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Whether it’s her birthday, Mother’s Day, or any other special occasion, there are plenty of times when you may want to show your mom how much you care about her with a special gift.
Jump ahead to these sections:
- DIY Gifts for Mom’s Birthday
- Homemade Gifts for Mother’s Day
- Easy DIY Gifts for Mom From Toddlers
- DIY Gift Ideas for Mom From a Baby
- Last-Minute Homemade Gifts for Mom
- DIY Gift Baskets to Make for Mom
- Sentimental DIY Gifts for Mom
One way to make sure you express your feelings properly is with a gift you’ve made yourself. A DIY gift for Mom shows her you cared enough to actually create a gift, instead of merely buying something from a store (although that can be an entirely fine option in most circ*mstances too).
The following are a few ideas worth considering. If you’re thinking about giving your mom a DIY gift sometime soon, keep them in mind.
DIY Gifts for Mom’s Birthday
Make Mom’s birthday truly special with such gifts as:
1. “Enjoy the Day” gift box
One of the best ways to wish your mom a Happy Birthday is to simply let her know you appreciate her hard work and would like nothing more than for her to relax and enjoy the day.
Help her do so by putting together a gift box featuring items she’ll love. These may include bath bombs, scented candles, wine, and anything else you know will help her relax more easily.
2. Her favorite cake
A DIY gift for mom doesn’t need to be a permanent object. On the contrary, if your mom was the type to bake her kids their favorite cakes or sweets on their birthdays, repay the favor now (so long as you’re confident in your baking skills!) by making her a birthday cake.
You might even want to write a thoughtful birthday message in icing on top of the cake if you think your mom would appreciate that.
3. Birthday bouquet
It’s a tradition for many to give birthday cakes with a candle for each year of a person’s life. You may want to put a unique spin on this common birthday idea by giving your mom a bouquet of various gorgeous flowers. The number of flowers in the bouquet should correspond with your mom’s age.
Sure, this isn’t the ideal DIY gift for all moms. Plenty of people don’t love it when others remind them of their age on their birthday. However, you probably know your mom well enough to know whether this is the type of gift she’d appreciate.
4. Bath bombs
A bath bomb is certainly an item you might consider including in a gift box for Mom on her birthday. You could take this idea a step further by making the bath bombs yourself.
Plenty of online guides offer instructions for doing so, and you can even purchase a bath bomb-making kit to make it easier.
5. “More Memories to Come” corkboard
Help Mom celebrate her birthday while reminding her life is full of happy years to look forward to by printing out some of your favorite photos of you and your mom (particularly those that bring back happy memories) and arranging them on a corkboard or decorative photo board.
Homemade Gifts for Mother’s Day
DIY gifts for Mom are just as special on Mother’s Day as they are on her birthday. Ideas to consider include:
6. Tea wreath
This simple DIY gift for Mom is nevertheless a perfect Mother’s Day present for a mom who needs her daily tea fix.
All you have to do is get a piece of relatively sturdy cardboard and cut it into a circle shape with a hole in the center—a wreath shape! Decorate it as you please (you can paint it or simply apply wallpaper) and fasten equally-spaced clothespins in a circular pattern around the cardboard. Each clothespin should hold a different tea bag.
This DIY Mother’s Day gift offers Mom a fun way to choose her tea at the start of the day!
7. Customized planters
Many people know planters make ideal Mother’s Day gifts for moms who enjoy gardening.
However, you could make this common gift even more special by building your own planters out of balsa wood and painting such messages as “Thanks for helping us grow!” on them.
Tip: If you want your mom to be able to use the planter inside and outside, make sure you use non-toxic, weatherproof paint!
8. Mother’s Day notebook
You don’t have to have tremendous arts and crafts skills to give Mom a DIY gift she’ll love on Mother’s Day. For instance, you could get a plain notebook or journal and decorate it yourself.
More importantly, while the notebook should serve as a diary for Mom, the first entry can include a heartfelt Mother’s Day message you wrote yourself. This ensures every time Mom opens up the notebook to write one of her own entries, she’ll also have the chance to read a message from you explaining how much you care about her.
9. Mother’s Day playlist
A DIY gift for Mom doesn’t necessarily need to be a physical object! If you put effort into creating any kind of gift, it’s something you made yourself.
Consider the example of a Mother’s Day playlist. If you’ve invited Mom over to your home on Mother’s Day, you could make her feel particularly loved by curating a playlist for the day featuring songs about mothers, as well as any songs that have particular sentimental value for you and your mom.
Tip: If you still want to give a physical gift, you can give your mom her special playlist on a dedicated MP3 player.
