Homemade Gift Ideas for Mother's Day

Mother's Day is rapidly approaching. With the economy the way it is many people are turning to homemade gifts. Save some money this Mother's Day and give Mom something from the heart - a homemade gift for Mother's Day.

Young kids love arts and crafts projects. Making a Mother's Day ring holder is a quick and easy project. You will need Model Magic from Crayola, arcrylic paint, and non-toxic sealer. A paint brush and water is also required. Protect the work area with newspaper or drop cloth. I use plastic table cloths that I buy really cheap at the Oriental Trading Company for drop cloths.

Using the Model Magic modeling compound, make a pancake about the size of a small bagel. Pull up the sides to create a shallow dish. Then with a second piece of Model Magic, roll out a snake. As this "snake" will be what holds the rings, be sure that it is no thicker than a woman's ring finger. Shape the snake so that it is thicker at one end and thinner on the other.

Attach the snake to the dish. Place the thick end of the snake inside the dish and smooth to connect the two pieces. Try to make the inside of the dish as smooth as possible. One this is completed and your child is happy with the way the ring holder looks, allow the project to air dry for 24-48 hours. Model Magic will harden on its own.

Once the project has completely dried, it can be painted. Using your choice of colors, apply acrylic paint as your child sees fit. Once the ring holder has been completely painted allow to dry. This can be left overnight to dry thoroughly.

The final step is to seal the project and give it a shiny, glazed look. To do this, use any non-toxic sealer such as Mod Podge. The high gloss variety works best for this application. Apply one to two coats of sealer, allowing to dry between coats. Wrap the finished ring holder in fancy gift wrap and give to Mom on Mother's Day.

The arts and crafts projects continue with making a stained glass vase for Mother's Day. This is a simple and easy project that uses tissue paper and white glue to simulate stained glass. The tissue is simply attached to a small glass bottle with diluted white glue. The results are really amazing. Click on the link for complete directions.

For those who are more adventurous or for older children, a photo journal is a wonderful gift that any mom would love to have. Creating a Mother's Day Photo Journal has all of the details on how to create a journal for your Mom.

Another Project is to make a Mother's Day card. Purchased cards are expensive and homemade ones are nicer to receive. You can find card stock at any office supply store. Choose a color that you like. Some people prefer to make their cards with software. This is easy to do with any clip art program. Others prefer to use stamps or paints. Carving stamps from potatoes can be a fun project that kids will enjoy. Decorate the card and write something nice about Mom on the inside. This card can accompany any of the Mother's Day projects mentioned above.

Handmade gifts are always treasured. Why not give Mom a gift from the heart this year and create a homemade gift for Mother's Day.

To read more article by this author on Mother's Day and other holidays click on the links below:

Thoughtful Gifts to Buy a Jewish Mom for Mother's Day

Adding a Special Tough to Easter: Personalized Easter Baskets

How to Build a Low Cost Sukkah