21 Easy DIY Mother’s Day Crafts for Kids That Will Make Her Smile

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Mother’s Day is right around the corner! Instead of buying a generic gift for your mom (that she probably already has!), why not give her something homemade? In this post, I’m sharing 21 super quick, easy, & heartwarming Mother’s Day crafts projects that can be made by kids, teens, or adults to make mom feel loved and cherished.

Honestly, of all the gifts I’ve ever gotten my mom (including gifts well over $100!), my mom has only ever remembered the ones I made myself. In fact, she still has the tissue paper flowers I gave her over 15 years ago!

Not creative in the least bit? Don’t worry – these crafts are easy, perfect for beginners, & kid-friendly! Plus, you’ll find that they’re pretty affordable to make with materials you can even find at the dollar store.

These projects are not only fun to make, but also encourage kids to express their creativity and appreciation for mom dearest! However, as always, all kids should be supervised by an adult when making any of these craft projects.

Ready to get crafting? Grab your paint, paper, and glue, and let’s go!

1. Hand-Painted Flower Pots

This gift is super easy to make and is useful as well. These terracotta pots can be painted easily (even by kids!) and you can plant flowers inside before giving it as a gift! You can also gift them plain or along herb seed packets so mom can create her own herb garden. If you’re looking for something low-maintenance, you could also add colorful rocks or artificial plants to the pots.

Materials:

• Small terracotta pots
• Acrylic paint in various colors
• Paintbrushes

Instructions:

1. Wash and dry the terracotta pot
2. Paint designs, patterns, or write “Mom” on the pot – the options are endless!
3. Allow the paint to dry completely
4. Fill the pot with a small plant, succulent, flowers, rocks, or anything else you desire!

2. Handprint Flower Bouquet

Video source + credit: Kids Activities

All you need is construction paper and scissors for this super simple craft! These “flowers” are such a sweet, thoughtful gift for mom that you won’t even have to water!

3. DIY Photo Frame with Popsicle Sticks

Video source + credit: Homemade Art House

Make this cute, DIY popsicle frame in just minutes! You can put your favorite picture with mom in the frame to remind her of all the good times you’ve had together.

4. Homemade Sugar Scrub in a Jar

This is the perfect “spa day” gift for mom, and would look great alone or in a cute gift basket. Plus, this sugar scrub makes a great, natural exfoliator and smells divine!

Materials:

• 1 cup white sugar
• ½ cup coconut oil
• A few drops of essential oil (like lavender or vanilla)
• Small jar
• Ribbon

Instructions:

1. Mix sugar, coconut oil, and essential oils in a bowl.
2. Stir until well combined.
3. Spoon the mixture into a small jar.
4. Tie a ribbon around the jar and add a label.

5. Finger-Painted Greeting Card

Kids of all ages can make this super cute and simple DIY handmade card using just paint and their fingers! You can write a thoughtful message to mom inside that she is sure to keep for years to come. If you rather not use finger paints, you can also make a thoughtful card using markers or crayons.

Materials:

• Blank card-stock – construction paper also works well for this!
• Washable paint
• Markers

Instructions:

1. Fold the cardstock in half to make a card
2. Dip your fingers in paint and create designs on the cardstock (flowers, hearts, etc.)
3. Allow it to dry, then write a special message inside using the marker

6. Painted Mason Jar

Recycle a glass jar or a Mason jar into this gorgeous, simple painted creation! It can be used as decoration, as a vase, storage, and so much more.

Materials:

• Mason jar
• Acrylic paint
• Paintbrushes
• Mod Podge (for sealing)

Instructions:

1. Paint the mason jar in a light pastel color if you wish and let dry – this is an optional step
2. Paint flowers, “mom”, or any design onto the mason jar using acrylic paint. You can also dip your hand in a contrasting paint color and press it onto the jar to make a handprint!
3. Let dry
4. Add a thin layer of Mod-Podge to seal the design. Let dry again
5. Add flowers or even a tea-light inside the jar to make it extra special!

