Simple Gifts

• Possibly the easiest gift to make for your mother is the classic coupon book. Staple slips of paper together along one edge and write in a different task or helpful duty on each page. These coupons can be for anything from washing her car to cleaning out her fridge. Offer a home-cooked dinner one night or an afternoon as her personal grocery shopper. You can also create a "thank you" flip book, detailing all of the wonderful things she has done for you over the years.
  
  Other gifts you can make fairly quickly and with few supplies are scented candles and soaps. Choose your mother's favorite scents and colors to personalize the gifts. You can also set trinkets into the liquid before it hardens to leave little gifts inside them. As the soap is used or the candles burned, she will discover the extras you left for her.
  
  If your mom could use a place to store items such as jewelry, makeup, cotton balls, hair ties, recipe cards, etc., then you can give her a functional gift when you paint or apply rub-on decals to small unfinished wood boxes. Simply spray primer on the boxes when you bring them home from the craft store. Once they are dry, they are ready for as much creative decoration as you are willing to give them. You can use the same technique on picture frames, bird feeders and serving trays.
  
  If time is on your side, you can also create a photo album for your mom filled with pictures of her throughout her lifetime, as well as you and your siblings. Add some pizzazz to the album by searching the scrapbooking aisles for relevant additions to your photo album.
  
  

Learned Skills

• While some gifts can be made quickly with little to no practice, there are other nice gifts you can give if you have the skills to make them. An example of this is gifts that require a sewing machine. While you certainly can make these items quickly, it may become frustrating if you don't allow yourself the time to learn the machine first.
  
  If you already are comfortable with a sewing machine, then your mom may enjoy getting a set of pajamas or a bathrobe from you, or even an apron or a handbag using novelty fabrics. Quilts also make wonderful gifts. Consider using your mother's favorite colors or patterns as inspiration when buying your fabrics and planning your project.
  
  For yarn crafters, the old standby tends to be the knitted or crocheted scarf, but you can also create blankets, socks, sweaters, shawls, dishcloths or even a throw for the sofa.
  
  If cooking is your thing (and your mother's) you may want to prepare all of the dry ingredients of your favorite soup or cookie recipe and layer them in a mason jar. Loop a decorative piece of ribbon around the rim and attach the recipe card with the directions for what to do with the ingredients. She can enjoy your gift the next time she wants to cook up something special.