Frugal but Thoughtful Mother’s Day Gifts

by Sarah (May 6, 2008)

Since it really is the “thought that counts”, as the saying goes, it’s not just a matter of avoiding expensive gifts for Mother’s Day, but also of finding a way of expressing yourself in a really thoughtful way. The most meaningful gifts I’ve ever given my mother have been based on shared memories rather than on what interests her (or, for that matter, on price tags). Some suggestions:

• If you have any old artwork lying around from your elementary school days taking up space in boxes, consider getting an inexpensive frame for it and attaching an old photograph of you and your mother from when you were around that age.
• A mix CD of songs from your childhood - maybe even recordings of songs your mother used to sing to you, or whatever kinds of music you remember having around your house when you were young.
• A “Thanks Mom” scrapbook, with pages filled with specific things that you appreciate or have appreciated about your mother. You can use photos you have to illustrate your examples, or you can cut out pictures from magazines to make it more decorative without having to buy expensive scrapbooking materials. If you really can’t afford anything this year, you can even just put everything you would say into a letter. The point is to make it personal, not based on generic thoughts and ideas from cards you can buy in any store.
• If you have children of your own and your mother is the kind of grandmother who loves to tell stories about her grandkids, you can pull together a homemade, purse-sized “brag book” - include a couple of photos of your kids, some recollections of recent accomplishments or activities they’re involved in, maybe a piece of artwork or two.
• A recipe book collecting your favorite recipes - some that you used to eat in childhood, some that you may have adapted or discovered on your own, some that remind you of trips you took with your family. Add photos or stories of memories associated with certain recipes or with cooking and eating meals when you were growing up (it’s amazing how many of the most significant memories emerge when you start thinking about routine events and habits).

Since I live quite a distance away from my mother and can’t get home to visit very often, these kinds of gifts can also be helpful because they provide a structure for spending an afternoon of “quailty time” together as we look through them and I can hear her version of whatever memories I’ve incorporated into the gift.

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Posted in Crafts, Frugal
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