17 Heartfelt and Frugal Mother’s Day Gifts that Mum Will Love

You don’t need to spend money to show Mum just how much you love her. Here are 18 heartfelt but frugal Mother’s Day gifts she is sure to love.

This will be my 14th Mother’s Day this year. And I can confidently say that the best gifts aren’t purchased from a store.

The best gifts are hand-drawn cards and early morning hugs.

When my kids were little, and I was in the trenches day in and day out, the best gifts were coffee in bed and time to myself to read. Yes, the best Mother’s Day gift was a little time without the kids.

Now that I have a teen and tween and don’t see them as much, the best gifts are time spent with the kids. Coffee and a chat, an impromptu art or cooking session, or just hanging out and binge-watching Doctor Who.

And it doesn’t matter how old they are; a day off from cooking and cleaning (without having to catch up on the chaos later on) is always appreciated!

With that in mind, here are 18 frugal gift ideas that are sure to make Mum feel all the warm and fuzzies on her special day.

1. Time Out

When you’re a mum, particularly in the early years, the gift of time is very precious.

That can mean time out for Mum to have a long soak in the tub, have a coffee out, read, craft, go for a hike, or do whatever your Mum likes to do to unwind.

2. Good Behaviour

Nothing says ‘I love you, Mum’ more than a day without sibling bickering, mischief or big messes to clean up.

This gift works as long as another adult is around to help keep the kids to their word for the day. It’s also better with older children because, despite best intentions, younger kids can’t always control their temper, especially if they are tuckered out.

3. Cook Mum Her Favourite Meal

Whether it’s breakfast in bed, a special brunch, or her favourite dinner (or all of the above!), there’s something special about having the day off from cooking and someone else knowing what meals you love and cooking it for you.

Don’t forget to clean up, though. It’s not much of a gift if Mum has to clean up a big mess afterwards.

Looking for inspiration? Check out these 14 budget-friendly breakfast ideas for special occasions.

4. A Handwritten Letter

It’s not often we get a handwritten letter anymore, which is what makes it that much more special these days.

There’s nothing like receiving a letter in your handwriting and sitting down with a cuppa to read it.

Who doesn’t love getting a letter in the post?!

This gift is particularly special for Mums who live far away.

5. A List of Reasons Why Mum is the Best

A list of reasons why you’re the best Mum in the world can be quite an emotional gift or quite funny if you have little children. Some of the reasons they come up with are hilarious.

To fancy this gift up, I’ve created a free printable that you can download and print for children to fill out and give to Mum or even grandma. Click the button below to download.

6. A Special Artwork or Collection of Artwork

One of my absolute favourite Mother’s Day gifts is a hand-drawn card or artwork the kids have made especially for me.

If you’re looking for a gift for grandma, you could gather a collection of the kid’s artwork and bind or staple it to create an art book.

7. A Story Written Especially For Mum

Do you have a budding writer in the family?

What about writing a story where Mum is the hero?

What would Mum get up to if she was a secret agent or a superhero in disguise?

This is a super-fun, frugal gift that budding writers will enjoy creating, and Mum is sure to enjoy reading.

8. A Potted Plant

Flowers are a typical Mother’s Day gift, but a potted plant will last much longer.

To save money and make this a frugal gift, try growing the plant from a cutting or from seed. Succulents are particularly easy to grow from a cutting – we often germinate them for our school’s Mother’s Day stall.

To make the gift extra special, you can decorate the pot.

9. Special Outing or Time Spent Just with Mum

The gift of your time, spending quality, one-on-one time with Mum, is a gift she will always treasure, especially if you’ve left home and don’t see her as much.

My Mum lives interstate, and we sometimes send her a gift voucher for a morning tea or lunch out the next time we see each other.

You don’t have to spend much money to spend quality time with Mum; morning tea in the garden at home, lunch in the park, and dinner at the beach are all low-cost alternatives to going out.

You might also like How to Host a High Tea at Home on a Budget

10. A Picnic in the Park

A picnic lunch in the park is one of my other favourite Mother’s Day activities.

The restaurants are full, and the cost is eye-watering, but relaxing on a blanket in the park, away from the noise and the busyness, with some simple brie and crackers or a chicken sandwich and with the kids happily playing in the park, is a perfect way to spend Sundays.

11. Mum’s Choice of Activity

To reduce the drama, mothers often forego their wants and needs in the place of everyone else’s.

Mum might want Thai but cooks spag bol to keep the kids happy. She might prefer a good Rom-Com but knows hubby doesn’t like them, so she sits through his choice of movie. She might want to go to the art gallery, but the kids might get bored, so the park it is.

Again.

While we mothers should definitely have more say throughout the year, you can make Mother’s Day special by asking her what she would like to do and then doing it with her and without complaint.

12. A Special Playlist for Mum

A modern update on the old mix tapes (am I showing my age?) is a playlist of curated songs just for Mum.

Whether you create a playlist of songs you know she already likes or create a playlist of music she might not have heard but you think she will like, taking the time to tailor a list to her tastes is what this gift is all about.

13. A Home or Personalised Video

Do you live away from your Mum? Or maybe grandma lives far away.

Or is Mum away just for Mother’s Day?

You can send Mum a special Mother’s Day message in a video.

Many video apps have Mother’s Day backgrounds and themes you can add to your video just for the occasion.

14. A Scrapbook of Special Memories

Gather memories for Mum or Grandma together in a single place by making a scrapbook of real or digital memories.

Collect photos, kid’s art, and memorable moments, and write notes, captions, and stories to document the memories for a special gift she will treasure for years to come.

15. Gift Coupons (Free Printable)

The gift that keeps on giving: coupons that Mum can ‘cash in’ throughout the year.

You can easily create personalised gift cards in Word or free online tools like Canva and then embellish them with glitter or other decorations.

You can also check out the free printable coupons via the link below, which has a selection of gift ideas as well as blank coupons for you to customise.

Download the free printable Mother’s Day Gift Coupons

16. A DIY Gift Hamper

A small collection of little things Mum loves can be a great personalised gift that all the kids can put in for.

Maybe you can add some handmade cookies, DIY bath products, or coupons with some chocolate, nail polish, or other things Mum loves. For lots of ideas, check out the following gift hamper articles.

17. A Brag Book of Photos

This last gift is an ideal gift for Nanna.

Create a ‘brag book’ in a small, handbag-size photo album of photos of the grandkids.

Depending on your grandma, you can do this online or in a digital photo-sharing tool, but my mother and mother-in-law still prefer tangible photos.

If Nanna likes to have photos on display, an alternate gift is to frame a school photo of the kids each year as a gift.

It’s nice to take the time to acknowledge Mum on Mother’s Day, but it doesn’t have to be all about commercialisation. There are plenty of ways to make Mum feel special without spending a lot of money.