9 Sentimental Mother's Day Gifts to Send If You Can't be With Mom in Person
I take pride in being a good gift-giver, and I love giving a potential tear-jerker. The more sentimental, the better the gift has always been my motto. I’m also obsessed with my mom, so I’m always trying to outdo my last Mother’s Day gift. Of course with social distancing measures still in place, I may not see my Mom in person this year, so I wanted to give her something extra meaningful in place of an in-person hug and day spent together.
Whether it’s a replica of her mom’s handwriting on a cutting board, pie plate, or art print, or a hand-drawn illustration of her family, these sentimental Mother’s Day gifts are sure to make Mom’s day. (Reminder: Mother's Day is Sunday, May 9!) The best part is, they can all be sent directly to her doorstep, so you can still give her a meaningful gift even if you can’t hand it to her in person. To make the day extra special, have Mom video chat with you while she opens the gift.
Handwriting Cutting Board
My mom’s kitchen is one of my favorite places to be (something tasty is always baking!), and she’d say the same thing about her mom (my grandma)’s kitchen. This Mother’s Day, turn one of Grandma’s treasured recipes into a sweet gift Mom can keep in her kitchen for years to come. To order this custom bamboo cutting board from Queen B Home, raid grandma’s recipe box and upload a photo at checkout. (If you can’t choose just one recipe, you can even have both sides engraved!) The board comes in eight sizes and variations, and you’ll receive a design proof before the board is cut, so you can see what the gift will look like before it arrives on mom’s doorstep.
Buy It: Custom Bamboo Cutting Board ($45, Queen B Home)
Custom Photo Book
A sweet Mother’s Day photo gift is guaranteed to make mom smile, and these brightly colored photo books from Artifact Uprising are an easy way to transform family photos into a truly meaningful gift. The books come in three sizes with six different color options, and you can customize the text on the front with several foil colors. Create a memory book of your best family vacations, fill it with photos of your family portraits over the years, or order multiple books, filling each one with photos of each of Mom’s children.
Buy It: Color Series Photo Book (from $20, Artifact Uprising)
Family Portrait Illustration
If you can’t get together for an in-person family portrait this spring, gift Mom a special version of a past family photo. To order this sweet illustration, choose the image you want recreated and the file size you want to print. The line drawing comes as a digital file, so you don’t have to wait on long shipping times. Just print, pop in a frame, and if you live close to mom, you can wrap the gift and deliver it directly to her front porch (staying 6 feet apart, of course).
Buy It: Custom Line Drawing ($20, Etsy)
Meaningful Jewelry
The delicate creations from Made by Mary are my go-to for sentimental gifts, and their Big & Little Blooms necklace knocks it out of the park. The necklace features the hand-drawn floral designs from their Birth Flower Collection: Choose Mom’s birth flower for the main charm, and add a smaller charm with the birth flowers of her children, her partner, or her own mother. The possible combinations really are endless with this heartfelt gift.
Buy It: Big & Little Blooms Necklace ($60, Made by Mary)
Personalized Pie Plate
I can’t even begin to count the number of desserts my mom has made over the years (she knows cherry pie is my favorite!), and this decorative pie plate is a sweet way to say ‘thank you’ for all the treats that have come from her kitchen. Have a family recipe in Mom’s or Grandma’s handwriting perfectly preserved by uploading a high-resolution image of the recipe at checkout. This 11-inch ceramic dish that ships free anywhere in the United States (allow 1-2 weeks for delivery).
Buy It: Pie Plate with Recipe ($100, Etsy)
Activity Kit
If you're a mom shopping for a gift for your own mother, involve all three generations with a special Grandma and Me activity kit. This one has everything you need for a fun day of baking or cooking together, including a potholder and apron that can be customized with the included fabric paint.
Buy It: Grandma and Me: In the Kitchen ($35, Little Bridges)
Custom Charcuterie Board
If your mom always coordinates your family dinners and gatherings, say thank you with a sweet gift that she can use at your next get-together. This charcuterie board can be customized with a monogram, family name, or both! There are nine gift set options in various colors, so you can choose one that perfectly matches her style.
Buy It: Family Name Charcuterie Board (from $38, Left Coast Original)
Flower Subscription
For a mom that always goes above and beyond, surprise her with a gift that keeps on giving: A custom floral subscription! A monthly subscription from The Bouqs starts at just $36 a month, so you can surprise mom on Mother’s Day and each month after with an arrangement of flowers picked just for her. To make this gift extra meaningful, choose flowers with sweet Mother’s Day meanings for each delivery.
Buy It: Flower Subscription (from $36, The Bouqs)
Photo Art Gift
If you can’t narrow down Mom’s favorite photos for just one photo gift, have a whole collection turned into a modern hanging canvas. Choose from three sizes (all the way up to 20 by 30 inches), and select one of three frame colors that will fit her space best. Then personalize with up to 5 photos and have it delivered to mom’s mailbox in just a few days. Plus, it’s on sale right now for just $30 (which is half-off!).
Buy It: Moon and Back Print ($30, Shutterfly)
