I have a daughter and I am amazed by how my idea of the perfect Mother's Day and perfect gift has changed over the years. My ideal Mother's Day is having time with my daughter, with less cooking and fewer chores, and doing some fun things we like to do together. That is it. Pretty simple, huh?
Of course, my favorite gifts are the handmade ones from my daughter. Perhaps my favorite of all was a purple unicorn statue that my daughter made for me in elementary school which has sat proudly on my dresser ever since. Homemade gifts are always my favorite.
I also love to get a gift that I need or want or something I would not buy for myself. (I am a bit of a cheapskate). One item that I always need, but never buy for myself is luxury items for my craft stash. You know the good stuff that you keep saying, "Ohhh, one day I will get that." If your wife, mother, or grandmother is creative or crafty, like me, perhaps they would enjoy an upgrade to their craft supply supplies, too. If you need gift ideas for mom here is a list of five of my favorites. I love them and I bet mom will, too.
5. Painted Signs on Salvaged Wood
I am obsessed with words and signs. I love how putting up a sign in your house with just the right word on it can make you stop and inspire you for the rest of the day. My latest sign collection was inspired by my customers who submitted words to me that they wanted on signs. The signs are available in my booth at Plaza Antiques & Collectibles Mal in Lincoln Park, Michigan. If you don't see the perfect word from your mom you could even make your own sign. I used DIY Paint and the JRV Lowercase Stencils to create these signs.
4. JRV Stencils & Stencil Brush
Not a fan of signs with words? Have you checked out the amazing line of stencils from JRV Stencils? Whether your style is farmhouse or boho there is a stencil for everyone. You could get a stencil and create something special for mom or even get a few for her to make her own items. Not a fan of stenciling? Never was very good at it? JRV Stencils and the JRV Stencil Brush have changed all that. Read more about my love for these stencils in my post How to Be an A+ Stenciller.
JRV Stencil Brushes - My favorite is the largest one with the wooden handle.
JRV Stencils display at Plaza Antiques & Collectibles Mall in Lincoln Park, MI.
3. Golden Ticket
Who doesn't need a little sparkle in their life? If your mom loves sparkle then DIY Paint Golden Ticket is the perfect luxury craft gift. This liquid patina can be applied to any project and can be used on furniture, canvas and even hardware to add just the right amount of gold sparkle. You can use it straight or even water it down to blend in for a more subtle look. The best part about Golden Ticket Liquid Patina is that it has a topcoat built-in. You can just apply it as the last step to add sparkle anywhere and you don't have to do anything else over it. If your mom is not a fan of gold and prefers a copper finish check out DIY Paint newest product Pennies from Heaven Liquid Patina.
2. New Paint Brushes
One of the things I always need more of are paintbrushes, but I am cheap so I always put it off. If your mom is like me a new brush or two might be the perfect gift. If you want to learn all about brushes you can read my latest blog post, How to Pick the Perfect Brush.
Here are my favorite brushes in no particular order. My favorite brushes are made by Paint Pixie Brushes and are handcrafted in Italy. DIY Paint also has created a new line of super soft brushes that make blending so easy, hold a bunch of paint and create the smoothest finish around. Whether you prefer natural or synthetic both are excellent quality brushes.
Here are my favorite synthetic brushes from DIY Paint from top to bottom.
The Smoothie - great for flat surfaces & blending.
The Multitasker - holds a lot of paint. Great for paint, topcoat or wax.
The Feather - A 2" angle brush.
The Perfectionist - Great for small projects and getting in tight spaces.
The Little Dipper - Small brush that fits perfectly in the sample sized paint.
Here are the natural brushes from Paint Pixie that I love.
1.Oval/ Round Brush #12 Paint Pixie - This is the basic painting brush that can be used to paint almost anything. If your mom has arthritis or paints a ton of stuff like I do she may prefer a slightly smaller and lighter Oval/Round Brush #8 Paint Pixie.
Oval/Round Brush #12 Paint Pixie
2. Dusty Paint Pixie - Great brush for painting larger surfaces, blending, and for applying topcoat. If you are looking for a smaller version and once that will fit perfectly into an 8 oz. sample of DIY Paint check out the Lil' D from Paint Pixie. (The perfect brush to pair with a few 8 oz sample jars of DIY Paint.)
3. French Tip Paint Pixie - Great for details and smaller pieces. One again there is a smaller version called Lil' Frenchie Paint Pixie.
French Round #2 Paint Pixie
4. Buff Large Wax Buffer Paint Pixie - Buffing brushes are something painters usually don't buy for themselves, but they make finishing the piece so much easier and yield beautiful results. There also is a smaller version called the Buffy Small Wax Buffer Paint Pixie.
Buff Large Wax Buffer Paint Pixie
5. Suds Brush Soap - If you are giving mom a brush why not also give her a soap to help keep it clean. The Suds Brush Soaps from Paint Pixie also come in a variety of scents like orange, lemon, and mint, and unscented is also available.
1. DIY Paint
Finally, my favorite gift is DIY Paint because there are so many colors and products to choose from. So many things can be painted with DIY Paint. DIY Paint is an all-natural, water-based paint that has no VOCs and is heavily pigmented. That means it is safe to use indoors, has no odor and can stick to almost anything, and covers better (and quicker) than any other paint. Want to know what is so great about DIY Paint? Read more in my blog post Why I Love DIY Paint. Why not just get mom a bunch of 8 oz. sample jars for only $13 each in a bunch of different colors.
I hope I have given you a few ideas on what to get Mom this year. Remember you don't have to buy anything to make it special. Homemade gifts work great, too.
Happy Mother's Day to all you mom's out there!
Enjoy your special day!