13 Mother's Day Crafts Ideas for Kids

May Flower Cards

Kids' creativity will bloom when they personalize these cards.

What You'll Need: Card stock (8 1/2" x 5 1/2"), ribbon, patterned fabric or paper, buttons, glue, scissors

Make It: Fold your card stock in half to form a card. Cut a piece of ribbon and glue it to the center of the front flap to form the flower's stem. Before the glue dries, cut two leaves out of fabric or paper and glue them on, tucking the ends underneath the ribbon. Cut flower petals from fabric or paper; use three different patterns and cut each shape slightly smaller than the last. (See below for a flower template kids can use.) Once the petals have been layered on top of each other and glued down, add a colorful button on top to form the flower's center.

• Craft Made By: mmmcrafts
• Flower Card Template

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MOM Card

Kids can practice staying inside the lines with this project.

What You'll Need: White construction paper (12" x 18"), poster board, pencil, black marker, colored markers, scissors

Make It: Cut the construction paper into three long panels of 12" x 6". Fold the panels into thirds (it should form a "Z" shape) to make a card that measures 4" x 6". Use a pencil to draw "M" and "O" block letters on poster board to cut out and use as stencils. Center the letters on each panel (spelling out "MOM"), and then trace each letter with a black marker. Color in a different pattern for each letter and then finish the card by coloring in the backgrounds.

• Craft Made By: Art Projects for Kids

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Colorful Coasters

Moms can showcase a morning cup of coffee on these homemade coasters.

What You'll Need: Four 4-inch square ceramic tiles, decorative paper napkins, felt, paintbrush, Mod Podge, waterproof glue, polyurethane, sandpaper (optional)

Make It: Brush the tile tops and their edges with a coat of Mod Podge. Before the Mod Podge dries, center a decorative napkin on the tile, making sure to fold the napkin down to cover the edges. Wait 3 to 5 minutes until the tiles are dry, and then carefully tear away the excess napkin. (You may like the rough edges, to give the coasters a handpainted look, but if you want a smoother finish, use sandpaper to smooth out the edges.) To complete, apply three coats of polyurethane to the tops and sides of the tile, letting it dry completely between coats. Cut out four 4-inch squares from felt and use waterproof glue to stick them to the bottom of the tile.

• Craft Made By: DIY Maven

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Perfect Photo Bookmarks

Turn photos into a memorable marker for your favorite book.

What You'll Need: Photos, card stock, glue, ribbon, hole puncher, scissors, contact paper (optional)

Make It: Find a photo booth that takes a strip of photos (look in a local department store, like Kmart, or in the mall), and get your kids and husband inside the booth for a photo. Cut a rectangular piece of card stock that's a little larger than the photo and glue the photo strip onto it. Decorate the back of the bookmark with a message or print out the word "mother" in different languages. To embellish, add stickers or punch a hole at the top and tie a ribbon through it. To seal the bookmark, get it laminated at a local photocopy store or buy some contact paper to laminate it yourself.

• Craft Made By: Make and Takes

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I L-O-V-E You Photo Frame

Snap a super sweet craft to hang on the wall all year long.

What You'll Need: Poster paper, black markers, digital camera, four-window photo frame, scissors

Make It: Cut four equal-size rectangles out of poster paper -- make sure they're large enough to show up on camera. Using a black marker, draw each letter of the word "LOVE" on a different piece of paper. Hand your kid(s) each letter and snap away with your digital camera. Check to see if your camera has a black and white setting, or print your photos in black and white on your computer or at a local drugstore. Once they're developed, pick your favorite photos to spell out L-O-V-E, and place them inside the frame.

• Craft Made By: The Inadvertent Farmer

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Matchbox Locket

Transform an old matchbox into a keepsake that moms can wear around the neck.

What You'll Need: Empty matchbox, decorative scrapbook paper or wrapping paper, ribbon, acrylic paint, glue, scissors

Make It: Remove the inner part of the matchbox that slides out, and paint it on every side. Cut, cover, and glue decorative paper on the outer part of the matchbox (most matchboxes use about 2" x 4" strips). Once both the inside and outside boxes are dry, glue a photo of your child on the inside of the inner box. Glue a ribbon to the back of the outer box to tie around the neck. Embellish with flowers or stickers.

• Craft Made By: Lilly Cakes

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Belle of the Ball Necklace

A fuzzy, fashionable necklace looks chic enough to have been made by a pro.

What You'll Need: Wool roving, colored nylon cord, skewer, warm water, soap, scissors

Make It: Pick out different colors of wool roving that you'll use to make the felt balls. Dissolve some soap in warm water. Wind the wisps of wool into balls, dip each in the warm, soapy water, and gently roll the wisps between your hands until they become tighter spheres. Before you set the balls out to dry overnight, work a skewer through all the balls (it should look like a shish kebab). The next morning, remove the skewer and thread the colored nylon cord through the holes of the felt balls. Tie the cord based on how long or short you want the necklace to be. Cut off the excess cord.