10. Instagram calendar
Mother’s Day offers the ideal opportunity to remind your mom she’s raised a happy and well-rounded family.
One way to do so is to collect photos of yourself and your siblings from Instagram or Facebook, print them out, and organize them together in a monthly—or daily, if you have enough photos—calendar.
Easy DIY Gifts for Mom From Toddlers
If you want to help your toddler show some love for Mom, try some of these creative gifts!
11. Handprint or thumbprint flower pot
Help your toddler give a simple DIY gift to Mom by getting a basic flower pot and letting your kid decorate it with handprints or thumbprints. Just make sure they’re using safe paint or ink that will wash off their hands easily!
12. “What I Love About Mom” book
If your toddler is old enough to form basic sentences and understand the idea of saying, “Thank you, Mom, for everything you do,” you could ask them what their favorite things about Mom are, and record them in a custom notebook. This is a lovely gift that will let a mother know her child already appreciates her hard work.
(If you’re an older child, you can modify this gift idea by writing a more in-depth tribute speech for your mom.)
13. Favorite memory picture necklace
This is a DIY gift for Mom that you may only want to try if you have decent arts and crafts skills. It involves showing your toddler a few digital pictures featuring them and their mother. Ask your toddler to choose their favorite.
Once they’ve made their choice, you can print out a small version of the picture and apply it to a pendant with a clear resin keeping it in place. Add this pendant to a necklace or bracelet, and Mom will have the freedom to take one of her toddler’s favorite memories along with her whenever she wishes.
It’s also worth noting that plenty of artists on Etsy and similar platforms can make this type of jewelry for you if you like the idea but don’t believe in your skills to pull it off yourself. Sure, it’s not technically DIY if someone else made it, but that’s not always important.
15. Mom and me headbands
A much simpler (but still very thoughtful!) DIY gift for Mom that a toddler can “give” is a pair of matching headbands.
You simply need to choose a fabric design you believe Mom will like and cut it to the appropriate lengths. These matching headbands will result in a surprising number of cute photos when your toddler and their mom are wearing them together.
DIY Gift Ideas for Mom From a Baby
A baby may not be able to make a gift, but they can still contribute! Try these ideas:
16. “Thank You, Mom” double frame
Bringing a child into the world isn’t easy. Thus, you could help your baby show Mom how much they appreciate her (and how much you appreciate her) with a double picture frame.
One side can feature a picture of your baby. The other side can feature a custom-designed printout with a message thanking Mom for the various difficulties she may have put up with during pregnancy. Giving a child life can be challenging, but at least your baby can thank Mom for it.
17. First year notebook
Customize a notebook that can serve as a gift from your baby to Mom. She can use to record all the special memories she and her newborn will make during that always-eventful first year.
18. First year storybook
This is the type of DIY gift for Mom that you may want to give to her in the name of your baby if you have decent writing and graphic design skills.
A simple but incredibly warm way to help Mom look back on the first year of her child’s life is to give her a custom storybook featuring illustrations and brief “stories” corresponding to some of the most important memories Mom has made with her baby that year.
19. Video montage
A more high-tech spin on the above idea could take the form of a video montage featuring classic moments between Mom and her baby—with the perfect song playing over the video.
It’s the type of video Mom is almost sure to look back on more than a few times over the years.
20. New mom “survival” kit
This naturally isn’t the type of gift a baby can help make, but a spouse, sibling, or any other loved one could make this easy DIY gift for a new mom and give it to her pretending it’s “from” her new baby.
All you have to do is put together a basket of items that make life for a new mom much easier, such as cosmetics, calming teas, and anything else you believe would help a young mother handle the stresses of raising a baby.
Last-Minute Homemade Gifts for Mom
We all get busy at times. Even if you genuinely care about your mother and usually strive to ensure she knows how much you appreciate her, you might forget to purchase a gift until the last minute. If this happens, consider the following DIY gift ideas:
21. Soap or body scrubs
This may not sound like an easy DIY gift idea, but if you Google phrases such as “easy homemade body scrub,” you’ll quickly learn that making body scrubs, soaps, and similar products can be much simpler than you may have assumed. It’s also possible to make body scrubs and soaps reasonably quickly.
22. Mason jar snow globe
If it’s the holiday season and you’d like to add an extra DIY gift to the other gifts you’re giving your mom, consider making a snow globe with a Mason jar. You can probably complete this easy project in one single afternoon.
23. Picture frame message
Framing a picture shouldn't take you much time. However, you can add a nice little twist to this common gift idea by printing a message like "I love you, Mom" and framing that instead of a photo. You can also pin thoughtful messages to a corkboard. As with many of the examples on this list, this gift won't take you very long to make. It's still one that your mother will likely appreciate.
