by Finding the perfect Mother’s Day gift when you’re on a budget can be tricky. Here’s a list of great Mother’s Day gift ideas for all budgets that mom will love!
Disclosure: Please note that some of the links in this post are affiliate links. Please read my affiliate disclosure here.
I suck at gift giving. No word of a lie. I always struggle with finding that perfect gift, especially for my parents. They’re the type of people who just buy whatever they want whenever they feel like it. Of course, this often means that I go for gifts from the heart. Home made gifts are great, but if you’re a busy mama like me, finding the time to make them is tough. I still give them, but sometimes need a little pre-made help to get the job done.
Of course, you can always save on your Mother’s Day purchases using a cash back credit card, and cash back sites like Swagbucks and Ebates.ca!
Memory Photo Album
When I was about 16 or 17, I was going through some photos and came up with the idea to make my mom a photo album memory book (this is going back to the days when you still had film developed). I picked up a big photo album and then found pictures of her with me and my brothers.
I began the book with a picture of my brothers and I, and wrote “Happy Mother’s Day to a Mom who…”
Then each page had one or two pictures with her in it, that showed some part of her personality. Somewhere on that page, I wrote the trait in fancy letters.
For instance, there’s a page with three pictures, each one of us as a little baby being held by her. On that page, I wrote “devoted.”
While the photo clarity wasn’t the greatest, and my attempts at artistic writing even worse, it still turned out to be a great gift that was thoughtful, easy to make and cherished.
Stuck on ideas? Check out the Knock Knock What I Love about Mom Fill in the Love Journal on Amazon. Use it for inspiration, or fill out it for a heart warming gift.
Have a bigger budget? Check out the Happy Memory Keeping collection by the Happy Planner. Add an HP Sprocket Portable Printer, to make stickers of your memories and create the perfect Mother’s Day Memory Book.
Quilled Flowers
Real flowers are expensive. Especially around holidays that celebrate love and mom. Why not make her some paper flowers instead?
Quilling flowers is super easy, lots of fun and not expensive at all!
All you need is a pattern (see here), some card stock, a quilling tool, and a bit of time.
Watch the easy to follow Youtube video below to see just how easy and fun quilled flowers are to make!
Once you’ve made some flowers, you can add stems, glue them to a wooden letter cut out of mom’s initial, or add them to a shadow box. The possibilities are endless!
Have a bigger budget? Get a pre-made flower project from Amazon.
Fun Flower Pots
Flowers are a classic gift that are sure to brighten mom’s day. Add a little something extra special to her flower gift with a fun flower pot!
Pick up a flower pot in mom’s favourite colour, some printable vinyl, dirt and some cute flowers. Find a great quote about gardening, grandmas, moms, flowers, etc., print it out on the vinyl and stick it on the pot. Fill the pot with dirt, flowers and add a bit of water, and viola! You have a cute, fun gift that is sure to make mom smile!
Have a bigger budget? Buy a pre-made flower pot here.
Books
Is mom a reader? Does she have any specific interests? Why not pick up a great book for her to enjoy? If you’re not sure what she’ll enjoy, sneak a peek at her bookshelf next time you’re visiting, or simply take a look at the New York Times Best Sellers list for the most popular titles right now!
Have a bigger budget? Find an autographed copy of mom’s favourite book, or a signed book she hasn’t read by her favourite author.
Chocolate
Yes, it’s cliche. Yes, it’s easy. Yes, it’s been done. But, who doesn’t love some yummy chocolate? Pick up some of her favourite brands and wrap them up for a delicious treat! Bonus, she’ll probably share with you!
Have a bigger budget? Check out these chocolate gift baskets, sure to please any sweet tooth!
Bubble Bath
As a mom, I gotta say, one of my favourite ways to spend a bit of alone time is in the tub. The occasional hour that I get to sit in there alone, is divine.
My absolute favourite bubble bath is Vanilla Creme from the Avon’s Senses collection.
Have a bigger budget? Add a comfy bath robe to amplify her relaxation.
Candles
Of course, a bubble bath is made all the better with some scented candles! They can be found just about anywhere and in all sorts of fun packaging, with great smells!
Have a bigger budget? Make her house smell delightful all year long with a candle of the month club membership!
Cozy Blanket
I love me a nice cozy blanket. I have them all over the house, for use at bedtime, TV time and just about anytime I’m laying around time!
One of the nice things about fuzzy blankets is that most of the time, they already come in a nice package, saving wrapping time!
