Handmade Gifts for Mother’s Day

Part of Little Sunshine’s Reggio Emilia Philosophy is the belief that children are collaborators in their own learning. One of the best ways to include your children in an active, educational way is by getting creative with them. For all the dads and spouses out there looking to build a special moment for your whole family this Mother’s Day, roll up your sleeves, break out the crafting supplies, and get ready for some fun as you get creative with these 11 handmade gifts. 

Fingers & Toes

Few things bring out the “ooos” and “awwws” like a homemade gift made with fingerprints and footprints. Create an instant keepsake with these five different gift ideas. 

• Fingerprint Art – Load up a palette with different colored paints and let your kids go wild! Use fingerprint dots to make a bigger picture about why mom is special to them. Give your kids idea starters if they need them, but let them take ownership of what they create.  
• Handprint Bouquet – If your kids aren’t quite at the level to create their own art with fingerprints, use just their hands and various paints to create a bundle of “flower-prints” that mom can keep forever. 
• Handprint Art (from Mod Podge Rocks) – For something a bit more ready-to-hang, buy canvases from a local craft store and get to work on creating a gift that captures your child’s age and personality through one piece of art. 
• Footprint Kitchen Towels (from A Crafted Passion) – Don’t forget that feet make great paintbrushes, too! With a couple of tea towels and your kids favorite colored paint, you can create a gift mom will use and see everyday. 
• Footprint Stepping Stones (from A Crafted Passion) – What’s more permanent than stone? Your love for mom, of course! (Aww…) This craft is more involved and takes more prep work on the adult’s end, but the finished product is sure to please. 

Mother’s Day Bouquet

Mother’s Day and springtime go hand in hand. Use this time of year to inspire the gifts you and your kids make for her special day. 

• Personalized Flower Pots – No matter the age, your kids will have fun painting flower pots to give to mom. Don’t forget to put your children’s names and dates on the finished product so anyone who sees it will know who your local artisans are 😉 
• Cupcake Liner Flowers (from FirstPalette) – Flowers are beautiful, but they only last so long. Work alongside your kids to create fun, whimsical flowers that will last all year long. 
• Pressed Flowers in a Frame (from LilyArdor) – Be the envy of everyone else on Mother’s Day by working with your kids to create these incredible, one-of-a-kind gifts. Have your children be the ones to choose which flowers to press and how they are arranged. They’ll be beautiful reminders of how much they love mom! 

One-of-a-Kind Treasures

Just like greeting cards, generic gifts are nice… but there’s something extra special about presents that are made with one person in mind. Use these three gift ideas as inspiration for creating something unique for mom this Mother’s Day.

• Mother’s Day Book – Immortalize how much mom means to everyone by creating a book all about her. Feel free to create your own story or use a starter template if you need some inspiration. 
• Personalized Bookmarks – “I love you” bookmarks are perfect gifts for a mom who loves to read. They’re simple, highly customizable, and something mom will see and love every time she picks up her newest book.
• Interview on Mom (from Morning Motivated Mom) – Have a talk with some of mom’s biggest fans — your kids! Come up with your own questions or use a few tried and tested ones from others who have done it before. The answers will be totally unique to your kids about the person you all are celebrating … mom!

There are lots of ways you can celebrate mom this Mother’s Day. As you work with your kids to create gifts just for her, think about how those activities enrich their lives and engage them in the learning process. Creating these gifts can engage their writing and drawing skills. Giving small gifts gives them practice with being generous and social. And crafting with other family members lets them get their hands messy while learning how to be creative and work as a team. That’s a win for everyone!