66 Easy DIY Mother's Day Gifts That Come Straight from the Heart
You may have graduated from refrigerator art years ago, but she still loves something special made just for her.
By Erin Cavoto
Whether it's for your mom, grandmother, aunt, or any of the other special woman in your life, you’ll find a thoughtful DIY Mother's Day gift for them all here. We’ve rounded up the best gift-worthy crafts from the pages of Country Living as well as creative DIY bloggers across the web. Most are easy enough for beginners, but if you sew, embroider, cross-stitch, draw, bake, or are handy with a toolbox, you’ll find plenty of inspiration.
You can go entirely DIY, or pair one of these heartwarming homemade goodies with a purchased gift (see our ultimate Mother's Day gift guide) for a little something extra. For a small but heartfelt creation, embellish a plain square pillow sham by whipstitching a vintage handkerchief to the front, or fashion a clay trinket dish stamped with a saying she loves. If you’ve got time for a more involved project, try the basket backpack—it's the perfect flower tote or beach bag—or try your hand at a clever string art project that she’ll hang on the wall with pride.Have a mom who loves a sweet treat? Bake up a two-tired cake or cupcakes iced to look like hydrangeas!
Don't have a lot of time? No worries, there are plenty of last-minute DIY Mother’s Day gifts you can easily put together, from simple floral arrangements to a luxurious lavender milk bath to a cute wreath made from vintage seed packets. You can also download and print one of these fun "Do Not Disturb" Mother's Day door hangers or "Best Mom Ever" certificates (hey, printing counts as DIY!). And if you can’t decide on just one, bookmark these projects for later—they all make great DIY gifts for Mom’s birthday too. If you're wondering "What do moms really want for Mother's Day," the answer is anything that shows you care!
Retooled Markers
Kids will love penning the signs for these DIY garden markers made using rusty or wobbly handled garden tools.
To make: Drill a small hole in the wood handles and tie hand-penned wooden tags through the holes with twine. Insert the pointy tips into the soil so the markers stand upright. *Coat wood with clear varnish to protect the handwriting from the elements.
Related: Gifts for Gardeners
Two-Tiered White Velvet Cake with White Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
For the mom who loves an over-the-top sweet treat this double decker layer cake is just what you need to bake up!
Get the recipe.
Related: Best Mother's Day Cakes
Prettied-Up Pallet
For the mom who loves to garden, the ever-versatile, Pinterest-beloved shipping pallet comes in handy for organizing gardening odds and ends, with the help of a rake head that corrals tools, butcher’s hooks to hold twine, and a mounted enamelware bucket that stores gloves and a hose. Note: Check for the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) logo, which certifies that a pallet has been treated to prevent the spread of insects or plant diseases.
Hygrandgea Cupcakes
For the mom who loves to garden these are the perfect treat to help her celebrate her special day. Give them an extra-special touch with the floral frosting.
Related: Best Mother's Day Desserts
Hand-Stamped Cane Napkins
Make her a set of sunny cane-stamped napkins to brighten her summer table settings.
To make: Create a stamp by cutting out a four-inch square of caning. Brush fabric paint on the front side of the caning, and press caning on an off-white linen napkin. Repeat, lining up the pattern as best you can, until one side of a napkin is fully covered.
Mossy Nest Wreath
Celebrate Mom with a sweet and sophisticated wreath she will love hanging on the front door or over the dining room buffet during the spring and summer months.
To make: Wrap a wire wreath form in ribbon and loop an additional piece around the top for hanging. Attach tart tins, moss, and faux quail eggs with hot-glue.
Cross-Stitch Window Box
Download one of our dozens of free cross-stitch patterns, such as this sweet window box pattern, and stitch up something special for Mom. She'll appreciate the effort you took to make something just for her.
Daisy Napkin Rings
She will think of you every time she sets the table with these sweet DIY napkin rings created from grosgrain ribbon and vintage or new buttons.
