12 D.I.Y Mothers Day Presents

Photo Credit: Top Left: Skip To My Lou Top Centre: Lauren Dixon Paver Top Right: The Gurney Sack
Bottom Right: Design Moms Bottom Centre : Live Simply Bottom Right:About a Mom

Mothers day in the U.K is this Sunday 11th March. A handmade gift makes a thoughtful and personalised present. I've put together 12 D.I.Y gift ideas. If you are broke (take a look at the free printable coupons) or want to give something different (check out the hidden jewellery candle) keep reading.

Photo Credit: Top Left: Top Right: A Beautiful Mess  Bottom Left: The Gurney Sack Bottom Right: La Crema

If your mum is a tea drinker (and frankly who doesn't love a cuppa?) I'm sure she'd appreciate a tea hamper. You can make the tea yourself using the recipes by Vassseur Beauty for a spiced chai and a lavender and Camomile tea. Alternatively you can buy ready made loose tea or tea bags. You can fill the hamper with a D.I.Y sharpie pen mug (tutorial here) a teapot, sugar, some D.I.Y tea coasters (tutorial here) and flowers.

If your mum has a sweet tooth then these cute jars full of cookie butter might be right up her street. Pop over to A Beautiful Mess here for the recipe. You can buy chalk labels from Amazon, make your own ones here or use normal sticker labels.

If your mum is more of a wine lover then an etched wine glass makes a personalised present (you can add her name or initial) to go with a nice bottle of wine. You can find the tutorial by La Crema here. Printable mothers day labels can be slapped onto the bottle for nice finishing touch. You can find some free printable labels here and here or make your own using Canva. You can also make a stunning bottle stopper using an old door knob (tutorial here) or trophy type bottle stoppers (here.)  If you're buying a bottle of rose then this cute diy sequin wine bottle bag from Cookies and Calligraphy will add some bling.

A 'Spa in a Jar' has all you need for a bit of D.I.Y pampering. You need a mason jar or one with a wide opening then fill it with items such as a face mask, travel size hand/ body/foot cream, bath bomb or salts, nail polish, eye mask, mini nail file and clippers or scissors. If  you have space then a candle or some wrapped chocolates would be nice to thrown in as well.

Top Left : Polka Dot Chair Top Right: Live Simply Bottom Left: Lauren Dixon Paver Bottom Left Right: Ali Express 

The pocket cushion seen above was created by Melissa from Polka Dot Chair as 'on the go reading cushions' for her nephews with a torch in the pocket.However I think that it would make a lovely gift for a mum, made up in her favourite colour or suitable fabric with some chocolates and her favourite book or the latest one by her favourite author in the pocket. If you're feeling generous you could pop in an e-reader. Photo cushions also make a lovely gift, just follow this Youtube tutorial by Simply Cher Cher. You will need some iron on paper and a home printer. First you print a photo from your home printer onto the iron on paper. Then you iron it onto the fabric- Ta Da! If you're after an instagram style grid/ photos printed on the cushions then watch this Instagram Pillow tutorial by Crafty Amy.

If you can't afford Jo Malone candles you can actually make your own candles and go one better by by making a candle with hidden jewellery inside! You can buy jewellery candles but you can also make them at home at a fraction of the cost and it's actually surprisingly easy! Just follow this Youtube tutorial by Lauren Dixon Paver  or this tutorial by Shellie Wilson which shows how to make a soy candle from scratch as well as using candles bought from a shop. Poundland has some really pretty decorative glass candle holders and mason glasses at the moment.

You can also make your own solid perfume using essential oils. The small tin ensures that it will be easier to travel in a handbag and also easy to rub on to your wrists during the day. Made with beeswax, a carrier oil and essential oils this tutorial by Live Simply will guide you.

Photo Credit: Top Left: About a Mom Top Right: Design Moms Bottom Left: Skip To My Lou Bottom Right: Just Putzing

Herbs are really useful in cooking and are always better fresh. A herb garden makes a practical present as well as being easy and cheap. You can up-cycle some tin cans with paint in your mum's favourite colours and add labels. Then you can buy some herbs from the supermarket or garden centre, About A Mom has a D.I.Y herb garden tutorial here.   Another present for a mum who likes cooking is making up some infused olive oils. Just hop over to Just Putzing where Tina has a tutorial for you. A D.I.Y etched chopping board makes a useful and practical gift, just follow this tutorial by Gabbie at Design Moms.

Finally while Mothers Day Coupons may not look expensive or glamorous they will probably be the most appreciated by making your mum's life easier. Here is a  list of free printable mothers day coupons here.

What To Get For The Mum Who Already Has Everything Part 2

After a certain age you already have everything you need and end up buying yourself the things that you want. So booking a day out to do something special for mothers day, or at a later date or  purchasing a voucher for a future day to be pampered, will be both memorable and enjoyable. It's always nice to ring the changes a bit! If you give vouchers remember to remind to check the voucher expiry dates. Don't assume they last for a year or more as some need to be used up with 6 months. At the end of this post, I've also included a list of things that hardly cost anything at all to do, but will be much appreciated by mothers everywhere.

Trip To The Spa
Book or buy a spa trip gift voucher. There are many reputable ones across the country - see Red Letter Days for more information here. Virgin Experience also offer many Spa trips see here

Manicure (Mani-Pedi)
Use Glass pod to book a manicurist to come to you or your mother wherever you are. Surprise your mother or have one together at home. (London Only)
To book a mani-pedi when your mother lives in a different city, use the Beauty Spotter app. This rates beauty salons and users can upload pictures of their finished manicures or haircuts, tagging in the salon and their location so others can see the result and find a good salon.

