely to be needed on stand-by to help with the creation of home-made gifts. If you’re not sure what to make, here are 5 simple gifts that take only a little time to create.

1. Salt dough hand-print or foot-print heart

home made giftsA lovely Mother’s Day gift from a young child, all you need is one cup of water, one cup of salt and two cups of flour. Mix these together to make a smooth dough. Roll it out (use a bottle if you can’t find a rolling pin) and cut it into a heart shape. Press your child’s hand or foot print into the dough to leave an imprint and leave the heart to air-dry. If time is short you can dry this in the oven at 90c for 2-3 hours.

Your child can then paint the dough if they wish for a wonderful personalised gift for mum to receive. A word of advice: do make sure you clean the child’s hand or foot properly or they’ll run off to leave little flecks of dough on furnishings for you to clean.

2. Paint some pottery

If the idea of making salt dough is too messy, look online for your nearest pottery studio. They’ll have a wide range of products your children can get decorate. Whether it’s a plate, an animal or a coaster, the personal touch will mean your gift is loved from the second the paintbrush touches the pottery. And you’ll have no clearing up to do.

3. Family Tree of Fingerprints

This is an idea that can be framed and placed on the wall in your home. Simply print an image of a bare tree, or paint the trunk and branches yourself onto a canvas. Buy three or four shades of green paint, perhaps a deep red and a yellow too for contrast and let your children press fingerprints as leaves on the tree. Tape around the edge of the canvas where the frame will be so that the picture doesn’t get cut off. Get your children to practice their fingerprints before starting on the canvas. When you’re finished, you’ll have a uniquely beautiful picture of a tree to admire.

4. Home-made bath salts

Mother’s Day is the perfect day for mum to relax in a long, hot bath. Make it even better by mixing up some home-made bath salts with your children.
Buy some sea salts or bath salts online or from a store and pick up some lemon and orange essential oils. Mix the salts and two drops of each oil in a bowl along with a tablespoon of orange and lemon zest until the salts are yellow and everything is thoroughly mixed. Put the citrus salts in a jar and add a nice label to finish off the perfect gift.

Emergency gift box

Create an emergency gift box from a shallow cardboard box that your children can paint and decorate whilst you arrange the gifts. A bottle of wine or her favourite drink is a good start. Add chocolate, a scented candle of her favourite aroma or lavender for relaxation if you’re not sure and other items that you know mother would love, but would not necessarily buy for herself.

A home-made card

Instead of a card from the store, create your own. Help younger children come up with their own unique Mother’s day poem by using the letters of “mother”. Ask the child what they think about their mother that starts with an “M”, “O”, etc. Help and encourage them if they get stuck by asking them what mum does for them beginning with the letter in question.

Here is an example:

M – Makes my breakfast, mends my jeans
O – Opens her heart, one-to-one chats
T – Tells me stories, teaches me
H – Helps me, hugs me
E – Effortlessly cares for me, Energetic
R – Remembers important dates, roams the hills

You will be surprised what children think of, so encourage them, laugh with them and don’t try to amend their ideas. Mum will LOVE it!
You can also use this idea as a cake decoration too. Think of single words starting with the letters of Mother and ice these on your Mother’s day cake.


References

  1. Salt Dough Footprint Keepsakes ” – Author: Anna Ranson
  2. It’s Tub Time! 15 Soothing DIY Bath Salts” – Author: KATE PUHALA
  3. DIY Cardboard Gift Boxes” – Source: DaveHax Youtube
  4. 19 Homemade Mother’s Day Gifts That Kids Can Make” – Author: Shar Petit

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