Nothing is cuter than a handmade card for Mother’s Day, especially when it features keepsake elements like hand prints, finger prints, and kids’ adorable handwriting. I’ve shared three cute keepsake card ideas for kids to make, one for each age group — toddler, preschooler, or grade school — over at eBay. Instructions: [mother’s day cards for kids to make]

Project Materials:

• Paper, on hand
• Paint, on hand
• Markers, on hand
• Scissors, on hand
• Paper plate, on hand
• Glue, on hand

Total: FREE

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It’s one of those always-in-stock-at-the-dollar-store items that you know must have many crafty possibilities: the weekly pill box.  Those seven little slots are just right for holding all kinds of little odds and ends.  But have you ever thought of using them to give a gift?  Beckie at Infarrantly Creative whipped up a free Mother’s Day printable that turns one of these medication dispensers into a candy dispenser instead, complete with quotes about motherhood to tuck into the bottom underneath the treats.  [how to make a Mother’s Day pill box gift]

Project estimate:

• Pill box, $1
• Printable, free
• Double-stick tape, on hand or $1
• Candy, on hand or $1 and up
• Twine (optional), on hand or $1 and up

Total:  $1 and up

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Mother’s Day is coming up, and I bet the special women in your life would love a hand made gift!  Inspired by Anthropologie, these stamped fabric gifts are quick to make and easy to customize for the recipient.  (And why not make a few for yourself to keep, too?)

If you’ve tried painting on fabric before, you know that paint tends to leave either a slick or scratchy feel to the finished product.  That’s why I’ve never tried to put paint on towels or cloth napkins…who wants to feel that when you’re trying to clean up?  This fabric paint is different, and, like the name says, really is soft.  I wish you could reach through your monitor and touch it.  It’s unbelievable soft and you can’t even feel the paint at all!  I think the finished project looks professional, thanks to rubber stamps and the special paint finish.

Project estimate:

• Towel or cloth napkin, $1 and up
• SoSoft fabric paint, $1.86
• Rubber stamps, on hand
• Foam spouncer, on hand

Total:  $2.86 and up

Step one:  Place the fabric on a smooth, hard surface.  Iron before stamping if needed.

Step two:  Use the spouncer to apply paint evenly to the stamp.

Step three:  Press the image onto the fabric.  It might be a good idea to practice a few times on scrap fabric to get the feel for how much pressure to put on the stamp and how much paint to use.

Step four:  Reapply paint to the stamp with the spouncer, and repeat as desired.

Let dry, then it’s ready to use.  The paints dry very quickly, and they don’t require heat to set.  No ironing…yay!

I worried that detailed stamps might not work with the fabric paint, but I think they produced better results than the simpler stamps.  I’m crazy about these pretty birds!  Doesn’t it make a lovely pattern? And I was able to make towels and napkins that coordinate beautifully!  The SoSoft Paint is perfect for wearable projects, too, like these socks that I painted.  They’d be great for baby items, like bibs, since there will be no scratchy, flaky paint to worry about.  Have fun crafting and creating!

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Is your mom a tea drinker? Here is a Mother’s Day gift idea she will love! Lia Griffith made these wonderful Mother’s Day tea tags that she has provided as a free printable, which she attached to some handmade tea bags. If you’re short on time (or just don’t have any loose tea laying around), you could also attach these tags over top of the existing tags on pre-made tea bags. Aren’t they gorgeous? [how to make Mother’s Day tea bags]

Project estimate:

• Loose tea, about $2 and up
• Cheesecloth, on hand or $1 and up
• Baker’s twine, on hand
• Printable tea tags, free

Total: About $2 and up

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[crafty mom card by iLoveToCreate]

[5 assorted Mother’s Day cards by We Love to Illustrate]

[funny Mother’s Day card by How About Orange]

[pretty card and matching wine bottle label by Hello!Lucky]

[best mom ever card by Ciera Design]

[best mom in the world cards and tags by Love vs. Design]

[world’s best mom card by I Love It All]

The post 11 Free Printable Mother’s Day Cards (and more!) appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

Are you feeling the last minute Mother’s Day crunch? Luckily this project is quick and easy. Plus mom can reuse the vase for lots of different occasions once hers has passed. Ashley from Simply Designing teaches us how to maximize the chalkboard everything trend to make this cute vase for mom. [how to make a chalkboard mother’s day vase]

Project estimate:

• Glass vase, on hand or $1 and up
• Painters tape, on hand
• Chalkboard paint, on hand or $5 and up
• Foam brush, on hand

Project total: Free and up!

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I absolutely love the color blocked spoon trend. The bright colors are so cheery they make me want to buy every painted spoon in sight. Luckily, these spoons are really easy to make. Angie from The Country Chic Cottage shows us how to transform humble spoons into these delightful specimens perfect for mother’s day or a hostess gift. [how to make color blocked wooden spoons]

Project estimate:

• Bamboo or wood spoon, $1 and up
• Craft paint, on hand or $1 and up
• Paint brushes, on hand

Total: $1 and up

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From Mother’s Day to baby showers, spring time seems to be full of parties and celebrations. This Anthropolgie-inspired garland from Chickabug is perfect for all kinds of festivities. I love that it does double duty as both a decoration and a gift. Make this for mom on mother’s day and fill it with handwritten love notes from kids. Or set it up at a baby shower and let guests write advice for the mom-to-be and clip it on. [how to make a clothespin backdrop]