7. Decorated Wooden Spoons

This is a great gift for moms who love to cook or bake. You can turn ordinary wooden spoons into a heartfelt gift using paint or markers to create beautiful designs on the spoon that she can show off in her kitchen!

Materials:

• Wooden spoons
• Paint or markers
• Mod Podge (optional for sealing)

Instructions:

1. Decorate the wooden spoons using paint or markers
2. Let them dry completely
3. Seal with Mod Podge to protect the design – this step is optional but worth it to “lock in” the design!

8. Scented Sachets with Dried Lavender

Lavender is so calming and peaceful, especially during the spring and summer months! You can also use dried rose petals or other dried aromatics if you prefer a different scent.

Materials:

• Small fabric squares in colorful patterns
• Dried lavender
• Ribbon or string

Instructions:

1. Place dried lavender in the center of the fabric square
2. Gather the edges and tie at the top with a ribbon or string

9. Painted Rock Garden Markers

Painted river rocks make great keepsakes that mom can display in the house or in her garden. You could write “mom”, paint cute designs, or write thoughtful messages on them. No rocks? No problem! You can purchase smooth river rocks from Amazon for under $20 that you can paint and gift easily!

Materials:

• Smooth rocks
• Acrylic paint
• Paintbrushes
• Permanent markers

Instructions:

1. Paint each rock a bright color – white works well too!
2. Let it dry
3. Use a permanent marker or acrylic paint to write thoughtful messages like “Mom” or paint other designs on the rocks

10. Memory Jar with Handwritten Notes or Drawings

This is another easy jar gift that you can make in minutes! Write thoughtful messages, create a memory jar, or make a “fun activities with mom” jar that you can pull from to use as inspiration for outings throughout the year!

Materials:

• Small lidded jar
• Strips of colorful paper or post-it notes
• Markers

Instructions:

1. Write thoughtful messages, words of gratitude, drawings, etc. on the strips of paper – this is a great way to show mom how special she is!
2. Fold the papers and place them in the jar
3. Add a ribbon or colorful string around the lid to make it extra special if you wish! You can also create a label to attach to the jar.

11. Paper Plate Flower Wreath

Make this paper plate flower wreath as a bright, colorful gift to give mom on Mother’s Day! You can also use cupcake liners as flowers or buy pre-cut paper flowers if you rather not cut out individual flowers on your own. Check out this post for more spring and summer wreath ideas!

Materials:

• Paper plate
• Colored paper
• Scissors
• Glue – hot glue gun works best, but adult supervision is required!

Instructions:

1. Cut out the center of a paper plate
2. Draw a flower stencil colorful construction paper, then cut out the shape. You can also purchase pre-cut paper flowers or tissue flowers instead if you wish (see below for recommendations)
3. Glue the flowers around the ring to make a “wreath”

12. Beaded Bracelet or Necklace

These bracelets are incredibly easy to make and you can use a variety of different bead shapes, colors, and designs to create a custom bracelet for mom. You can also purchase a bracelet making kit on Amazon for under $10 which features an assortment of beads along with all the tools & materials you’ll need for making bracelets.

13. Handprint or Fingerprint Keychain

Shrinky Dink kits are so much fun and a great way for kids to express their creativity! You can use these laminating sheets to make any design, bake it, and then turn it into a keychain!

Materials:

• Shrinky Dinks kit
• Keyring
• Markers
• Hole puncher or scissors

Instructions:

1. Trace the child’s hand or fingerprint onto shrink plastic. You can also make another design if you wish!
2. Bake according to package instructions
3. Hole punch or cut out a circle at the top for attaching to the keyring
4. Attach your creation to a keyring

14. DIY “Reasons I Love You” Booklet

This is a great budget-friendly gift that all moms will love and cherish. Use cardstock or construction paper to create your very own booklet. Then, customize it by writing your favorite memories with mom, reasons why you love mom, drawings for mom, or even write your very own story!

