Celebrating Mother's Day with Homemade Gifts

Mom, put the blindfolds on and overlook this article! Calling all Dads, Grandparents and babysitters---please gather up the kids and help them make a special gift for mom. There is a special holiday coming this month; Mother's Day is May 9th. What mother wouldn't appreciate a homemade gift from her child? These things don't cost much; actually the best gifts for Mom are free.

A Little History:

Mother's Day dates back to ancient Greece when the people paid tribute to Rhea, the Mother of the Gods. Later in history, England paid tribute to mothers on "Mothering Sunday", the fourth Sunday of Lent. There were several women who suggested the idea of Mother's Day, however, it wasn't until Miss Anna M. Jarvis (1864-1948) of Philadelphia campaigned to make Mother's Day a national holiday. In 1910, the first Mother's Day was proclaimed and was celebrated by West Virginia and Oklahoma. By 1911 every state observed Mother's Day. Resolutions were passed, but it wasn't until May 8, 1914 that President Woodrow Wilson issued the proclamation making Mother's Day an official national holiday. Miss Anna Jarvis's mother's favorite flower was the white carnation. This flower was chosen to represent the sweetness, purity and endurance of mother love. As the years went by, the red carnation has since become the symbol of a living mother while the white flower signifies that one's mother has passed.

Making Mom's Day Special:

Talk together: Conduct an interview--

The act of conversation is a wonderful gift. This is a great activity for the older child. Interview your mother and/or grandmother and write down their answers (or better yet, record them). Ask questions about her birth, childhood, and her teenage years. What were her favorite subjects in school? Her favorite color? Movie? Candy? Ice Cream? Best Friend? Hobby? Most embarrassing moment? How did she meet your father/grandfather? Talk about when you were born. What was her favorite memorable moment with you?

Here are other ideas to give mom some special attention:
-Make your mom breakfast in bed.
-Do your chores without being asked.
-Get along with your brothers and sisters-no fighting. Keep today a quiet day.
-Give mom the gift of time. Let her take a long, luxurious bubble bath.
-Leave a love letter or card for mom on her pillow.
-Make mom a homemade gift with the ideas below.

A Little Crafting:

Little Hands Make Fond Memories:

It may sound a little cliché, but if you and your child put time and thought into making this card, it will become a treasure. Use this idea for this year, but also consider starting a tradition. Make one every year as Mom will enjoy seeing her child's growth and will cherish these cards forever. Take a sheet of construction paper and fold it in half. For the front handprint, brush poster paint on the underside of your child's hand. Press the hand (with fingers spread apart) onto the paper. On the inside of this card, encourage your youngster to use crayons and draw pictures. The helper can copy or type this poem and glue it inside. Place the child's name and date each year.

This is to remind you

When I have grown so tall,

That once I was quite little

And my hands were very small!

(Author Unknown)

A Gift of Chores:

What mother could resist a little help around the house from their child? This is a gift that keeps on giving-Mom can redeem her chore flowers whenever she needs a helping hand. Invite your child to cut and create flowers from colorful construction paper. Take a craft (Popsicle) stick and help the child write a chore on the stick with a fine-tip marker-you will need 5-6 sticks with chores like, "I will put away all my toys", "I will help you empty the trash", "I will sing you a song", and so on. Glue the paper flower to the top of each craft stick. To make the flowerpot, just grab a paper cup and place a wad of clay at the bottom. Place the stick flowers inside and insert them into the clay so they stand upright. Write the little poem on a piece of paper and attach it to the cup with a ribbon. Best way is to punch a hole into the paper and a hole into the cup-thread the ribbon and tie a bow.

Dear Mom,

I'd like to show you in my own way,

How much I love you each and every day!

Happy Mother's Day!

Love,

Clothespin Trivet:

For the kids who love to craft, this unique trivet will be a favorite of Mom's every time she's in the kitchen. You will need twelve clothespins for this project. Discard the clips and glue the flat sides of the wood together. Let these dry thoroughly. For the base, cut a 2" round piece of heavy cardboard. Glue these clothespins sticks equally spaced around the circular base to form a "starburst" trivet. Use carpenter's glue or a glue gun with adult supervision. If you like, you could stain, varnish or paint the wood pieces.

Recipe Holder:

Purchase a small plastic plant pot and have the children decorate it with all kinds of stickers. Mix up a batch of plaster of Paris and fill each pot three-quarters full. Let stand for just a minute and insert a plastic fork, handle inside the plaster and tines standing upward. You could also add sprigs of silk flowers while the plaster is still wet. Let dry thoroughly. Place a favorite recipe card in the fork. This makes a great recipe holder for your kitchen counter.

"Happy Hugs Scroll":

Tape two sheets of paper together. Using poster paints, paint your child's hands and let her print each hand, one on the left and right sides of the paper. Help your child print this poem to place in the middle of the paper (for very young children, an adult can print the poem and the child can scribble their name at the bottom). Roll the paper up like a scroll.

Here's a bunch of hugs,

Wrap up the scroll and feel the crunch.

May kisses and smiles come your way,

With lots of love on Mother's Day!

(Child's name and date)

I Love Mommy Bookmark:

This is a wonderful craft for very young children. Simply cut strips from construction paper about two inches by eight inches. On the one side, let them make fingerprints. Paint each finger with a brush and some poster paint. Press the fingers down on the paper. Make it colorful with a variety of paints. On the other side write, "I love Mommy because..." and write down your child's response. Kids say the cutest things and this makes this bookmark special. After the paint is dry, laminate the bookmark between two sheets of plastic adhesive paper. Punch a hole at the top and thread a piece of ribbon through, knot it and let it hang. This is a memorable bookmark with the child's precious fingerprints and their loving statements.

There is nothing more special than a gift made by a child - it's priceless!