• Craft Made By: Shiso Mama

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Beaded Bracelets

Multicolored "beads" are easy to make and string together for a special bracelet.

What You'll Need: Wool roving, elastic cord, warm water, soap, sewing needle, scissors

Make It: Choose various colors of wool roving. Combine two colors at a time by rolling the roving between the palms to make a long, snake-like tube. Dissolve some soap in warm water. Dip the wool into warm, soapy water to get it completely wet, and then squeeze out the excess water. Roll the tube again between the palms to bind together. Once the tubes are dry and hardened, use scissors to cut the wool into 1/4" discs that will serve as your "beads." For an easy finish, thread a sewing needle with elastic cord and work the needle through each of the beads, gathering enough to string them together around a wrist. Knot the cord when the bracelet is complete, and then cut off the excess cord. If you're an experienced crafter who's familiar with jewelry making, add a lobster clasp at each end of the cord.

• Craft Made By: Kleas

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Cupcake Carnations

Pick up cupcake liners from the baking aisle to make a bountiful bouquet.

What You'll Need: Cupcake liners in three sizes (small, medium, and large), pipe cleaners, toothpick, sponge brush or sponge, red craft paint

Make It: Stack the liners -- 3 small on the inside, 3 medium in the middle, and 3 large on the outside. Hold the liners together at the middle and, with a toothpick, poke two holes near the center about an inch apart. Thread a pipe cleaner through the holes, and tighten the wire underneath to scrunch the liners slightly. Fold and crease the whole flower into a half-moon shape. Take some time to separate the layers so the flowers "bloom." To finish off the flowers, dip a sponge in red paint and dab the edges of the liners.

• Craft Made By: Creative Jewish Mom

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Painted Paper Roses

Don't toss the newspapers; recycle them into roses that will last forever.

What You'll Need: Newspaper, red craft paint, floral tape, green floral wires or pipe cleaners, scissors

Make It: Cut two circles, about 8 inches in diameter, out of newspapers. Layer one circle on top of the other and fold them together in half. Take one corner of the paper, fold it into the center point of the semicircle, and pinch the bottom. While holding the flower at the bottom, separate the top of the flower. Roll the bottom of each flower between the thumb and forefinger to tighten the base. Tape the bottom of each flower so it doesn't unravel. To make a bouquet, tape each rose to a wire or pipe cleaner. Paint the roses with red craft paint -- remember, the less perfect, the better.

• Craft Made By: Zakka Life

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Love Stems

Save toilet paper rolls and turn them into beautiful blossoms.

What You'll Need: Toilet paper rolls, bamboo skewers, craft paints, paintbrush

Make It: Paint the outside of the paper rolls any solid color, and paint the bamboo skewers green. Once the paper rolls are dry, cut vertical strips on one or both sides of the roll (if you do both sides, leave about 1" uncut in the middle). Fold the strips or "petals" back to show the inside of the roll that isn't painted yet. Paint the rest of the strips and decorate them. Stick the bamboo skewers through the center of the uncut part of the roll to make the stems. Make just one "love stem" or a bunch for a bouquet.

• Craft Made By: It's a Wild Life

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Potted Pipe Cleaner Posies

For spring, plant a garden of rainbow-colored flowers.

What You'll Need: Colored pipe cleaners (6 of each color), ribbon, glue dots, rice, small flower pot

Make It: Start by decorating your flower pot. Measure a pink ribbon to fit around the pot, cut it to size, and, using glue dots, stick it around the pot. Tie the ribbon into a bow, and fill the pot with rice. (If you want to color the rice green so it looks like grass, see below for instructions.) To make the flowers, lay out six pipe cleaners of the same color together, flat on the table. Determine the center of the six pipe cleaners and wrap a long, green pipe cleaner (the "stem") around the middle; the green pipe cleaner should halve the pipe cleaners. Twist the stem to hold the pipe cleaners together. Bend the pipe cleaners toward the center and curl them to make a flower; the ends of each colored pipe cleaner should touch the top of the green stem in the middle. Your bundle should now have six "petals." To make the stem sturdier, fold the green pipe cleaner in half again. Make a few more flowers and "plant" them in your pot.

Copyright © 2011 Meredith Corporation.

Janna Oberdorf is a freelance writer who has been published in Parents magazine, Ladies' Home Journal, and Fit Pregnancy. She now runs the communications for Women Deliver, a global advocacy organization working to make pregnancy and childbirth safer around the world.

• Craft Made By: Make and Takes
• Instructions for Green Rice

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