Materials:

• Cardstock, construction paper, or regular printer paper
• Pens, markers, or crayons

Instructions:

1. Stack several sheets of the paper and fold in half to create a booklet
2. Use pens, markers, crayons, etc. to write and draw on the cover and the inside pages of the booklet

Tip: you could also just get a plain notebook, write your messages inside, and then paint/decorate the cover!

15. Tissue Paper Flowers

This is another great, simple, homemade bouquet you can make using tissue paper and pipe cleaners. You can even recycle leftover tissue paper from previous gifts or from the holidays!

Materials:

• Tissue paper
• Pipe cleaners

Instructions:

1. Stack tissue paper and fold accordion-style
2. Secure with a pipe cleaner in the middle
3. Gently pull apart each layer
4. You can make multiple tissue flowers and arrange them in a bouquet or a vase!

16. Cupcake Liner Flower Bouquet

Video source + credit: KidsSpot

A cupcake liner bouquet is a great way to turn ordinary cupcake liners into a beautiful bouquet of flowers! Pair these with the tissue paper flowers above for a beautiful floral creation!

17. Stepping Stone Painting Kit

Make this cute “mom” stepping stone that she can proudly display in the garden! This is a great activity kit for both kids and teenagers!

18. Paper Heart Garland

This is a fun crafting project that kids will enjoy! All it takes is a few simple steps and you’ll have a beautiful, handmade garland that can be hung in any corner of the house!

Materials:

• Construction paper in various colors
• String
• Pencil
• Scissors

Instructions:

1. Trace paper hearts onto the construction paper using a pencil
2. Cut out the paper hearts
3. Tape or glue the paper hearts onto a string to create a garland. You can even stack smaller hearts on top of bigger hearts (like in the picture above) to create a cool effect!

19. Button Art on Canvas

This is one of my favorite projects on this list! It comes together beautifully and isn’t all that hard to make. Kids will have fun picking out the buttons and making their own cute design to show off as a gift!

Materials:

• Plain canvas
• Buttons in various sizes and colors
• Hot glue gun – with adult supervision!
• Acrylic paint – optional
• Paintbrushes – optional

Instructions:

1. Paint the canvas with a plain color or a design if you wish – this step is optional!
2. Arrange buttons onto the canvas into desired shape – a heart or “mom” will look beautiful!
3. Glue them onto the canvas. Tip: if you want to write “mom” on the canvas- you can get wooden letters from a craft store, glue on buttons to cover the letters, and then glue the wooden letters onto the canvas!
4. Decorate around the canvas if you wish!

20. Painted Clay Trinket Dish

This is a great craft idea for kids who love to use their hands! You can have them mold the air dry clay into a bowl or a little trinket dish for mom to house her rings, earrings, etc.

Materials:

• Crayola air dry clay
• Paint

Instructions:

1. Shape the clay into a dish or bowl, following the package instructions
2. Let the clay dry completely
3. Paint the clay
4. Let air dry one more time and then you’re ready to gift it!

21. Washi Tape-Decorated Notebook

This is such a fun, simple, and cute gift idea for Mother’s Day! You can take any plain notebook and use strips of washi tape in different colors, shapes, and patterns to create a gorgeous customized notebook for mom.

Materials:

• Plain notebook
• Washi tape in different patterns

Instructions:

1. Cut out strips of washi-tape in different sizes and widths
2. Decorate the notebook with washi-tape patterns – you can even spell out “mom” to make it extra special!

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I hope you found some inspiration to create your Mother’s Day gift for this year! Let me know which one was your favorite from the list above, or if you made any of these! I’d love to hear how it went, or if you have any feedback or recommendations for other crafts that should be included on this list.

Happy crafting, and hope all moms out there have a fantastic Mother’s Day this year!