Project estimate:

• 200 wooden clothespins, $7 and up
• Paint in yellow and grey, on hand or $4 and up
• Clothesline, $1 and up
• Cork board, on hand
• Push pins, on hand
• Scissors, on hand

Total: $8 and up

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Mother’s Day is just over a week away – what are you making for your mom?  If she’s the green-thumbed type, she’s sure to appreciate a live plant, and if you get started right now there is even still time for you to plant seeds and have them germinate by the time you give them to her!  Make the gift extra-special by presenting it in a quirky planter, like this one made from a steamer basket by Carolyn at Carolyn’s Homework.  The steamer basket handles double as legs to make a freestanding planter, or flip the handles up and use them to turn it into a hanging basket.  Either way, it’s a pretty yet understated way to dress up a porch or patio!  [how to make a steamer basket planter]

Project estimate:

• Steamer basket, $1
• Moss, on hand or $1 and up
• Soil, on hand or $1

Total:  $1 and up

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Anyone can give a generic Mother’s Day gift, but only a child can draw a special artwork that will become a keepsake that any mother or grandmother would love. I love making Shrinky Dink projects with my kids because everything is ten times cuter once it’s shrunk down. This year, I volunteered to help my son’s preschool class make special kid art pendants for the preschoolers to give to their moms as gifts for Mother’s Day. This photo here is the one my four year-old son drew – it’s me and him (and we’re holding hands). Awww!

Project Materials:

• 1 sheet of Shrinky Dink Rough & Ready plastic, about 75 cents per sheet
• (optional) 3-1/2″ round punch, about $15 (don’t forget your 40% off coupon! I always load mine onto my phone & they scan my phone)
• Colored pencils, on hand
• A finished necklace chain, about $1
• One jump ring, on hand
• A standard round hole punch
• Your oven and a baking sheet, a piece of paper
• Needle-nosed pliers

Total: $1 and up

You can find everything you need for this project at Michaels craft store, but if you are on a budget you can cut some corners. Instead of the Shrinky Dink sheets, you can use #6 clear plastic containers (like the ones used for takeout). You can trace a small cereal bowl to make the circle, and then cut it out with scissors instead of using the large round punch.

Make The Shrinky Dink Art:

1. Punch or cut 3.5″ circles out of a sheet of Shrinky Dink Rough & Ready plastic. I was able to punch five circles from each 8×10″ sheet.

2. With a regular hole punch, punch a single hole near the edge of the circle (this will be the hole for the jump ring after you shrink the circle). Alternately, you can wait until the child has colored the circle to punch the small hole. I do it first because I know I will forget otherwise!

3. Let the child color on the rough side with colored pencils.

While working with the preschool class, I explained to each child what we were doing (“We’re coloring on this plastic, and later I will cook it in my oven and shrink it down. It will be a gift for your mom! We’re making it into a necklace for her!”), and gave some ideas of what they could draw, like a picture of the child with her mom, or flowers, etc. I didn’t push the children to draw anything specific, though. Preschoolers are interesting because depending on the age, they might just scribble or they might be able to draw figures and possibly even write their name or “mom.” It doesn’t really matter what they draw though – it will come out cute in the end!

4. Heat your oven to 325 F. Put a sheet of paper on your baking sheet, and shrink the discs according to package directions. It should take about two minutes. The shrinkies will curl up and wiggle around, and finally settle down to a flattened, shrunken state. They shrink to approximately a third of their original size, and nine times the thickness. The final pendant will be about an inch across.

5. Remove from the oven and allow to cool. If needed, flatten the pendant with a piece of paper and your oven mitt. (You can do this for the first 15 seconds they are out of the oven, and then they will harden.) Once they’ve cooled for about a minute, remove the discs from the paper.

Put the Necklace Together:

I like to buy 18″ readymade necklaces because they are so easy to use, and I don’t have to add any finishing features (like clasps, etc.) to them because they are already done! Just a time-saving step. I assembled the whole preschool class’s necklaces together in less than an hour.

1. Gather the Shrinky pendant, the necklace, a jump ring, and a pair (or two) of needle-nosed pliers.

2. Open the jump ring. Don’t pull the sides straight apart from each other, swivel them side to side. (Thanks for that terminology, Mich L. in LA!) I use two pairs of needle-nosed pliers to do this job, but you might even be able to do it with your fingers, depending on how stiff your jump ring is.

3. Slide the chain into the open jump ring. Then swivel the jump ring closed.

Nitpicky Notes: I prefer the clasp mechanism to be on the right side of the necklace, so I make sure the chain is lined up correctly so that the front of the necklace faces the right way when the clasp is on the right. This is because I’m right-handed! Also, I always prefer lobster clasps because I find them easier to work than some of the other types of clasps.

Such a happy necklace! We actually made necklaces like these for the boys’ teachers for Christmas, and they said they were the best gifts they got. I have even seen one teacher wearing her necklace at school, so I know she really liked it.

We’re packaging the necklaces in small jewelry boxes just to make them look really swanky. I’m going to go back early next week to let the kids decorate the boxes. Awww, I will be so surprised when I open this gift box up on Mother’s Day! Ha ha!

I love making jewelry! These are so pretty and simple, but I wanted to keep them really neutral so they would be more likely to fit with each preschool mother’s style.

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