It was winter a hot second ago, yet somehow, Mother's Day is nearly upon us. When did that happen? Regardless, the birds are chirping, the buds are blooming, and my apartment has gone from intolerably cold to intolerably hot, so it must be time to find an affordable gift for my mama. The good news is, there are plenty of Mother's Day gifts under $50 that fit the bill.
My mother's birthday is on May 4, which makes the Mother's Day crunch to find gifts even worse. She is also someone who does not you to ask her what she wants (whereas I require all my gifts to be pre-vetted, and would prefer cash anyway), but will look at you sadly if you don't buy her something she's into, like the time I offered her a spa day and she told me she hates massages, then said she'd never gotten a massage. I mean, really. (She is wonderful in other ways, despite her aversion to massages.)
Finding an appropriate Mother's Day gift can be difficult, especially if you're counting pennies. You don't want to look like you just stopped into Lush on your way to brunch and picked up something from the discount pile, but finding cute and wallet-friendly items takes time and effort. Luckily for YOU, I've compiled a list of some gift ideas for under $50. Take a look:
1Personalized Farmhouse Decor
Personalized Farmhouse Decor, $16, Etsy
If your mother likes cute things you can hang in the kitchen, or framed dates, consider this offering from Etsy seller KnotNNest. For $16, you get burlap art inked with names and dates of your choice. I like the idea of personalizing the art with yours and your siblings' names and birthdates, though obviously, the burlap is yours to mess with as you wish.
2Mother & Daughter Letter Book Set
Mother & Daughter Letter Book Set, $40, Uncommon Goods
If you're looking to become pen pals with your mama, this set of 40 keepsake cards is a good start. The set includes a 20 page book, in addition to the aforementioned recycled paper cards and envelopes, so you can store your correspondence.
3Personalized Key Ring
Personalized Metal Photo Key Ring, $37.50, Etsy
Key rings are an underrated great gift. After all, you use your keys EVERY DAY, so they get good use, plus they make your keys distinguishable so you don't, say, accidentally take your roommate's when you're going to the gym and then you have to walk ALL the way back home because your ID card is attached. Har. Anyway, an Etsy seller is hawking these babies for a slick $37.50, stamped in gold foil and sandwiched around a photo of your choice.
4Mother/Daughter Necklace
Mother/Daughter Necklace, $24, Etsy
For moms who like kitschy jewelry, this cute little doodad features a big circle interlocking with a little circle, which, as you may have surmised, is meant to show the connection between a mom and her baby girl. Very sweet! It's available in gold, silver, and rose gold finish.
5Bedside Smartphone Vase
Bedside Smartphone Vase, $32, Uncommon Goods
This is truly a brilliant invention: a smartphone stand that doubles as a vase. My phone tends to either dangle off the plastic boxes I use as a nightstand or sleep in my arms every night, but Real Adults should have stylish places to keep their portable computer boxes. The vase conveniently includes a little space for your charging cord, so you can fuel your phone up while you sleep.
6Anatomy Of A Parent's Heart Mug
Anatomy Of A Parent's Heart Mug, $18, Uncommon Goods
This very sweet looking mug is emblazoned with hand-drawn illustrations of what's inside a mother's heart. Like, for instance, sweetness, courage, optimism, WORRY, and a lot of kisses. You can also get them for other mothers in your life, like sisters and grandmothers. TOO CUTE.
7Personalized Greeting Cards/Gifts
Personalized Greeting Cards/Gifts, $12-$33, greetabl
Greetabl has a collection of cute little gifts and personalized cards you can send Mom on special occasions. Gifts include spare ring plates, packages of tea, a pint of chilled wine, a sage smudge stick, a spa day, and champagne truffles, all of which are packaged with personalized notes and photos you can tear off and stick on your fridge.
8Smarties Bouquet
Smarties Bouquet, $29, Etsy
Candy? Good. Bouquets? Also good. Combine the two, and you get this tartly sweet little gift for mom. Save some Smarties for me!
9Handwriting Bracelet
Handwriting Bracelet, $27.75, Etsy
This is a great gift for a nostalgic mother. Send the seller a handwriting sample — maybe from your grandmother, or from you! — and they'll turn it into a high quality piece of jewelry.
10You Are Loved Mini Trinket Tray
"You Are Loved" Trinket Tray, $18, Draper James
If anybody knows what Moms like, it's Reese Witherspoon, celebrity mom of my dreams. Hence why her Nashville-based company Draper James has such great little Mother's Day gifts, like this trinket tray for her rings and bottles of nasal spray.
11Best Mom Ever Stamp
"Best Mom Ever" Stamp, $8.95, Paper Source
For the Mom that loves crafting, and/or the daughter who's broke, there's this cute rubber stamp from Paper Source that you can use to personalize cards or just hand to your mother as is, if you're artless like me.
12Paul Newman Poster
Paul Newman - Harper Poster, $9.99, AllPosters.com
This is a gift specifically for my mom, but maybe yours will like it too.
13Spa Basket
Spa Pleasures - Vintage Damask Rose Spa Basket, $16.95, Jet.com
If you want to gift Mom with a spa day but can't afford a massage (or she's expressed an inexplicable fear of them), Jet.com has a slew of affordable spa packages you can choose from. I like this Vintage Damask Rose basket, which comes with lotions, scrubs, masks and bath crystals.