24. Customized coasters
If you have some artistic skill, you could get a set of plain coasters and paint your designs on them. Doing so won’t take very long but could result in a useful gift.
You can adjust this idea based on the specific type of gift you imagine your mother would like to receive. For instance, if you think she already has enough coasters and likely wouldn’t have use for more, you could instead paint other items, such as glass bottles that may double as vases for flowers. If you can paint well, painting several things is an easy way to create a gift for your mom at the last minute.
25. Potpourri
Potpourri is another common gift item that you can make yourself very easily and quickly if you have the necessary ingredients. Numerous online guides explain the process if you’re not sure how to go about making potpourri.
DIY Gift Baskets to Make for Mom
When you can’t decide what to give your mom on Mother’s Day because you’re considering several options, a gift basket containing multiple items may be a smart choice. You can also put together a gift basket on your own instead of purchasing one if you want to exercise complete control over what does and doesn’t go in your gift basket. Consider including the following:
26. Tea gift basket
Is your mom a fan of tea? If so, you can easily put together a gift basket she’s likely to appreciate by purchasing a few fancy teas and delivering them to your mom in a bag or basket.
27. Cosmetics samples
If your mother enjoys experimenting with various cosmetics and similar products, she might like to receive a gift basket containing samples of such products. A cosmetic gift basket is an affordable option to create that ironically feels very “high-end” and luxurious.
Like most types of DIY gift baskets, you can slightly modify this idea to account for your mother’s tastes. For instance, if your mom is more a fan of bath products that promote relaxation than cosmetics, you could give her a “spa day” gift basket featuring soaps and other items.
28. Wine and cheese gift basket
Many moms know how to appreciate fine wine, especially when paired with cheese. Thus, you could select two or three bottles of wine your mother would like and throw in some fancy cheeses to create a gift basket that may be perfect for Mother’s Day.
29. Foods of the world gift basket
Does your mother love to travel? Or does she have a particular affection for a specific destination? In either case, you could delight her with a DIY gift basket consisting of foods from various locations throughout the world or from a single location your mother loves.
30. Gardening gift basket
Determining the kind of DIY gift basket to give Mom for Mother’s Day doesn’t need to feel like a challenge. Just consider her interests and create a gi
ft basket accordingly.
For example, perhaps your mom enjoys gardening. She’d likely appreciate a gift basket containing gardening supplies such as shears, gloves, and seeds if she does.
31. Chocolate gift basket
When you’re genuinely struggling to decide what type of gift basket your mom would want, it’s worth remembering that it’s hard to go wrong when giving chocolate!
Sentimental DIY Gifts for Mom
You may want to convey your love and affection for your mom by giving her a Mother’s Day gift you made yourself. The following ideas are worth considering if so:
32. Photo calendar or book
A simple but genuinely heartwarming gift often consists of photos reminding one of happy memories. Give your mom a homemade calendar or book featuring pictures of memories you’ve shared.
33. Thank you notes
You don’t necessarily have to overcomplicate the process when coming up with an idea for a sentimental DIY Mother’s Day gift. Simple gifts make the best gifts.
For example, because the entire purpose of Mother’s Day is to remind Mom that you appreciate her and all that she’s done for you, you might give her a gift in the form of thank you notes or cards in which you express your gratitude for specific ways your mom has enriched your life.
The exact form these notes take will depend on what type of project you feel comfortable tackling. If your DIY skills are minimal (which is entirely fine!), you might simply decorate a few paper cards with basic images and thank you messages. If you feel comfortable tackling a slightly more complex project, you could give these “cards” in the form of magnets or similar items.
The exact form these notes take isn’t particularly important. Instead, let your mom know you acknowledge and appreciate her role in your life.
34. Fingerprint mug
This is an easy DIY gift you might consider giving if you have children of your own. After all, grandkids can also get involved in Mother’s Day!
Get a generic mug (white or other very light color) and allow your kids to apply their fingerprints to the mug using safe, kid-friendly ink. You may want to instruct your kids to apply their fingerprints in a way that creates shapes, such as hearts, flowers, or butterflies.
35. A day together
In many instances, the best way to let a mother know what she means to you is to plan a day you spend together. A DIY Mother’s Day gift doesn’t have to be something you make. You can create a new experience instead.
DIY Gifts for Mom: Say I Love You in a Special Way
Although buying a gift for Mom is perfectly acceptable, sometimes a DIY gift is the best way to go. These ideas will help you give her something she’ll truly appreciate.
Looking for more gift ideas? Read our guide on the best last-minute Mother's Day gifts for grandma.
