8 Artistic DIY Mother's Day Gift Ideas

I’ve always been a believer in DIY Mother’s Day gifts, but now that I’m a mother myself, I appreciate them even more. Being a parent really shows you the value of time and energy, so when someone takes the time to DIY a gift for me, I love it. Today, I encourage you to think outside of the box for Mother’s Day. Every mom deserves to feel seen, so it’s wonderful to give a gift or a card to any mother, not just your own. Below, you’ll find eight fabulous DIY Mother’s Day gift ideas that are sure to inspire you!

8 Artistic DIY Mother’s Day Gift Card Ideas: Video Version

8 Artistic DIY Mother’s Day Gift Card Ideas: Written Version

1. A Handmade Card

A handmade Mother’s Day card is a gimme. It’s rare that you’ll find a mother who won’t absolutely love a handmade card with a touching message inside. That recognition and thoughtfulness is all many a mother needs; no other gift is necessary.

Teapot-Themed Mother's Day Card Tutorial by Phyllis Macaluso — Phyllis Macaluso wrote a fabulous tutorial over how to make a teapot-themed Mother’s Day card.

There are several DIY Mother’s Day card tutorials on the TPK site. They include:

BROWSE ALL MOTHER’S DAY CARD TUTORIALS

2. Botanical Letter

A botanical letter “D” is my mom’s Mother’s Day gift for this year. Who doesn’t love a highly embellished version of their initial? I’m going to frame my letter before I gift it, but if you’re not sure if the mother in your life will want to display the letter, just give it to her as-is. She very well might want to put it on a bulletin board or, if you make a smaller version, keep it in her planner or propped up on her desk.

This video course features two hours of video instruction plus printables that will teach you how to make a gorgeous watercolor botanical letter. — One of my favorite DIY Mother’s Day gift ideas? A botanical letter. This is what I’ll be giving to my mom in a couple of weeks!

LEARN HOW TO MAKE A BOTANICAL LETTER

3. Bookmarks

Yes, eReaders are convenient and en vogue, but we all have tangible books we use as well, like cookbooks. If you’re in a doodling mood, try making your favorite mom(s) a little stack of bookmarks. She’ll appreciate having a beautiful way to mark her spot … and the opportunity to think of you every time she sees your handmade bookmark.

Gorgeous Black and Gold Bookmarks — Feel free to switch up the color scheme of these bookmarks to reflect your recipient’s taste.

LEARN HOW TO MAKE GORGEOUS BLACK & GOLD BOOKMARKS

4. Pointed Pen Calligraphy Passage

If the mother in your life has a favorite work of literature, use a passage from that literature to make a piece of pointed pen art. With the help of a light box, the project can come together in very little time!

Shortcut Pointed Pen Calligraphy Passage Tutorial — Write in a bouncy and casual calligraphy style, and you’ll find that your pointed pen calligraphy passage is quite quick to make!

Last Mother’s Day, I gave my mom a passage written in calligraphy. It’s from To Kill a Mockingbird, one of her favorite books. She loved the passage, and it is now framed and “lives” on her bedside table, in front of a photo of my grandmother.

LEARN HOW TO MAKE POINTED PEN CALLIGRAPHY PASSAGE ARTWORK

5. Watercolor Map

Can you think of a place that your favorite mother loves? Celebrate it with a watercolor map! Watercolor maps are a time investment, but the results are worth every bit of the time you put in. You can learn how to make a map step-by-step in TPK’s Watercolor Illustrated Maps 101 eCourse, or read a general overview of the process in the How to Create an Illustrated Watercolor Map tutorial.

Making a Watercolor Illustrated Map 101: An eCourse — Is Paris one of your gift recipient’s favorite places? Make a map of Paris with me — and learn how to make other maps, too — in the Watercolor Illustrated Map 101 eCourse.

MAKE A WATERCOLOR MAP

6. Lettering Map

If you’re not up for making a map with illustrations and watercolor, try putting together a lettering map. In a lettering map, Lasso Lettering characters and flourishes come together to form a favorite state or country. It’s a great DIY Mother’s Day gift idea if you only have a couple of hours to make something cool!

Lasso lettering is great when incorporated into artwork like this! — You don’t have to include a country’s colors in your lettering map, but bonus points if you do!

LEARN HOW TO MAKE A LETTERING MAP

7. Family Tree

The vast majority of mothers will absolutely love receiving a family tree. Family trees are a wonderful reminder of the vital part a mother plays in her family’s history, and the connection that all family members share. Give yourself plenty of time to make the tree, though! It requires careful planning and problem-solving, plus the actual calligraphy and illustration process.

How to Make a Gorgeous Calligraphy Family Tree — A family tree is one of the best DIY Mother’s Day gift ideas ever: it’s pretty, celebrates family, and emphasizes a mother’s role in her family.

LEARN HOW TO MAKE A FAMILY TREE

8. Illuminated Letter

Whenever I think “handmade gifts”, illuminated letters immediately come to mind. If Instagram is to be trusted, many TPK readers turn to the Easy Illuminated Letter Tutorial when they need a cool, easy, and fairly quick DIY gift. (My mom has this illuminated letter — a birthday gift I gave her a couple of years ago — on display in her living room.)

LEARN HOW TO MAKE AN ILLUMINATED LETTER

There are more DIY Mother’s Day gift ideas to browse on TPK (see all gift-appropriate tutorials here), but the eight that I listed today are what come to mind immediately for me! If you’re pressed for time, consider ordering from the TPK Supplies Shop. The The TPK Modern Calligraphy Starter Kit makes an awesome gift for a mom who wants to learn calligraphy, or consider a Lettering Composition Ruler Bundle or a set of pearlescent watercolors. We wrap up everything beautifully and send it on its way promptly!

I hope that you find some inspiration in today’s roundup. If you have additional project ideas or suggestions, please feel free to contribute them in the comments. Thanks so much for reading, and happy (almost) Mother’s Day!

Warmly,