Decorating & Design
30 Thoughtful Mother’s Day Gifts Under $50
Author: Emily Evans
Published on April 22, 2016
We all know that moms should be celebrated every day, and not just on Mother’s Day. But if you’re stuck for a gift that goes beyond breakfast in bed, these 30 ideas (ranging from hand-lettered cards to spa-esque indulgences) should do the trick!
Tell Mom how you really feel with this thoughtful soap and body mousse set. Mei, the Melbourne, Australia-based creator behind Vice & Velvet, makes all her vegan, cruelty-free soaps by hand.
Source: Vice & Velvet
This photo display unit may be inspired by a drying rack, but it’s sure to have Mom thinking about family memories, not laundry day.
Source: Umbra
Perfect for patio season, these coasters are handmade using clay and glass for a dreamy, celestial effect. Gift them along with a bottle of Mom’s favorite bubbly and you’ll definitely earn her good graces.
Source: Anthropologie
For the tea-drinking moms out there you can’t go wrong with hand-blended teas from Sahara Tea. Each tea comes in a sleek tin with witty names like “Chai in the Sky” and “Steeping Beauty,” not to mention fancy ingredients like hibiscus petals and elderberries.
Source: Sahara Tea
Treat the new moms in your circle with a little something special for their first Mother’s Day. We love these sweet baby bibs, made of certified organic cotton and hand-embroidered with adorable little caricatures.
Source: ABC Home
While it’s hard to say no to a luxurious spa day, they can break the budget. Instead, bring the spa experience to your own home with relaxing lavender-scented body oil.
Oklahoma-based Samantha Marie designs and illustrates all of her adorable prints by hand. She leaves each painterly card blank on the inside, so there’s plenty of room for you to write your own sentiment.
Source: Etsy
If you’ve got a few women in your life that you’d like to honor this Mother’s Day, this mixed set of four cards from designer Khristian A. Howell is one of our faves.
Source: Khristian A. Howell
Believe it or not, Icelandic artist Bjarni Sigurdsson glazes these ceramic vases using volcanic ashes from the 2010 Eyjafjallajökull eruption. No two hand-formed pieces are quite the same and we say that calls for celebration!
Source: ABC Home
Made in small batches with coconut wax, Woodlot candles are a thoughtful choice for nature loving moms. This set includes a candle, soap bar and a small bundle of incense to set the scene.
Source: Woodlot
Earthy moms are also sure to enjoy Canadian artist, photographer and stylist Heather Ross’s new book The Natural Eclectic . Inside you’ll find tips for bringing a nature-inspired aesthetic into your own home, not to mention a foreward from H&H ‘s own Suzanne Dimma. To read more about this book check out our May issue .
Source: Heather Ross {Natural Eclectic} Boutique and Indigo
Leah Duncan, the Texas-based designer behind this linen tea towel, screen prints all her designs by hand using water-based inks. The oversized towels are machine washable, yet pretty enough to be hung as art, too.
Source: Etsy
Just in time for summer, this juicer is the perfect compliment to fresh margaritas — and the design certainly makes for interesting conversation around the kitchen table.
Source: ShopAGO
These eco-friendly yoga mats come in an array of sizes, including a handy traveler option, so they’re ideal for moms that need to grab-and-go. Colors like Sunrise Red and Saffron make going into downward dog just a little more cheerful.
Source: 889 Yoga
Norman’s Printery, a New Jersey-based business, is known for artsy gift wraps and stationary. Wrapping Mom’s gift in beautiful papers like this makes for an extra special delivery.
Source: Norman's Printery
This foolproof self-watering seed kit comes with everything Mom needs to grow her own herb garden right by the kitchen window. Modern Sprout was launched on Kickstarter in 2013 by two apartment dwellers looking to start their own tiny herb gardens and the business has been growing ever since! (You can get the kits with parsley, basil, and mint seeds too!).
Source: Modern Sprout
Once her herbs are full-grown, Mom will need somewhere to put the pots. These antiqued wooden trays fit the bill nicely with their roomy size and four summery shades.
Source: H&M Home
Carving out time to read can be tricky, especially for moms, so this brass “To Be Continued” bookmark feels very appropriate.
Source: Jayson Home
Treat Mom to breakfast in bed with an accompaniment of pretty and affordable gold accessories, like these from H&M’s new home collection.
Source: H&M
Pet mothers appreciate a little love on Mother’s Day too — especially in the form of custom watercolor pet portraits like this one. Simply send Emily Hackbart a picture of your cat, dog, or even horse and she’ll whip up an original work of art depicting your adorable furry friend.
Source: Etsy
This set of glasses and pitcher (sold separately) are part of Kate Spade’s Pretty Pantry Collection and they certainly would add a dash of pretty to a kitchen! Their colorful designs feel like something a young (not to mention very talented) child might have sketched for their mom.
Fresh cut blooms are a must on Mother’s Day, but placing them in an artisanal vase-turned-charging port is sure to get you bonus points. The Bloom Vase from Stak Ceramics comes in an array of pretty pastel shades and works with most smartphones.
Source: Stak Ceramics
If you’d like to go the more traditional route with displaying a bouquet of flowers, we suggest checking out Spanish-born artist Carolina Silva’s stoneware vases. Each vase feels like an artful keepsake which can be enjoyed long after the blooms have passed their prime.
Source: Anthropologie
Whip-up your mum’s favorite cocktail or better yet, surprise her with a signature house drink using this chic seven-piece barware set.
Moms-to-be and new moms need not be forgotten this Mother’s Day. These handmade mugs from Staffordshire in the U.K. are microwave safe, so moms with young babies can easily reheat their coffee.
Source: SCP Paper Goods & Gifts
If expressing loving words on paper feels too cliché, share your sentiment on an LED light box using 85 letters, numbers, characters, symbols and blank tiles instead. And when “Happy Mother’s Day” starts to seem a bit passé, simply switch-up the message. We’ve even seen photos of adorable tots with light box messages like, “I’m 8 months old!”
Source: My Cinema Lightbox
If you can’t afford a first class ticket to Florence, well, this may be the next best thing. Florentine is a cookbook full of authentic Italian recipes and anecdotes from the author about his morning visits to la pasticceria (the pastry shop) and il forno (the bakery), as well as stops at il mercato (the market) and il macellaio (the butcher). We think Mom will dig displaying this beautiful book’s cover in her kitchen as well.
Photographer: Rocky Luten
Source: Food52
If Mom’s already got a recipe arsenal of her own, these decorative boxes offer up a tidy place to store all her family recipes in one place. Choose from three different designs, each with a fancy metallic gold interior.
Source: Rifle Paper Co.
For Earth-conscious moms, why not forgo the typical wrapping paper route and place their gift in a reusable patterned tote bag instead. These cotton bags are not only better for the environment than plastic bags, but they make trips to the grocery store a little more enjoyable, too.
Source: Ikea
Products: Användbar bag, $5
Mom will appreciate getting her copy of House & Home every month even more if it comes from you. Filled with expert decorating advice and endless interior inspiration, it will give her the tools to create the home she’s always dreamed of.