Afternoon Tea
There are lots of afternoon teas held at various historic sites including The Royal Albert Hall , Windsor Castle, Kensington Palace, Royal Pavillion , Blenheim Palace , Kinnettles Castle,  Carberry Tower (Edinburgh), Blackpool Tower Ballroom and Chateau Rhifana in Anglesea. If you've been inspired by The Great British Bake Off, there are afternoon teas that include a two hour Tea Cookery class at L'atelier des Chefs (London £99) for more information see here. There are various afternoon tea and Thames cruises see here. There's an afternoon tea where you also design your own perfume here. If your mum loves pottery and ceramics Wedgewood do a tour and afternoon tea (Staffordshire £35 see here) as well as Emma Bridgewater (Staffordshire £16 see here.)

Wine Tasting
Vinopolis has a Mother's Day Package that includes two Wine tasting tickets and a glass of Canard-Duchene champagne each for £62. This package will be available to purchase until midnight on Sunday 15th March 2015. Open dated tickets are valid for 3 months from date of purchase and pre-booked tickets are available between now and Sunday 14th June 2015. Vinopolis is based near London Bridge. For more information see here
Virgin Experience also has various wine tasting mother's day packages based in East Sussex, Oxfordshire as well as London. My favourite is a voucher for the view from London's Shard as well as Vinopolis wine tasting for £113. For more information see here. The 02 priority app offers 25% off mothers day experiences on Virgin Experiences days valid for 3 more weeks.

Theatre 
See Lastminute.com for tickets to shows in London and elsewhere. Shows such as Wicked, Women On The Verge Of A Nervous Breakdown, War Horse and Shakespeare in Love are popular.

Climbing The 02 (London)
Enjoy spectacular 360 degree views of London from the  viewing platform in the centre of the roof, before finishing with a thrilling descent back to base to complete your adventure. You can climb during the day. against a sunset or see the stars at  twilight. Tickets are £26 for adults for 90 minutes, or there is an option for a gift voucher. The 02 Priority app has an offer for £15 off up to 4 tickets valid for the next 3 weeks if you would like the whole family to go. For the 02 website see here 

Don't forget that you don't have to spend much- some things in life are free (or almost anyway!)

• If you live with or nearby your mum's place you can prepare the traditional Breakfast in Bed or go over later to make brunch or dinner.
• Clean mum's whole house/ Do the weeks chores- she'll be happy that she gets to relex in the week knowing the chores have been taken care of.
• If you are handy with a power tool tackle those d.i.y jobs that nobody seems to get around to do. She'll be thanking you no end- especially if she is not as mobile as she used to be.
• Watching her favourite films or TV box-set together if in doubt Fawlty Towers is a favourite.
• Put your beauty skills to the test and give her a manicure.
• If it's a nice day spend it having a picnic in the park or the beach.

This post is not sponsored and I was not compensated in any way. 

What To Get For The Mum Who Already Has Everything- Part 1

I shall start by saying that of course she has everything, she has you! Corny stuff out the way, I wanted to share some other gift ideas that were a little different.

Favourite magazine or newspaper subscription

• Magazinesubscriptions.co.uk  Have lots of Mothers day offers on magazines in fashion and beauty, home, food and Garden, lifestyle and crafts. They also have another promotion running, for every two magazine subscriptions you purchase before Tuesday 10th March you receive a free box of Cadbury's Thank You flower chocolates. See here for website.

• Whsmiths online here or in store, offer subscriptions to 78 newspapers and over 2000 magazines. They sell titles that are published from around the world and also original back issue newspapers. They have user reviews on the service provided.
• magazinesdirect.com offer a money back guarantee, best price guarantee and Feefo service rating where users can post reviews on the subscription services. See here for website.

Gift Membership

Membership to The National Trust
This gives you unlimited access (free entry and parking) to over 300  historical houses, gardens, countryside and coastal spaces. Perfect for woodland walks and picnics. Individual annual membership is less than you think and starts from £30. For two people membership starts from £99. Membership includes free entry and parking, members' handbook regional newsletters, three editions a year of the National Trust magazine and temporary membership card emailed so you can start visiting right away. For more details see their website here.

Membership to English Heritage
Offers free unlimited entry to over 400 historic properties for the year. Visit captivating castles, historic houses, Roman ruins and enchanting abbeys. It also includes free or reduced-price entry to
exclusive members' events with access to experts and a glimpse behind the scenes. It also offers free entry for the recipient of the gift and up to six accompanying children per adult member. Additionally they will receive a complimentary handbook and exclusive members' magazine delivered to their door four times a year. Membership for single adults is £49 and joint membership is £86. Individual Senior membership (60+) is £72. For more details see here.

National Art Pass
Gives free entry to over 220 museums, galleries and historic places across the UK. Additionally it offers 50% off major exhibitions including those at the British Museum, National Gallery, Tate and the V&A. Members also receive Art Quarterly, the Art Fund’s members magazine.  The National art pass also helps the Art Fund buy masterpieces for everyone to enjoy in public collections. Annual single membership is £60, annual double £90. For more details see here.

Membership to Adnams Wine Club
 For Mums who love to host dinner parties or enjoy having friends round, you can treat her to a case (12 bottles) of wine every three months. Starting from £89 per quarter, you can choose to receive all reds, all whites, or a mixture of both. For more information see here.

The Cheese Society Memberships
The Cheese Society has been featured in BBC Good Food Magazine & Sunday Times Style Magazine. They offer 1 months subscription for £25  which includes a selection of five cheeses in a pack with weighing approximately 900g-1kg. The 3 months 'Hat Trick' Subscription costs £92, again five cheeses in each pack weighing approximately 900g-1.kg. Quarterly Month subscription (4 times a year) is £123, delivery charges are inclusive. For more information see here.

This post is not sponsored and I was not compensated in any way.