55 Easy Mother's Day Crafts for Kids to Make Mom Feel Special and Loved
From handprint vases and framed flowers to marble magnets and heart cards, these homemade DIYs and gift ideas are for crafty children of all ages.
The perfect Mother's Day gift doesn't have to be store-bought (although you can never go wrong gifting her favorite flowers). In fact, kids can use their imagination to DIY a present that'll have Mom or Grandma feeling extra special on their celebratory day. From handprint vases and flower felt magnets to egg-shaped coasters and pom-pom bouquets, these Mother's Day crafts for kids will bring on all the tears, smiles and love.
These homemade crafts are one of the many Mother's Day activities to entertain children of all ages. Toddlers, preschoolers, middle schoolers and teenagers can come together to DIY these fun projects, some of which double as Mother's Day party decorations. We have homemade cards, including a few made of card stock and heart-shaped fingerprints; edible crafts, like tie-dye butter mint gems and chocolate pretzel flowers; and more practical gifts such as oyster shell dishes and rainbow clutches. And if you're looking to save money by making use of household materials, you'll find some ideas here too. A few of our favorites? A hand-dyed napkins and decorated mugs, which only require paint.
So, as you browse these easy Mother's Day crafts, keep your child's age in mind, along with Mom or Grandma's interests. No matter what craft project you choose, you're sure to brighten their day since it will be made with love.
Floral Candlesticks
Every time Mom lights these floral-patterned candlesticks, she'll think of you. Supervise your little ones as they use alcohol to wipe any dust and debris from the candlesticks. Then, show them how to draw dots, flowers and patterns with paint markers and craft paint. Make sure one side is dry before turning the candle around to decorate the next.
Embellished Bow Basket
One of the easiest crafts on our list, this embellished bow basket features fun iron-on patches and stenciled monograms. Cut a length of ribbon (we used 3" wired ribbon) to create the large bow. Attach decorative patches — flowers, smiley faces, rainbows and hearts — using fabric glue.
Egg-Shaped Coasters
All it takes to create these coasters is fabric, Mod Podge and acrylic plexiglass.
Follow these steps:
- Cut fabric 1” larger than your glass.
- Paint a generous amount of Mod Podge on one side of the glass. Lay it on top of the fabric and smooth out any wrinkles or air bubbles.
- Cover your glass with a heavy book and wait several hours for your new coasters to dry.
- Once dry, trim around the edge of the glass with fabric scissors.
Mom Photo Holder
A personalized plaque, complete with wooden letters and binder clips for displaying photos, is a sentimental gift for mom to cherish. Blogger Amanda recommends this craft for ages 12 and up.
Hand Flower Vase
Trace your child's hand three times onto large green foam sheets to create a vase that's practical and unique. It's a playful design Mom or Grandma would love to display on a bookshelf, mantel, you name it.
Tie-Dye Butter Mint Gems
These melt-in-the-mouth treats are as colorful as they are delicious. Plus, their glossy coating creates a cool gemstone look. With only five ingredients in the recipe, the edible craft can be done in six steps.
Donut Soap
They may look like the sugary treats themselves, but they're actually soap bars! If donuts are Mom's favorite treat, make her a soap replica using a glycerin soap base and silicone donut molds.
Oyster Shell Trinket Dish
A handmade trinket dish as beautiful as this one is sure to impress. Paint the inside of the shells white for a cleaner look, and use Mod Podge to attach your printed paper for the design.
Chocolate Pretzel Flowers
Here's another edible craft for the kids! This time, use chocolate melts and straws to transform simple pretzels into mouth-watering flowers with stems.
Metal Stamped Washer Bracelet
Make these simple yet gorgeous bracelets using silver, gold or brass washers. Consider using colored leather string as the cord to finish your creation.
Felt Flower Magnets
Is there such a thing as too many magnets — especially when you have kids? We think not. Create these layered flower magnets using patterned felt and buttons so Mom can admire your photos and accomplishments on her fridge.
Mother's Day Flower Pop Up Cards
These pop-up Mother's Day cards are far from ordinary. Although they require cardstock and a Cricut, blogger Ananda considers them one of the many fun paper crafts for kids.
Bottle Cap Photo Key Chain
Simple, cute and practical. That's why we're loving this photo keychain DIY'ed using bottle caps and paper clips.
Paper Flowers
Turn pastel cupcake liners into long-lasting blooms. To make, fold the liners in half and make petal-like cuts. Fold a piece of floral wire in half and twist it around faux flower stamens, then poke the wire through the center of three to four paper liners. Wrap floral tape around the base of the liners and continue to wrap down the "stem" until you're done!
Hand-Dyed Napkins
These watercolor napkins will bring a pop of color to your Mother's Day table. Start by soaking the napkins in water, then wring out the excess and brush on fabric paint, diluting with water as you go up. Let them dry overnight and iron the fabric to set the paint before adding them to your place settings.
Egg Carton Flowers
Assemble a bouquet of egg carton flowers that she can enjoy well beyond Mother's Day. Our advice: Have the adults cut out the "flowers" first and let kids get creative with paint!
Follow these step-by-step instructions:
- Cut off the top of the egg carton and the extra flap on the other edge.
- Cut out the center columns from the carton by making small cuts with your X-Acto knife.
- Cut out what is left on the carton to use as egg cups.
- Using the center columns you cut out, clean up the edge of the opening with your scissors.
- Paint the columns both inside and out with some thinned-out acrylic paint for a washed look.
- Using the egg cups, cut around the top of the cup to make it the same size all around or rip the top edge with your fingers to get a more rough look.
- Paint the cup with your thinned-out acrylic paint for a flower look.
- For a petaled look, cut down the four corners of the cup and clean up using your scissors and rounding the tops of each petal before painting.
- Keep the stem in place by attaching floral wire to the middle. Use the wire cutters to hold them.
Flower Petal Bowl
Meet Mom's new favorite trinket dish! Form a large and small petal out of oven-baked clay. Press the smaller petal into the center of the larger one. Sprinkle a few plastic beads in the bottom for added color, and bake per package instructions to melt plastic and harden clay.
RELATED: DIY Mother's Day Gifts That Are the Most Thoughtful Way to Say "I Love You
Rainbow Clutch
This cheery clutch is perfect for summer, plus it's just the right size to hold all of your mom's on-the-go essentials. To make your own, purchase a round woven placemat and a zipper.
Framed Flowers
Here's a clever way to put your backyard blooms on display. Just be sure to press them flat before framing.
Mother's Day Flower Banner
Use this banner as a photo backdrop during your Mother's Day celebration and gift it to your mom once the party wraps. It's an easy DIY project using fresh flowers and cardboard.
Marisa (she/her) has covered all things parenting, from the postpartum period through the empty nest, for Good Housekeeping since 2018; she previously wrote about parents and families at Parents and Working Mother. She lives with her husband and daughter in Brooklyn, where she can be found dominating the audio round at her local bar trivia night or tweeting about movies.
Mariah Thomas (she/her) is an assistant editor for Good Housekeeping, where she covers home and lifestyle content. Mariah has more than four years of editorial experience, having written for TLC, Apartment Therapy, Women's Health and Avocado Magazine. She received her master's degree in journalism at the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism and published her first book, Heart and Soul: Poems of Thoughts and Emotions, in 2019. She's also the founder of RTF Community, a platform for creatives of color to connect, learn and showcase their work.
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