Your Mom already has everything she really needs, except maybe a pricey spa day or a cruise to the Mediterranean. So what can you get her that won’t cost a lot, but might mean a lot? We found plenty of inexpensive gifts your mother will definitely cherish. Even if you’re on a tight budget, you can still brighten her day with a heartfelt gift. Find inspiration in these thoughtful Mother’s Day gift ideas.
Photo: Deposit Photos
Homemade treats or meals
If your mom lives alone, she probably doesn’t bake for herself very often. Make her favorite treat – key lime pie or an angel food cake, maybe. Or make her something that she made for you as a kid, like s’mores or brownies. If you’ve got a slightly bigger budget and kitchen skills, cook her a homemade meal like she always did for you.
Mom date
If your mom is alone, or has no one to go to the movies with, taker her to one and make it a girls’ day out. Follow the film with ice cream sundaes at a fun restaurant. Or plan a spa day with a healthy lunch followed by pedicures. Give her your time and your company. She won’t care if it doesn’t cost a lot of money.
Photos
Pick out your favorite photo of your mother and blow it up to an 8-by-10, then get a nice frame for it. We bet most of the photos in her house are of other people! Don’t let her forget she’s important, too. Alternatively, make a photo album of pictures of her and her (your) family. You know you’ve got some lying around. Yes, they still sell photo albums! (Otherwise, take digital images and create a photo book using one of the many online photo services available.) Another meaningful gift is a digital photo frame and a thumb drive full of family photos.
Don’t have any good family photos? Arrange a family photo shoot with Mom and all her kids (and grandkids) and gift her a framed print.
Birthstone jewelry
Who made Mom a mother? Her kids! Give her jewelry with her kids’ birthstones or a charm for each child. (Amazon and Etsy are good resources for these gifts.)
Favorite things basket
Fill a basket or a gift bag with all of Mom’s favorite things: chocolates, tea or coffee, snacks, books, supplies for her hobbies (like yarn or flower seeds), etc. Make a handmade card to go with it. She’ll be pleased that you thought hard about the little things that make her happy.
Photo: Deposit Photos
Autobiographical journal
Mothers give so much to their children, so let Mom think about herself for a change. Another thoughtful gift idea is an autobiographical journal that she can fill out and pass down through the family. (You can find many options available online.)
Memory jar
A heartfelt group gift is a memory jar. Use your craft skills to decorate a glass jar. Ask everyone in the family to write down short memories or reasons you love Mom on colorful pieces of paper. Fill the jar with the paper slips and present it to her on Mother’s Day. When she’s feeling sad or lonely, all she needs to do is read the notes of love to know how much she means to her family.
Perpetual bouquet
You don’t have to buy a big bouquet of roses to impress your mother. Take a simple cylindrical glass vase and put a couple of inches of glass weights in the bottom. Buy a single, stunning rose (or other sturdy flower) and cut the stem so it fits down into the vase, with the bud just below the rim. Add water and a pretty ribbon to match the flower. Gorgeous! When the flower dies, she can keep it going with a single fresh flower any time she feels like it.
Love
What’s the cheapest, most meaningful thing you can do for Mom? Tell her you love her! The more you say it, the better the gift.
For more Mother’s Day ideas:
- What to give Mom when you are all grown up
- Card-making tips in time for Mother’s Day
- Easy Mother’s Day gifts for kids
- Mother’s Day gift ideas she’ll love
- Free or cheap Mother’s Day gift ideas
- Great gifts for a first Mother’s Day
- DIY spa day gift basket
- Mother’s Day freebies and deals
