Simple Mothers Day Gifts for Kids

On Mother's Day a simple gift makes her feel extra special.

Kids like to make things for their mother as a special way of saying thanks and showing love. Mothers often appreciate the simple gifts their kids make for them on Mother's Day more than expensive store-bought gifts. Everyday items can be made into special gifts with just a little imagination and preparation; many gifts can be made by kids on their own.

Decorated Items

Simple gifts have added value when a little time has been spent in personalizing them. The packaging of scented soaps, for instance, can be brightened by simply adding a ribbon or bow in your mother's favorite color; the soap itself can be decorated with beads, dried and paper flowers, lace or buttons. Use straight pins or glue to attach the items to the soap. Young children should use pins only under adult supervision.

Cards and Papercrafts

No Mother's Day is complete without a card. Cards can be easily made with very simple materials: card-stock or a piece of paper or cardboard to fold into a card, crayons and paints, cut-out pictures and glue, glitter and buttons or ribbons are some of the most useful items for making pretty Mother's Day cards. Turn the card into a gift by adding a bookmark made from a long rectangle of card. Decorate the bookmark to match the card. Write a favorite saying or short poem on the bookmark.

Kitchen Gifts

A painted potholder is a practical gift that will make Mom smile every time she uses it. They're easy to make using ordinary white potholders and fabric paint or permanent markers. Draw a design on the potholder with the paint or markers then color the design in and let it dry. Simple designs work best: large flowers and written messages, for example. Or paint a wooden spoon in bright colors and add a more detailed image in the bowl of the spoon. Cut out images from a magazine and glue them on the spoon. When the glue has dried, cover the images with varnish. Tie a ribbon around the spoon handle to create a hanger so your gift can be displayed on the kitchen wall. Your mother won't want to use this spoon for actually cooking.

Recycled Gifts

Recycling everyday objects into new items that have alternative uses is good for the environment and easy on the pocket. Take an ordinary glass sauce bottle and turn it into a special flower vase by wrapping it in colored string. Paint the bottom of the vase with craft glue and begin winding string around the bottle, making sure there are no gaps between the string windings. Continue painting on glue and winding string until you have covered the bottle. Create color stripes by using differently colored strings, or make the bottle all one color. Finish the neck of the bottle by gluing a little felt around the lip.

References

• Danielle's Place; Mother's Day Crafts and Activities for Kids
• Amanda Formaro; String-Covered Vase