As cliché as it may seem, sometimes the gifts that have the most impact are the ones that don't cost very much at all. Instead, they are the ones that are steeped with personalization, meaning, sentimentality and feeling. Mother's Day is probably as good a time as any to indulge in the thoughtful and cost-conscious gift and we are bursting with inspiration at all the gift ideas that the internet has to offer. In the guide ahead, find everything from engravable jewelry, keepsake journals that allow mom to immortalize her personal story, customizable photobooks and more.
1. Birth Month Flower Necklace
You may not have known that your birth month has a designated flower, and this delicate, minimalist necklace from Uncommon Goods is a sweet and personalized gesture to celebrate your mother's own birth flower. The clear heart shape holds a preserved bloom of real dried flowers on a dainty 24K gold-plated chain. $50 at Uncommon Goods.
2. Walnut Photostrip Frame
For the vintage photo strip lover, this handmade wood frame from Etsy/CabinFeverCompany takes your mother's favorite print that's been lying in a drawer somewhere and displays it on the fridge using the built-in magnet or on a wall. It's treated with an eco-friendly Danish oil to give the frame a matte and rich dark walnut finish. $33 at Amazon.
3. Engravable Bar Ring
This delicate signet ring from Etsy/CaitlynMinimalist displays any name that's significant to your mother with its engravable bar and two available fonts. Made with a sterling silver base, you can choose either a sterling silver finish or 18K gold. $31 at Etsy.
4. Photo-Customizable Trinket Dish
Every time your mother drops her jewelry, loose change or small bits and bobs from the day into this delicate catch-all from Etsy/WorldOfOrnamentUs, she'll be reminded of a special moment. This trinket dish, which comes in three shape options, can be made to feature a custom photo and a small personalized message. $5+ at Etsy.
5. Locket Featuring Mom's Birthstone
Available in three finishes, including 18K gold plating, this timeless copper-base locket from Etsy/CraftedHarmonyCreate can be customized to feature mom's birthstone on the oval face and features a beaded-style chain, of which there are several lengths to choose from. Gift it pre-loaded with up to two meaningful photos or a sweet mini message. And if you're having difficulty finding a perfect photo to fit the exact dimensions of the locket, another Etsy seller offers to make perfect, made-to-order prints out of your favorite digital copies. Locket: $25+ at Etsy. Oval locket prints: $7+ at Etsy.
6. Framed Handwritten Letter on Linen
When only words from the heart will suffice, this is a beautiful way to immortalize them. This Etsy seller, DreamGlowStudioShop, will turn your custom letter to mom into a framed print, using a flowy script on a soft linen canvas. You can choose multiple size options and different frame finishes, including walnut, dark brown, and white. $10+ at Etsy.
7. Guided Keepsake Journal and Memory Book
This gilt and bound linen-covered journal from Amazon is filled with pages of prompts to help guide mom to write, reflect on, and document her life story, so her loved ones can read it for years to come. There are even pages where photos can be displayed and it's printed on archival-quality paper that is meant to last. $14 at Amazon.
8. Digital Picture Frame Pre-Loaded with Photos
A touchscreen digital picture frame from Amazon is the perfect way to store beloved family photos in one place where they can be viewed over and over again. Not only that, this 10-inch frame makes sharing and accessing photos easier thanks to an app function that receives and displays photos within seconds. It's effortless to set up and has 32G worth of storage (enough for up to 50,000+ photos), though it supports external storage in case you run out. It can display and slideshow photos with or without a WiFi connection. $60 at Amazon.
9. Message Pendant Engraved with Your Handwriting
With this simple yet meaningful pendant necklace from Etsy/LunariaEngrave, mom can carry around the words of a loved one with them wherever they go, written in their very own handwriting. It's made from stainless steel and is available in either gold or silver finishes and four different chain styles. Just upload a clear photo of your handwritten message and the Etsy seller will engrave it, exactly as it appears. $20+ at Etsy.
10. Personalized and Customizable Picture Book
Wonderbly allows you to create a personalized picture book that depicts your special relationship with your mother using illustrations by Laura Page and written by Wonderbly's trio of expert writers. All you have to do is follow the prompts sent to you by the company, including character traits that best describe your mother and things that you like to do together, and the final product becomes a precious keepsake for years to come. $35+ at Wonderbly.
11. Customized Book Telling Mom's Personal Story
Or, if you want something a bit more involved, Storyworth offers the gift of personal story, bound together in a hardcover book featuring your own photos and beautifully designed layouts. With the help of Storyworth's weekly writing prompts and personalized questions, which can be answered in writing, guided interviews or speech-to-text transcription, your mom can write a memoir, the retelling of a significant event or trip, immortalize a family history and more. $59+ at Storyworth.
12. Wall-Mounted Shadow Box for Mementos
Doubling as storage and decor, this wall-mountable frame from Amazon with a lockable door makes it easy to store and change the sentimental items inside, whether your mom likes to hold onto dried flowers from a special event or drawings from their children or grandchildren. It comes in three colors and finishes and four sizes; if mom prefers it not to hang on her wall, it can also sit nicely on a shelf or a table. $14+ at Amazon.
13. Customizable Hardcover Photo Book
Papier is no stranger to making beautiful things out of paper, whether it's hardcover journals, spiral-bound planners, personalized stationery or display-worthy calendars. The brand can also fashion for you a giftable hardcover photo book filled with mom's favorite photos, printed on beautifully textured paper that looks as good as it feels, according to Papier. Choose from six sizes, layout designs and cover colors and simply upload digital copies of your photos to the site. $36+ at Papier.
14. Engravable Keepsake Box
Fill this wooden box from Etsy/JMlabonneimpression with special mementos, loose photographs or handwritten letters for a gift that's perfectly befitting a sentimental mom. Also available in bamboo, this rustic box can be hand-engraved with mom's name or a special message on the lid and can be made in two sizes. $56+ at Etsy.
15. Tribute Tree Planted in Mom's Honor
If you have a mother who has passed on, or just want to gift your mother a living tribute in their honor that will benefit future generations to come, A Living Tribute plants trees in multiple forests throughout the National Forest system that are in critical need of reforestation, with the help of each purchase. $55+ at A Living Tribute.