Have a bigger budget? Get the blanket monogrammed with mom’s first initial or name!
Adult Colouring Book
If mom has a lot of downtime, or needs to unwind, an adult colouring book is a perfect gift! These are still quite popular, which means you can still find adult colouring books in a variety of themes. Is mom an animal lover? Check out this colouring book of animals. Does she love nature? Check out this colouring book of butterflies and flowers. Is she cheeky? Check out this colouring book of swear words!
Don’t forget the pencil crayons!
Have a bigger budget? Get a personalized colouring book to make it as unique as mom!
Coupons
Remember when you were a kid and you made mom up some coupons for Mother’s Day? That still works now. Just remember that she’s more likely to cash them in now than she was back then! No doubt, mom would love someone to get up with the little kids, so she can get a few extra hours of sleep. Or someone to cook dinner AND clean up afterwards! Backrub, heck yes she’d like one of those!
No time to make your own? Download, these free Printable Mothers Day Coupons!
Have a bigger budget? Don’t make mom’s coupons, buy them!
Nothing
Seriously! Well, not seriously. When you struggle to find the perfect gift for mom and even go so far as to ask her what she’d like and her reply is “nothing.” You can get her that!
Make mom a jar of nothing. All you need is a jar (feel free to paint it if you’re feeling fancy) and a fun message about getting nothing. You can tie it to the jar, or print it off on printable vinyl and stick it right on the jar. Either way, it will make for a good laugh.
Free Jar of Nothing Editable Printable!
Have a bigger budget? You can buy a Jar of Nothing instead of making it!
Gift Cards
Sometimes buying actual things for mom can be tricky. She may be the type who buys whatever she wants, has everything she needs, or is just tough to buy for. In any of these cases, a gift card that she’ll use is a great gift to give.
Did you know that you can get cashback on your gift card purchases through Swagbucks and Ebates? Buy mom a gift card she’ll love and get cash back for yourself!
Have a bigger budget? Add a gift that matches the gift card. For example:
Get a Cineplex gift card and attach it to a package of popcorn.
Get a Chapters gift card and attach it to a nice notebook.
Get a la Vie En Rose gift card and attach it to her favourite chocolate.
Spend Time
You know what mom would love most of all? To spend time with you. Seriously, that’s it. Hang out, watch a movie, go for a walk, look through old photo albums, play a board game, let her know what’s going on with your life.
Have a bigger budget? Take mom our for a nice meal, or pick up a Groupon experience to share with her!
Gift Basket of Love
Of course mom deserves it all on her special day! So why not combine a few different ideas to make a gift basket full of things she’ll really love?
Thirty-One Gifts has these gorgeous Mini Storage Bins in the popular Fab Flourish pattern on sale for $20 right now! Grab one while they last and fill it with mom’s favourite things.
You can do a random gift basket full of favourites, or package items together for a theme.
Some Ideas:
Movie Night Gift Basket – movie tickets, popcorn, favourite movie, m&ms, comfy blanket.
Spa Day Gift Basket – bath robe, bubble bath, scented candles, lighter, slippers, Amazon Echo
Artsy Gift Basket – adult colouring book(s), pencil crayons, pretty notebook, fancy pens
Foodie Gift Basket – favourite chocolates, favourite cookies, gourmet popcorn, restaurant gift card, Groupon dining experience
Crafty Gift Basket – Happy Planner, Happy Planner Stickers and accessories, laminator, yarn, knitting needles, defuzzer, glitter, rug hooking kit
Gardener Gift Basket – flower pots, bag of soil, seeds, shovel, gardening gloves, kneeling pad, floppy hat
Memory Gift Basket – photo album of cherished memories, Groupon experience, jar with notes of what you love about mom, board game to play together, movie to watch together, mini photo printer
Getaway Gift Basket – hotels.com gift card, Groupon experience, restaurant gift card, bath robe, slippers, book, toiletry bag, passport holder
See how to organize and wrap a gift basket for the ultimate presentation here:
Have a bigger budget? Buy a pre-made gift basket that is sure to delight!
What are your favourite Mother’s Day gifts to give and receive? Share them in the comments below!
Hi,
These are great ideas, they are original and fun. The one that I love the most is the jar of nothing because this is exactly what most mommies say when you ask them. 🙂
A foodie gift basket is always a perfect option.
Thanks for sharing these amazing ideas!
Thank you so much! I think the Jar of Nothing is definitely a fun gift that may motivate mom to offer some ideas next time! Haha! Thanks for stopping by 🙂