To make: For each napkin ring, cut 3/8-inch-wide white grosgrain ribbon into five 3-inch-long pieces; round ends. Glue one piece on top of the next, offsetting as you go to create a flower shape. Glue a yellow button in center and a length of green twine to the back for tying.
DIY Candy Dishes
Serve Mom's favorite candy and cookies on DIY pedestals.
To make: Set decorative plates or shallow bowls on overturned (or upright) footed dishes, candlesticks, or sugar bowls. Use museum wax to hold the pieces together.
Egg Carton Wreath
Made from the common paper egg carton, Mom will love hanging this wreath on a covered door or over the mantel.
To make: Cut individual egg cups from paper egg cartons. Notch and cut decorative edges with scissors. Dye or paint cups desired colors. Attach cups and craft paper leaves to a painted craft ring with hot-glue.
Papier-Mâché Planters
Make a custom papier-mâché planter to hold that beautiful bouquet you plan to gift mom this year.
To make: Blow up a large and a medium balloon. Cover each balloon in papier mâché using white craft paper, leaving bottom quarter to third uncovered and edges rough. Let dry. Pop balloons, and remove. Set a vase inside each, and fill with water and flowers.
#1 Mom Trophy Bouquet
What better way to tell Mom that she's number one than with this prize of a bouquet? Arrange colorful flowers in a vintage prize trophy, and tie a handwritten tag around the handle with some pretty ribbon.
Homemade Lavender Milk Bath
Treat her to the rest and relaxation she deserves with this DIY luxurious milk cleanser. The powdered milk moisturizes skin while the lavender gives off the most calming scent, creating the ultimate bath experience. Bonus: You can pull off this DIY Mother's Day gift in a last-minute crunch.
Get the tutorial at My Frugal Adventures.
Lavender Pouches
A sweet-smelling lavender sachet will brighten up Mom's purse or drawer. To make, cut a 2-by-4-inch rectangle from a handkerchief. Fold in half crosswise with the pattern facing inward. Stitch two sides closed with a sewing machine; turn pouch right-side out. Fill with dried lavender. Hand-stitch opening closed.
Seed Packet Wreath
This unique wreath instantly takes your mom's spring decor to the next level. Attach about 12-14 vintage seed packets to a 12-inch foam wreath with straight pins. Finish off with a decorative piece of hemp ribbon and a few stray florals.
Pillow Sham
Gift a pretty custom pillowcase that will beautify Mom's favorite chair. Attach a handkerchief to one side of a solid-colored pillow sham using embroidery thread and a whipstitch.
Hankie Pin Cushion
For those mothers who love to sew, create a custom pin cushion that is sure to become a prized possession for years to come. Start by wrapping a handkerchief or piece of fabric around a pouf of batting. Attach it (with the batting sandwiched in between) to the bottom of a Mason jar lid with hot-glue; trim excess. Place metal screw band over pin cushion and attach to jar.
Dip-Dyed Baskets
Mom can store her favorite candy, makeup, or car keys in this simple-to-make dyed cotton rope basket.
To make: Dip the top quarter of a cotton rope basket in desired color of fabric dye (we used watered-down Petal Pink Rit Dye). When dry, fill with candy or other trinkets.
Cutting Board Spice Rack
If organization is Mom's middle name, make all her dreams come true with a DIY spice rack. Simply screw small wooden cheese boxes onto a leftover cutting board, then attach a leather strap to hang the one-of-a-kind kitchen craft.
Initial Embroidery Hoop
Sit Mom at the head of the table and celebrate her with an embroidery hoop stitched with her initial. To make, place a piece of fabric in an embroidery hoop and embroider desired letter. Adjust fabric if necessary, to make sure letter is in the center of the hoop. Cut off excess fabric, leaving a one-inch overhang. Tack overhang to the inside of the hoop using hot-glue.
Erin Cavoto is the Editorial Assistant at ThePioneerWoman.com, covering food, holidays, home decor, and more.
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