There is nothing more precious than buying the best gifts for a loved one. It takes precision and time to purchase something specific enough to please your mother. Maybe she says she’d “love anything”, but we all know she has a preference (despite her lack of instructions).
Try to keep in tune with any items she might drop recommendations about in the weeks leading up to her special day. Maybe keep track of them somewhere easily accessible like the notes app on your smartphone. This way, you’ll never forget her gift ideas, even if it was only mentioned briefly in a passing conversation. Don't be afraid to reach out to a third party, like a friend or neighbor to ask about a perfect gift too.
Mothers deserve to be celebrated for many reasons. That’s why we devote so much attention to Mother’s Day, after all. However, their unique sacrifice and love should also be highlighted on their birthday, but in a bit of a different light.
Mothers are more than people who raised us. They are individuals with likes, dislikes, hobbies, and interests. They are well-rounded and deserve gifts that are tailored to them.
That’s why this list is full of out-of-the-box suggestions. At Mark Henry Jewelry, we are creatives at heart and are fixated on browsing for the most unique gifts. We look outside the box with our craftsmanship, and our gift suggestions do the same.
Scrapbooking Suggestions
One good gift idea that coincides with the importance of birthdays, undeniably, is a scrapbook. Commemoration of time past breeds rumination on the future and allows for reflection on all that has happened in between. We’re sure your mother will love and appreciate this keepsake present.
You don’t need to be exceptionally crafty to navigate scrapbooking, but you will need some specific tools or a kit to get started. Below we have outlined the best steps for a simple but productive scrapbooking session, sure to hold together the memories of a lifetime. Scrapbooks are also great for new moms that sum up their baby's first year.
If the mom in question doesn't love scrapbooks, think about other ways to display photos: pictures can go in charm bracelets or be printed nicely and put in a sterling silver frame. Can't choose just one picture? A digital picture frame allows many pictures to rotate.
Be Prepared: Scrapbooking Ingredients
Most of the necessary items to make a scrapbook are easily accessible. You probably have quite a few of these things in your home or at a local drugstore or craft store.
To get crafting, make sure to have these:
- A paper cutter with a variety of trimmers (wavy, straight, etc.)
- A pair of scissors (if you are crafting with kids, make sure you have a child safety option with duller edges)
- 12 inches by 12 inches (standard) sized book to keep your pages in
- 12 inches by 12 inches pages for the inside of the book
- An assortment of background paper/cardstock in different colors and textures
- Stickers
- Different color pens for journaling
- Photographs
- Adhesive - this could be tape, glue, or a glue gun. (Try glitter glue for extra sparkle)
Assembly
To put together a scrapbook, your main requirement is love. All you need to do is be sure to arrange how you would like to place your photos and embellishments on the paper before gluing. Planning ahead is helpful to avoid any slip-ups while you work.
Arrange your photos in stacks before use as well. Perhaps you want to have a few pages dedicated to your mother’s childhood and then a separate section for when she was married or had her own children. To make this clear, choose your photographs based on the time period.
A word of advice for choosing lead photos (largest or most centered photos) on pages is to pick a focal point that is the clearest or most accurately depicts the theme of the page. Crop all other photos to be smaller and to go underneath or around this photo. You can also color coordinate tones in the photo with your scrapbook paper.
To double mat a photo, start with white cardstock underneath the image, then add a larger frame of a different color cardstock and place the three layers in the center of a third color as the background.
For a personalized touch, write little notes to your mother on each page, documenting what her life was like at the time the photographs were taken or how she is special to you.
You can even include your favorite recipes from growing up, old Christmas cards, or similar content. Perhaps put her favorite photo of you two on the cover.
More DIY Ideas
Incorporating personal touches into gifts is also a great way to celebrate someone’s birthday. If your mother is also a grandmother, she might appreciate some of the following ideas.
Handprint Art
Take your own handprint, or those of her grandchildren, place it in paint, and then use it as a stamp on cardboard, paper, or other material. This artwork can be framed for wall decoration purposes or even thrown into a birthday card for that extra touch of love.
Other hand painting ideas that capture the moment and celebrate your mother include creating a flower composed of different handprints on a canvas bag (perfect for showing off to her friends). Or you can try aligning handprints together to form a sun in reference to the popular mother-child song, “You Are My Sunshine.”
If you want to capture a family moment, ask your mother for her handprint as well and assemble them together in layers with the largest handprint underneath. You can also cut out a traced handprint on a sheet of folded paper for a chain-link accordion effect.
Does your mother prefer her fur babies to her grown-up children sometimes? Not to worry. Take a print of the animal’s paw and use it for the same effect. You can even use clay molds to create casts of animal paw prints or collars, to remember them forever.
Themes and Motifs
What comes to mind when you think of your mother? Most would probably say the sun or flowers, common tropes to identify something that is nurturing. For example, the sun provides us with warmth and beautiful days, and flowers give nectar to bees, and in turn, we are able to enjoy honey.
Give back to your mother with these mom-inspired icons turned into dazzling jewelry.
Papillon Necklace
Butterflies are the prime symbol of regeneration. In order to take their true form in full beauty, they must come out of their chrysalis and transform into something mesmerizing. Birthdays are celebrations of change, healing, and growth. What better way to memorialize that than with our Papillon Necklace?
This stunning piece comes in two options: 18kt yellow gold or 18kt white gold. Whatever you decide, the spectacular alexandrite centerpiece takes the cake. Watch it change from green to a vibrant red hue under different shades of light. Pavé diamonds line the edge of the butterfly’s wings, and the cable chain link can be adjusted between 18” and 16” for various lengths.
Cosmo Diamond Pendant
You’ll never be able to take your eyes off this beauty once you’ve received it in the mail. Our Cosmo Diamond Pendant is composed of fuchsia-enameled petals that hold together a core of diamonds in a cluster. The stem is created by green enamel. Its matching earrings and ring create a set that inspires joy. You can even purchase the remaining pieces on birthdays to come to complete a perfect set over time.
Crystal Healing
While we’re on the topic of gemstone and symbolism, why don’t we take a dip into the marvelous world of crystals?
Crystals work best when used with breathwork, meditation, and other self-centering practices. Some mothers may choose to work with crystals in an effort to create forces of self-love and re-energize.
Continue reading below for a few of the best crystals to gift mothers:
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Black onyx is used as a stone of strength. If your mother is struggling with a lack of perseverance to complete a load of difficult tasks she has been faced with, this could be a good contribution to her morning routine. Encouraging gifts could include warm cookies or a mug with an inspirational quote.
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Carnelian represents production and making it through what you began. It is also known to help you live a longer life. Stability given by a carnelian can aid mothers on a path towards courage. To celebrate her new courage, think about luggage for her next adventure.
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Angelite provides acceptance for challenges and difficulties in the present. This creates a sense of calm and soothing qualities around its use because acceptance allows us a certain sense of peace. Extra gifts with calming powers include a weighted blanket and scented candles.
Best Birthday Gifts: Best Mom
If your mother loves jewelry and the lore of crystals: look for turquoise. Turquoise is the stone of nurturing, balance, and health since it is connected with the throat chakra. This chakra holds our ability to advocate for ourselves and be honest with those around us (often through free, honest conversations). Our Mark Henry Jewelry collection of turquoise is another great way to pair a gift of love with something fashionable and priceless.
Sources:
How to Scrapbook a Basic Scrapbook Page | The Spruce
9 Mother's Day Handprint Crafts & Art Ideas | Practically Functional
Healing Crystals 101: Finding the Right One for You | Healthline