Almost 5 years ago, I became a mother. Today I am blessed to have 3 sweet kiddos who call me Mommy. Becoming a mom is amazing, powerful, and humbling all at the same time. It’s beautiful, stressful, exciting, and surreal. There is no one emotion that I could use to describe motherhood. It’s a jumble of everything from sheer bliss to constant worry. But I wouldn’t trade it for anything.
My babies are my world and although this pay-less job can be stressful, overwhelming, and downright exhausting; it is the most rewarding job in the world with a benefits package of hugs, kisses, kind words, and sweet sweet snuggles.
Mother’s Day is on the horizon and many of us are unable to celebrate with all of our loved ones under the same roof this year. With the world being a different place due to COVID-19, I wanted to bring you two sweet and personalized crafts to help make someone’s Mother’s Day special. Whether that’s Daddy doing them with the kids as a gift (wink, wink), sending them to Grandma or Auntie, or enjoying them as a family on Mother’s Day.
First up is the Salt Dough Flower Handprint
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Salt Dough Flower Handprint
Materials
- Salt Dough Recipe:
- 2 Cups Flour
- 1 Cup Salt
- 1 Cup Water (you may not need all of it!)
- Acrylic white paint
- Kid friendly paint
- Paint brushes
- Mod Podge
How To
*Set your oven to 250 degrees Fahrenheit
Make your salt dough:
1. Combine the flour and salt together.
2. Add the water slowly and mix until a smooth dough forms. You may not need all of the water, so add it a little at a time!
3. Roll it out to your desired thickness. Think 1/2 inch or so. You don’t want it to be too thick, or it will not dry out well.
4. Cut out your flower shape. If you are doing your child’s handprint, have them lightly press their hand in the dough, then cut around the imprint.
5. Grab a muffin tin pan (placed upside down) and drape your dough over each bump to form a bowl shape. Be sure to smooth the dough out on the bottom so it will sit even and sturdy on the table after it dries. *Pro Tip- place a small piece of parchment paper on the bottom of each muffin spot so the dough doesn’t stick to it.
6. Place your muffin tin and dough in the 250 degree oven to dry out. It could take a few hours for them to dry completely. I would keep them in the oven for 2-3 hours (depending on the thickness) and then leave them on the counter to air dry the rest of the way. Mine were a bit thicker and ended up being in the oven on the muffin tin tray for 2 hours, then I flipped them over and placed them on a cookie sheet for another hour. I like to leave mine on the counter for 24 hours before painting, just to ensure that they are dry before my littles handle them!
7. Once dry, paint a base coat with white acrylic paint since kid-friendly paint is generally more watered down this will create a nice base for your kiddos to paint on.
8. When the white paint is dry, let your kiddos paint their handprint/flower bowls with kid-friendly paint.
9. When all paint is dry, finish the bowl with a coat of mod podge. This will seal it for Mom to enjoy year after year! If you don’t seal them, they will fall apart after a while! As an added touch, write your kiddo’s name and the year on the bottom.
My kiddos had a great time making these gifts. From mixing the dough, to painting their bowls, it is a great activity to strengthen those fine motor muscles.
Personalized Gifts
This gift is one of my absolute favorites! It is such a sweet and personalized gift, and you can make it using things from your pantry! During a time where many people are still on Stay At Home Orders, something that you can make from items you already have is a definite winner.
I have gotten really into the salt dough creations this year. We have made salt dough Christmas ornaments, salt dough Easter eggs and now salt dough Mother’s Day flower bowls! There is really no limit to what you can make with salt dough. Who knows what is next?!
Related: Do your kids love to create? Check out this awesome and (basically) free activity that will provide entertainment for months to come!
On to craft #2!
Stained Glass Picture Frame
This sweet project is incredibly easy to make and will be cherished by Mom forever!
Materials
- Picture frames with a glass front
- Elmer’s white liquid glue
- Food coloring
- Tooth pick
- Paint Markers
How To
1. Start by making sure you have a clean and clear workspace.
2. Take the backing off and lay your picture frame front side down.
3. Squeeze enough glue to create a thin layer on the glass part of your picture frame.
4. Place a few drops of food coloring spread out on the glue.
5. Using a tooth pick, have your kiddo start to swirl the colors around. Be careful not to mix too much or everything will turn brown. It does darken a bit when it dries, so less is more when it comes to mixing!
6. Place in a safe place to dry (takes around a day).
7. Once dry, Write a message using the paint markers on the front of the glass. You can then either put the backing on to display on a table, or place it in a window to shine with natural light.
8. Now, you are ready to wrap and gift your stained glass frame!
My littles loved this craft! It was fun – hello to squirting glue all over a picture frame! They got to be creative – mixing colors is always awesome! And each frame was completely different. These stained glass frames are truly one of a kind.
Add a Book
One of the things that I love to do with fun activities like this is to add a book. Especially when it comes to holidays. Adding a book can help your child learn more about the holiday and why we celebrate. When it comes to Mother’s Day, what I really want my kiddos to understand is that I love them unconditionally and there is no greater gift than simply spending time with them. The sweet book that I have decided to pair with Mother’s Day this year is Love You Hoo by Kane Miller. It is such a sweet book that is perfect for even the littlest readers. It’s a great way to let the kiddos in your life know how loved they are.
Related: Looking for the perfect book for the little in your life? Check out some of my favorites here!
Let’s Celebrate!
These gifts were truly a blast to make with my kids. I would have been ecstatic to receive them as gifts, but I loved creating them with the kids too. Plus my sweeties got a good amount of fine motor practice in while we mixed, painted, squeezed and swirled during these crafts. What more can I ask for?!
Whatever you choose to do this Mother’s Day, I hope that it is a day to remember – filled with laughter, smiles, fresh air, and lots of love.
Happy Mother’s Day to all of the Mamas out there. You are absolutely amazing!
If you are looking for some guidance during this Lockdown period, check out my post on Building Your Day At Home With Kids!
