Mother’s Day is coming up soon, but if you are trying to shop on a budget, you might be having a hard time finding the right way to show Mom you care. Fortunately, most moms love nothing more than spending time with their kids and feeling appreciated by them. So when you are thinking Mother’s Day on a budget, try to think of unique, heartfelt ways to just make sure Mom feels important.

Go with Handmade and Heartfelt

Whether or not you are the crafty type, you should be able to find some pretty simple but very heartfelt crafts that will mean a lot to Mom. If you are trying to help your young kids make a gift for Mom, or if you are an older sibling trying to come up with a gift for a younger sibling, check out these ideas:

• Make handprint wall art. Go to the craft store and buy a few square canvases. For example, get one for each child or each family member. Decide on a color scheme in advance and buy some non-toxic finger-paint. For example, choose colors like pink, burgundy, and red if your living room is decorated in red and white. Get some white paint for the handprints. Paint the canvases in your different colors and then get the kids together and have each dip the palm of their hand in white paint and place their handprint in the center of one of the canvases. This will make a nice and personal piece of art for Mom. Alternatively, you could buy and prepare lots of canvases this year and have your child add a new handprint every year on Mother’s Day to make a gift similar to a growth chart.
• Make a handprint bouquet. Help the kids trace and cut out their handprints on colorful paper. Glue the handprints together on a blank sheet of paper in a cluster so that they look like the flowers of a bouquet. Attach some green stems at the bottom.
• Make a “Reasons We Love Mom” book. Have the kids come up with lots of reasons why they love Mom and help them write their ideas down in a blank scrap book. Then fill up the scrapbook with pictures of Mom and the kids, especially if you can find pictures related to what the kids wrote. For example, if your son writes “I love Mommy because she plays trucks with me,” try to find a picture of the two of them playing with two cars. Include other things as well to make it a scrapbook. For example, if Mom took the kids to a show, include the ticket stubs if you saved them.

Check out some ideas for crafty gifts to give to Mom if you are a little more confident with crafting or some small gift ideas that you can afford if you’re on a budget.

• Try your hand at knitting, crochet, embroidery, quilting, or some other craft you’ve had on your mind. If Mom has a craft that she enjoys, be sure to consider that. She will probably be very touched if she knows how much you’ve appreciated her knitting over the years.
• Choose a few inexpensive Mother’s Day Gifts and then think of a creative presentation. For example, get her some flowers but instead of just putting them out on the table, put them around the house to surprise her: some in the bathroom, a few by the kitchen sink, some next to her favorite reading chair.

• Paint her a picture, take and frame a photograph, put together a photo album, or record her a song. Consider your own talents, whatever they are, Mom is probably proud and wants to encourage your interests!
• Sign up for a class together. If you are both interested in painting, music, or dance lessons, taking a class together will be a great way to connect and discover some shared interests. She’ll appreciate the time with you and who knows – maybe you’ll both end up with new talents!
• Teach her how to do something you enjoy. If you are an avid tennis player, take her to the park and show her how to play. Then ask her to teach you how to do something she enjoys. Ideas might include cooking something special, playing the piano, or discussing the books she enjoys. Surprise her with a book selection for the two of you to read together.

Keeping Costs Low

It is very possible to be frugal during a holiday while still being thoughtful. Of course, your mom doesn’t want you to go and spend a lot of money on her for Mother’s Day! The most important thing is that you show her that you listen to her and care about her so just get personal and be specific! Think about your mom as an individual. What does she like? What does she always ask you about? What makes her smile?