The Best Mother's Day Crafts for Kids

"Flowers are always a great idea for Mother's Day. If you want to take it one step further, make a custom vase to go with them. It will be a great gift that will remind her of you every time she uses it." - Liz Stanley, author of the blog Say Yes

"Take the gift box to a whole new level with these DIY letter-shaped boxes. Spell out "Mom" or craft her initials, then fill them with all her favorite trinkets and treats!" - Kelly Mindell, founder of Studio DIY

"No matter what type of hair or beauty regiment your mom has, homemade sea salt spray is a super-easy, inexpensive gift she'll actually use! And the best part is you can make it in batches for all the moms in your life!" - Molly Madfis, author of the blog Almost Makes Perfect

"This pop art portrait is made with just three materials and easy enough for a kid to help create. It's a different way to frame mom's favorite photo and can be customized to her style." - Melanie Blodgett, the blogger behind You Are My Fave

"These color block trivets are a simple and colorful, personalized gift for the mom who loves to cook and entertain." - Ashley Rose, author of Sugar & Cloth

"Ask mom to keep the day (or morning) free. Plan a secret itinerary of her favorite activities (consider what she would love to do: a walk through the farmers' market, a visit to the art museum, a manicure at the nail salon). Label the address of each location on nested envelopes, starting with the first destination on the largest envelope. Write a personal note on a card for the smallest envelope, which will be revealed at the last stop. She'll be delighted and surprised at every stop of the day, but more than anything, she will love the quality time spent together." - Erin Jang and Steph Hung, authors of Make & Give

From Make & Give by Steph Hung and Erin Jang. © 2014 Reprinted by arrangement with Roost Books, an imprint of Shambhala Publications Inc.

"I love this fresh floral bracelet for Mother's Day because it's a fun, new take on the corsage or bouquet. Make it in Mom's favorite color flowers for a sweet personal touch. This little project also comes with a hand-illustrated printable gift tag, perfect for writing a little note of love and thanks to Mom." - Chelsea Foy, author of Lovely Indeed

"Working with clay is something that many littles can manage quite easily with some direction. Once they've rolled it into a large enough ball, assist them with cutting the angles off and then let them paint it their favorite color once it's been cured in the oven. Mom will be so proud!" - Rachel Denbow, founder of Smile and Wave

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.

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.

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.

Paint tote bags to carry groceries at the supermarket or toys at the beach.

What You'll Need: Canvas tote bags, fabric paints, sponge brush, old newspapers

Make It: Lay out the old newspapers to make cleanup easier. Dip the sponge brush into paint and paint the entire palm of your child's hand. Have her press handprints onto the tote in a radiating circle to resemble the petals of a flower. Use the brush to paint a center for the flower, a stem, and a leaf. Personalize further by writing, stamping, or stenciling "Mom" on each bag. Let the totes dry for about four hours, then stuff with goodies.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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. Updated 2015