Homemade gifts always convey a unique personal touch that a store bought present simply cannot convey. There are few occasions more worthy than Mother’s Day to seize the opportunity to make DIY Mother’s Day gifts. What better way to show appreciation to the woman who raised you than by creating something personalized just for her? It may seem daunting to take on Mother’s Day projects. Running to a nearby store may seem like the easier and more convenient option, however, homemade Mother’s Day gifts are less difficult to create than you may think.
For some people, design ideas come naturally. They can sit down and get creative without too much effort. For others, directions or simple guidelines to follow can make the project much less daunting. Regardless of which group you fall into, here are some easy handmade things to make for Mother’s Day. Whichever project you choose to take on, remember that art is not a science. Take as many creative liberties as you would like and remember that perfection is not the goal.
Mothers Day Card Making
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A Mother’s Day card is a great place to begin. All you will need is an 8.5 x 11 inch sized cardstock paper. There are a plethora of color options to choose from, but you can’t go wrong with ‘orchid,’ a beautiful pastel pink shade. Start by folding the paper in half lengthwise. Use a scoring tool such as the handle of a kitchen knife to create a neat and precise fold. Your empty canvas of a card is now ready to be decorated.
The funnest part of Mother’s Day card making is the decorating. This is where you can take as many creative liberties as you would like to create something truly unique. You can take the minimalist approach and use a calligraphy pen to neatly write your best wishes. You can choose to be louder and use dot paints and magazine cut outs to create a collage style effect. The personalization methods are truly endless. Cardmaking is a tried and true option when it comes to showing your loved ones just how much they mean to you. Depending on how elaborate you choose to make your Mother’s Day card, it can either be the gift in and of itself, or it can be given alongside something else. There are no real rules, it simply depends on what feels right to you. |
Pop-Up Cards
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Pop up cards make for wonderfully unique gifts. To begin, select a medium weight cardstock paper. Any color will do, but metallic cardstock will add an extra flair of elegance. Use a pencil to neatly draw a heart that fills almost the whole page horizontally. Use a computer printout of a heart as a tracing tool for a precise heart shape. Once you have finished tracing, use a pair of scissors to cut out your metallic heart. Very carefully, fold the heart in half widthwise. Use a scoring tool to create a neat fold.
You now have the foundation of your Mother’s Day card. When folded, it will look like half a heart, and when opened, it will be a complete heart. Next, you will need pastel pink-colored paper for the pop up portion of your card. Cut out a 1.5-inch by 4-inch strip from the pink paper. Carefully, fold that strip into small folds back and forth, creating an accordion effect out of the entire strip of paper. |
Place a small amount of quick drying glue into the inner fold of the opened heart. Pinch one side of the accordion closed and press that pinched side down into the glue. Close the card and place a heavy book on top of it to allow the glue and the folded paper to dry in place. After approximately 30 minutes, open up the heart and glue each end of the accordion folded strip onto opposite sides of the opened card. Once again, close the card, place a book on top of it and allow it to dry.
After an hour in total, you can open the card to reveal what will be the top portion of your pop-up rose. Simply use a pair of scissors to trim the bottom sides to create a more rounded rose-like effect. Next, use the scissors to cut small triangular slits into the top portion of the rose. With these minor adjustments, you will have created a true rose shape. To create the stem, use green paint to draw down from the rose to the bottom of the paper. Leaves can be added with the paintbrush as well, or you can use green tissue paper for even more texture.
Now that the inside of your pop-up flower card is complete, use the front of the card to write out your most sincere Mother’s Day wishes. Use markers, paints, calligraphy pens, or whichever artistic method speaks to you the most.
Mothers Day Flowers Craft
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What if you’d like to give your mother actual real life flowers and not just a pop up one? There are ways to make that more unique and special than just a simple bouquet wrapped in paper.
To begin, you will need a brown paper bag from any recent grocery store shopping trip. Gently crumble the bag a bit and then open it back up to give it a slightly rustic vibe. Use parchment cardstock paper in various shades and sizes to create a mosaic type design over the majority of the outer part of the bag. Mod Podge glue will work best as an adhesive for the parchment paper. Leave the top six inches of the bag unadorned. Carefully fold over the top of the bag two or three times to create a neat folded over look. From your most recent discarded packages, search for a small cardboard box that will fit inside the bottom of your paper bag and fill it with soil. You will now need to trim your flower bouquet to the correct height. Measure the stems from the bottom of the bag and have the flowers protruding out of the bag by at least five to six inches. Carefully place the stems in the soil and pack the soil around the stems to create a firm hold. |
For your last step, use a strip of burlap ribbon and tie a bow directly underneath the folded over portion of the bag. Your handmade flowerpot is now complete and more unique than any vase or flower wrapping you could have picked up from the store. Whether you want to deliver it with a handmade card as well is entirely up to you.
When it comes to DIY projects, there are so many easy Mother’s Day crafts that can be made. Whether cardmaking is more your thing or whether you prefer Mother’s Day activities that produce actual gifts that make more of a statement, there are options for everyone when it comes to showing that special someone just how much you love them. Get creative and make sure to have fun in the process.