DIY Mother's Day cards say what a store card can't, mostly because somebody actually made them. These 16 homemade Mother's Day cards cover every skill level and every kind of crafter. There are handprint cards little kids can make with a bit of paint, free printables you can color in ten minutes and pop-up flowers that bloom the second she opens them. Fancier makers get die-cut blossoms and embossed rosettes, and there's even a giant card big enough to lean against the wall. Most use paper, glue and scissors you already have, so pick one tonight and she'll have something to keep.
1. Watercolor Mother's Day Card with a Gift Card Pocket
This watercolor Mother's Day card has a built-in pocket for a gift card, and the watercolor comes from regular markers, not paint. You scribble a few colors onto a gallon ziplock bag, mist it with water until the ink beads, then press it onto mixed media paper and blot. Once it dries flat, a free printable template guides the folds and cuts, and one diagonal flap folds in and glues into the pocket. It takes about 30 minutes plus drying time, and every card comes out a little different, which is the fun part. Get the full tutorial at It's Always Autumn.
2. Free Printable Floral Mother's Day Cards
When the week gets away from you, these free printable Mother's Day cards are the save. There are six floral designs, and three carry a message inside: “Thank You, Mom!”, “Happy Mother's Day!” and “You're Such an Amazing Mom!” The other three are blank inside so you can write your own note. They print on A7 cards or cardstock cut to 7 by 10 inches, and off-white or any light cardstock works. Set the printer to A7 and its highest quality, turn on two-sided printing for the message versions, and you have a pretty card in minutes. Get the full tutorial at Crafts by Amanda.
3. Handprint Cupcake Card
This one turns a tiny painted hand into the cutest cupcake you've ever seen. Kids paint their palm pink, press it on cardstock (plan on a few tries, that's half the fun) and you cut out the best print. A purple cardstock liner with a little ribbon bow goes underneath, a heart gem becomes the cherry and red glitter does the sprinkles. Write “For the sweetest Mom” across the top and you've got a keepsake she'll stick on the fridge for years. Get the full tutorial at I Heart Arts n Crafts.
4. Watercolored Cherry Blossoms Card
Soft, dreamy and so pretty it could hang in a frame. The trick on this card is the blossoms: they're die cut from crepe paper that soaks up a mix of spray ink and soapy water, so every petal comes out a little different shade of pink. A gray die-cut branch stretches across a woodgrain embossed square, and “mom” sits at the bottom with a row of machine stitching. If you love paper crafting and have a few dies on hand, this is a gorgeous one. Get the full tutorial at Riesling Mama.
5. Mom You're the Balm DIY Greeting Card
Every mom deserves a pun this good. Print the free card, then hot glue a round EOS lip balm right in the middle, and suddenly it's a cartoon bomb with a little fuse drawn on the side. A couple of dots of glue hold it to the paper but peel right off the plastic, so she can pop the balm out and actually use it. Cardstock holds the weight best, though plain paper works in a pinch. It's a card and a gift in five minutes. Get the full tutorial at Smart School House.
6. Flower Pop-Up Card
Two cards, one easy technique, and both look like you bought them. The inside pops open into a row of cream and pink paper flowers, and the front has paper tulips spilling out of a little brown pot. Each bloom starts as a 6 inch paper square folded into a triangle, cut with a curve and outlined in marker. Glue seven to ten together in alternating layers and they bloom open when she opens the card. Test the fold before you finish, and add a flower if it sticks. Follow the full tutorial on DIY JOY.
7. Tall Flowers for Mom
Proof that simple can be stunning. Skinny green stems shoot up the side of a slate gray card, topped with white daisies and little red tulips, and the white embossed “MOM i love you” balances everything out. The flowers are die cut in green, red and white cardstock and layered for a bit of dimension, with enamel dots for the daisy centers. A tiny red heart stands in for the V in love, which is just the sweetest detail. Get the full tutorial at I'm in Haven.
