5 Easy DIY Mother’s Day Crafts: Keepsakes She’ll Cherish

Mother’s Day is all about celebrating the women who bloom where they are planted. If you're looking to skip the store-bought aisle this year, these five DIY projects are perfect for kids and adults alike.

1. The "Petal Print" Preserved Frame

Forget messy paint! This elegant craft uses the foot or hand print as a template to create a stunning, natural silhouette out of real preserved flowers.

• What You Need:

  • Pressed Flowers - Either store bought or sourced from your garden

  • Pencil and Paper - to trace the foot or hand print

  • Elmers Glue

  • A Frame - I liked these gold ones from Amazon

• The How-To: Trace the outline of a tiny foot onto clear, high-quality craft plastic (or directly onto the back of your frame glass if you are brave!). Carefully arrange individual dried and pressed flowers—like tiny daisies, delphiniums, and ferns—within the traced shape to fill the "footprint."

• The Finish: Place the completed petal arrangement into a glass float frame (like the one pictured). The "float" style creates the illusion of the delicate petal footprint suspended in the air. This is a sophisticated, bohemian keepsake that looks like high-end art.

2. Fingerprint Flower Pot

Give a standard terracotta pot a personality makeover. This is a great group project if there are multiple siblings involved.

• What You Need:

  • A Flower Pot

  • Acrylic Paint

  • Paint Brushes

  • Paint Pen for finishing touches/text

  • Spray Finish

  • Flowers to Fill it

  • Dirt

• The How-To: Paint the pot a solid base color. Have the kids dip their thumbs in various colors to create "petals" around the rim or sides.

• Pro Tip: Make sure to use a waterproof sealant over the paint so Mom can actually water her plants without ruining the art!

3. DIY Coffee Filter Bouquet (with a Twist!)

This isn't just a paper bouquet; it’s a "spa day" in disguise.

• What You Need:

  • Coffee Filters

  • Markers

  • Spray Bottle

  • Pipe Cleaners

  • Kabob Sticks to hold the cosmetic items

  • A Vase

• The How-To: Dye coffee filters with watercolors to create soft, realistic petals.

• The Twist: Instead of just floral tape, tuck small cosmetic items—like lip balms, travel-sized perfumes, or sheet masks—into the center of the "blooms" or attach them to the wire stems. It’s a gift and a bouquet in one.

4. Bouquet Gift Card Holder

If Mom has a favorite coffee shop or bookstore, don’t just hand her an envelope.

• What You Need:

  • A cricut or scisors to cut our the shapes

  • Cardstock Paper Assortment

  • Kabob Sticks to hold the flowers

  • Ribbon - Optional as decoration around the flower pot

  • Crinkle Cut Paper for filling the pot

• The How-To: Create a small 3D paper bouquet using cardstock. Cut a small slit in the center of the largest flower to "nest" the gift card or tape it onto the back.

• The Look: It makes the gift feel substantial and thoughtful, even if the "real" gift is the shopping spree later.

5. Hammered Flower Keepsake Frames

Skip the standard paint and let nature provide the pigment! Hammered flower art is a process that transfers the natural juices and vivid colors of fresh blooms directly onto paper to create a unique floral imprint.

• What You Need:

  • A Matted Frame

  • Fresh Flowers

  • A Hammer or Mallet

  • Parchment Paper

• The How-To: Place fresh flowers and leaves face down on the matted portion of the frame. Tape them securely in place, then gently (but firmly!) tap the entire surface of the plant with a clean hammer or mallet. This releases the plant's natural dyes into the paper. Carefully peel away the flattened plant matter to reveal the natural print.

• The Result: You are left with a raw, detailed, and beautiful silhouette of the flower that can be framed immediately. Pop it into a decorative frame for a piece of custom, botanically-dyed art that Mom will love.