Celebrating Mom! Gift Ideas for Mother's Day

Celebrating Mother's Day is always a special occasion! It becomes an even more spectacular event when we celebrate our moms at school!

Do you make a special gift for the mothers in your classroom? 

Do you host Muffins with Mom or a Mother's Day Tea? 

Are you in a frenzy because Mother's Day is just days away and you have absolutely no idea what your students will do for their moms?

No worries because here are a few of my favorite, tried and true Mother's Day gift ideas!

I've had my class create these gorgeous Oil Pastel Flowers the past several years. They always turn out so pretty and the moms really LOVE them! I usually buy the artist's canvas at Michael's or Hobby Lobby but this year I actually found them at the Dollar Tree! Isn't that amazing? 

I've used all different sizes but this year we decorated 5x7 pieces.  First, I have the kids practice drawing a big flower on a dry erase board.  This step helps them understand it needs to be a big drawing so they can fill in the inside of the flower. After we've practiced, they use a permanent marker to draw the flower  design on the canvas. Next, we use oil pastels to color the flower details. The final step is to add a background color. I've done this step with watercolors before but this year we used tempera paint with a few drops of water added to it. You want it to be a little thinner than usual but not runny. I can't wait for the mothers to get their Oil Pastel Flowers!

Perhaps the moms would like a fashionable Beaded Bracelet! Students can use the regular pony beads in your craft cabinet but if you want to splurge just a little, then look for a package of true jewelry beads. They are more polished and less plastic. Plus, they're available in spectacular colors. All the craft stores will have them but they can also be found on Amazon or from Oriental Trading. 

Every mom will get teary eyed when they open this Mother's Day gift! Snap a quick photo of each child in your class holding a bunch of colorful flowers (real or fake) and then put in a simple silver frame from the dollar store. It's easy and makes such a wonderful keepsake! One year I printed the photos in black & white and they were stunning!

Here's a practical but oh so cute Mother's Day idea...a Floral Tote Bag made by painting with real flowers! Even your youngest pupils can create this sweet gift. These were done by a class of two year olds! They dipped real pansies into trays of fabric paint and then printed on the canvas tote bag. Don't you know mom would love to carry this bag around while doing her errands?

If you've been saving a sampling of your students' art for the end of the year or to put in their portfolio, why not hang and display it for a Mother's Day Art Show!

Ask your class if mom is a good cook and then have them explain how she cooks their favorite dish. Write down the recipe word for word. Their responses will be quite entertaining! Some years I compile all the recipes into a Mother's Day Cookbook and other times the kids have crafted a Mother's Day Recipe Pot! The recipe pots are basic clay flower pots that have been painted with stripes of colorful tempera paint. After the paint dries, add a coat or two of Modge Podge to seal the paint and prevent chipping. A card featuring mom's recipe can be glued to a large craft stick and placed in the pot with a base of shredded paper to hold it in place. These will be displayed proudly in every mom's kitchen!

Here's a Mother's Day treasure that won't wither or wilt! You'll need a variety of spring flowers (from a garden center or the grocery store floral department), some clear contact paper, and cardstock/construction paper for each child to make a Mother's Day Suncatcher. 

Lay a small piece of contact paper on the table and have the student stick down flower petals of their choice. Once they've covered the contact paper with petals, add a frame made from cardstock or construction paper, and laminate. These flower petal Suncatchers can be hung in a window where mom will be reminded of her little one who made it especially for her!

I hope you found an idea you can use or some inspiration for your  class Mother's Day gifts!