8. Sundae Card for Mother's Day
A card that comes with dessert? Yes please. Print the free card (or let the kids color it), then fill little strips of sandwich bag with sprinkles, chopped peanuts and mini marshmallows. Fold each bag closed, tape it shut and stick them on with double-sided tape, starting from the bottom and working up. “Just add ice cream” across the bottom says it all. It's cheap, cheerful and a total win for any mom with a sweet tooth. Get the full tutorial at Smart School House.
9. Heart Gift Card
This heart is covered in dozens of tiny rolled paper roses, and it's way easier than it looks. Cut a spiral from a paper circle, roll it up tight and glue the end, and you've got a rose. Make a bunch, glue them all over the heart until it's covered, then tuck the card into a paper cone so it looks like a bouquet. A “To the best Mom” banner across the front finishes it. If the roses won't stay put, hot glue fixes it fast. Follow the full tutorial on DIY JOY.
10. DIY Dress Card
A little paper dress with a pleated skirt and gem buttons, and book pages make it feel extra special. Print the free template onto old book pages or patterned paper, cut out the bodice and skirt, then score and fold the skirt into pleats. Glue only the outer edges so it stays fluffy, add the bodice and cover the waist with a gem, pearl or bow. Lift the top with foam tape for more dimension. It's elegant, cheap and perfect for a mom who loves to read. Get the full tutorial at Homemade Gifts Made Easy.
11. Scratch-Off Surprise Card
Breakfast in bed, a free massage, a car wash, she gets to scratch and see what she won. The scratch coating is just dish soap mixed with more red paint than soap. Write a prize inside each heart, cover the words with clear tape and paint over it. Once it dries, tape a coin on the card so she can scratch away. This one's shown for Valentine's Day, but swap the wording and it's a perfect coupon card for Mom. Follow the full tutorial on DIY JOY.
12. Tea Cup Mother's Day Card with a Real Tea Bag
This tea cup Mother's Day card turns an egg carton into the cutest little cup. One cup cut from the carton gets painted pink, a pipe cleaner bends into the handle and the cup goes onto a lavender card. Then a real tea bag tucks inside, so the card doubles as an invitation to sit down and put the kettle on. A couple of white daisies finish it off. It's a sweet project for kids to make for Mom or Grandma, and it uses up something you'd otherwise toss in the recycling. Get the full tutorial at One Little Project.
13. Mother's Day Card Mobile
This Mother's Day card mobile folds up like an envelope and opens into a hanging gift. Start with an 8.5 inch cardstock square, fold the corners in, round the flap tips and thread ribbon through two small slits. Paper flowers, hearts and circles hang on 6 inch threads taped inside the flaps, along with small flat surprises like a seed packet or a drink packet. Balance similar weights on opposite sides until it hangs level, then tie it closed with the ribbon. Add a note telling Mom how to untie and hang it. Get the full tutorial at Welcome to Nana's.
14. Embossed Flower Card For Mom
Bright pink polka dots and a big paper rosette make this card look like a party in an envelope. The rosette is cut with a die and folded into a fan, with a little circle in the middle that just says “MOM.” A flower embossed strip runs across the card behind it for some extra texture. It's a great one for anyone with a die cutting machine and an embossing folder, and it takes about an hour. Get the full tutorial at Craftaholics Anonymous.
15. Printable Coloring Card
No fancy supplies, no stress, and she'll love it anyway. This free printable card has “to the best MOM ever” in big bubble letters packed with little flowers, plus a flowered border waiting for color. Print it on white cardstock, grab colored pencils, crayons or markers and go to town. Trim along the guide lines, score the center with a bone folder and a ruler, fold and write a note inside. It's ideal for kids or a last minute card. Get the full tutorial at Artsy-Fartsy Mama.
16. DIY Giant Mother's Day Card
Go big or go home, right? This oversized card is made from black poster board folded into a giant envelope, with yarn laced through punched holes up the sides like stitching. Paint “happy Mother's day” and a few flowers on the front, then slide a big engineer print photo inside. The print runs about $3 at an office store, so the whole thing stays cheap. Lean it against the wall Mother's Day morning and watch her face. Get the full tutorial at The Merrythought.
