7 Easy Last-Minute Mother’s Day Gifts Kids can Make

By Grandma Sandy | May 7, 2025 |

Mother’s Day in the U.S. is on Sunday, and there’s still time for kids to make last-minute Mother’s Day gifts.

Help the grandkids to craft a DIY present made mostly with throwaway items, upcycled with love.

Child paints air dry clay to make a ring holder from air dry clay for a last-minute Mother's Day gift. — **Miss T paints air d**ry clay to make a ring dish.

#1 A Love Jar Filled with Messages

Jar decorated with artificial flowers, holds children's sentiments about mom and promises for services, written on strips of paper and tucked inside. — **Decorate a jar and fill with loving messages to mom.**

This easy, last-minute Mother’s Day gift only requires any small jar, some paper strips, and a few decorative items like a bit of ribbon or sprig of artificial flowers.

Have kids write loving sentiments to mom to fill a love jar. Or create a jobs jar with promissory notes for voluntary chores. Afterwards, mom can use her jar for paper clips, cotton balls, or coins.

#2 An Appliance Cord Manager

Decorate a toilet paper roll. Roll up a Mother's Day message inside to serve as a card; use the roll afterwards as an appliance cord manager. — **Paint and decorate a toilet paper roll; use it to corral an appliance cord.**

This project began as a Valentine’s Day card. The idea was, you decorate the toilet paper roll and roll up your Valentine’s Day message inside.

However, after Valentine’s Day, I found another use: as an appliance cord manager for my Cricut cutting machine. So, a child could make one of these as a Mother’s Day card with a message rolled up inside, AND a Mother’s Day gift as a cord holder, too!

#3 A Tissue Paper Bowl

The finished tissue paper bowls will hold lightweight objects; they make the perfect, last-minute Mother's Day gifts. — **These bowls are made with diluted white school glue and tissue paper scraps.**

Kids just need tissue paper scraps, and diluted white school glue to make these tissue paper bowls. Mom can use the bowls to hold paper clips, earrings, or small Post-It pads, depending on the finished size.

#4 A Set of Napkin Rings

Fourth of July napkin rings are made from empty gift wrap tubes. Turn them into Mother's Day gifts by using an appropriate color scheme for spring. — **These napkin rings were made for the Fourth of July. Change the color scheme for Mother’s Day.**

Another last-minute Mother’s Day gift is a set of napkin rings made from a cardboard tube. You may have to unroll gift wrap paper to get at the tube inside. Or, you could use cardboard rolls from kitchen wrap.

We made these as Fourth of July napkin rings. But change the colors and these napkin rings are suitable for other occasions, such as Thanksgiving. For Mother’s Day, kids could decorate with spring colors and floral designs.

#5 A Bouquet of Mexican Paper Flowers

These Mexican tissue paper flowers add bright color and make a wonderful gift for mom on Mother's Day. — **DIY Mexican paper flowe**rs make lovely, last-minute Mother’s Day gifts.

These Mexican tissue paper flowers are large and showy. They’re quick to make but require a little patience and dexterity. N, who was six at the time, made his with just a little help from grandma.

Arrange the flowers in an empty wine or water bottle and give them to mom as a bouquet.

#6 A Handy Desk Caddy

Make a desk caddy for pens and pencils with toilet paper rolls glued together. Mom will love one for a Mother's Day gift. — **Mom would appreciate this desk caddy for her pens and pencils.**

We made a desk caddy for dad one year, but it would make a handy gift for mom, too. The grandkids will need a few toilet paper rolls to group together and cardboard and felt for the base.

#7 A Set of Gift Tags

Make a collection of gift tags as a gift to mom on Mother's Day. These tags are made with cardstock scraps and a gift tag punch. — **A variety of tags Miss T and I crafted** **during the pandemic** **could be turned into a Mother’s Day gift.**

What mom couldn’t use some gift tags for her gift-giving needs? Kids can make a set of gift tags for mom. Or, just make a single tag to personalize a store-bought present for her.

While these were cut with a gift tag punch, kids can just cut rectangles with scissors, decorate with scraps of printed cardstock, and hole punch the top. Or, make mom some bookmarks using the same scrap paper collage idea.

A Special Strawberry Dessert

This strawberry dessert would be a special treat for mom on Mother's Day that kids can make with just a little adult supervision. — **This delicious dessert recipe was designed for kids.**

Kids can make a special strawberry dessert for mom. Miss T made this when she was seven while I supervised her remotely via FaceTime. The dessert requires no cooking and is made without electrical appliances. A little supervision from dad would help.

Here’s wishing all moms a happy Mother’s Day!

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