The best sentimental Mother's Day gifts
The best gifts are the ones that mean something.
By
Dylan Haas and Kaitlyn McInnis
on
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Give Mom a gift she can cherish for years to come.
Credit: mashable photo composite
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Moms: We owe them the world. After all, they gave us one. Literally.
There are a lot of ways to show your mom how much you love them on Mother's Day, but nothing hits quite like a gift that's truly sentimental. You know, a gift that really means something. One that will cause your mom to get a little misty with just one look. (Gifting is the only time you should be making your mom cry, by the way. No sad tears here.)
That's a tall order, though. A sentimental gift requires creativity as well as earnestness, and not everyone is a gifted gift-giver. But we are, and if you need some ideas, we've got you covered.
Below you'll find sentimental Mother's Day gift options that will have your mom saying "awwww, kiddo" for years to come.
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Credit: UNCOMMONGOODS
A family recipe cutting board
Best For The Home Chef
Does your mom have a signature recipe that you grew up on? Get it printed on this custom cutting board and let her know how much that meal means to you.
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Credit: FRIENDSHIP LAMPS
A set of Friendship Lamps
Best For A Long-distance "i Love You"
Whether your mom lives across the country or simply across town, this set of two long-distance lamps is sure to tickle her fancy. You keep one, she keeps one, and the two of you can come up with your own color-coded language.
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Credit: THE BOUQS CO.
A flexible flower subscription
Best Classic Mother's Day Gift
Maybe flowers are a cliché gift, but only if you give them once. With a subscription to The Bouqs, you can ensure that she gets a new set of blooms every month. How's that for cliché?
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Credit: POLAROID
A Polaroid camera
Best For The Nostalgic Mom
Nothing captures a good memory quite like an instant photo. Give her the opportunity to take as many as she desires with this great Polaroid camera so she can remember every happy moment going forward.
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Credit: O.RIYA
A sentimental (but subtle) bracelet
Best For The Chill Mom
So your mom is way too cool to wear any mushy jewelry or home decor items… that doesn’t mean you have to forego getting her a sentimental gift. This casual, cool cuff bracelet is inscribed with a sweet sentiment, but it’s only visible once she actually takes the bracelet off.
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Credit: UNCOMMONGOODS
A personalized family print
Best For The Mom Who Needs Some Art
A unique, customized print of your family will remind your mom that you'll always be there for her — even when you're far apart.
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Credit: AMAZON
A Kindle Oasis
Best For The Bookworm
Is your mom an avid reader? Get her a Kindle ereader so she can dive into any book she wants at any time. To make it more sentimental, download a few of her favorite reads, as well as some you'd like her to check out.
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Credit: MYMAZN
A ceramic jewelry dish
Best For The Jewelry Collector
This pretty little jewelry catchall will allow her to keep all her daily necklaces and earrings in one spot. Plus, each time she looks down to grab a piece of jewelry, she’ll think of you.
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Credit: ETSY
A custom garden tool basket
Best For The Gardener
Every gardener needs a trusty set of tools, so make sure that her kit is uniquely hers with this personalized basket of equipment.
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Credit: ARTIFACT UPRISING
A personalized calendar
Best For The Mom Who Plans
If your mom is the organized, plan-ahead type, consider getting this calendar that you can fill with photos of your choosing. Just make sure she doesn't peek ahead. It'll ruin the surprise.
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Credit: UNCOMMONGOODS
A birth month flower candle
Best For The Candle-obsessed Mom
Candles aren't all that sentimental — that is, until you get her one that matches her birth month. Now that's thoughtful.
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Credit: KEABABIES
A baby handprint/footprint keepsake kit
Best For The New Grandma
Shopping for a new grandma? The sentimental route just got a whole lot easier. This baby handprint keepsake kit allows you to get your newborn to do most of the work. Just dip their hands or feet into the cast and you’re left with a priceless gift.
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Credit: EFYTAL
Mother/child necklace
Best For Moms Who Like Simple Jewelry
We all know those mothers and kids who act more like best friends than parent and child. If you’re lucky enough to have that relationship with your mom, know that it really is something to cherish. This interlocking necklace offers a creative interpretation of that relationship; plus, it's simple enough to wear every day.
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Credit: ANTHROPOLOGIE
A set of journals
Best For The Writer Mom
Give your mom the opportunity to spill her feelings into this set of beautiful notebooks. If you're feeling ambitious, fill one of them up with your favorite memories together before you gift it.
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Credit: AJ'S COLLECTION
A necklace with your siblings' names
Best For Getting The Siblings Together
Looking for a great gift that gets all the siblings involved? This personalized necklace allows you to engrave all your siblings' names in one spot, so Mom can proudly flaunt all her kids on one delicate chain.
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Credit: ARTIFACT UPRISING
A sleek desktop photo calendar
Best For Sprucing Up Her Home Office
If you mom is still working from home, helping her add some pretty little extras to the home office is probably a good idea. This personalized desktop calendar from Artifact Uprising is extremely design-savvy and allows for a tasteful way to display sentimental photos.
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Credit: BESPOKE POST
A responsible adult lunch set
Best For The Busy Mom
Did mom pack your lunch every day before you went off to school? Time to return the favor. Pick up this aesthetically pleasing lunch kit, and make her favorite lunch before she sets off for the day.
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Credit: ETSY
A cross-stitch kit
Best For The Diy Mom
If your mom is constantly on the hunt for new crafts, consider a fun cross-stitch kit. There are plenty of designs to choose from, some with humorous messages, and some more meaningful. Get her one that matches her personality to show her that you care.
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Credit: CHRONICLE BOOKS
'One Line a Day' journal
Best For The Personal Development Fan
Does she want to journal, but struggle to find the time? The One Line a Day Journal will help her make a habit of jotting down the best part of her day — without a huge time commitment.
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Credit: LEATHEROLOGY
A monogrammed eye mask
For The Mom Who Needs Some Shut-eye
Hard-working moms deserve a good night's sleep. Add some much-needed fashion to her slumber with an eye mask that's just for her.
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Credit: TOP SHELF
Top Shelf family memory jar
Best Diy Gift
Whether it’s funny inside jokes, travel stories, or quotes and sayings, this family memory jar comes with everything you need to write out the little tidbits that make your relationship with your mom so special. It comes with a pen and pre-rolled scrolls, so all you have to do is fill in the memories.
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Credit: URBANSTEMS
UrbanStems jade succulent
Best For The Mom With The Green Thumb
Flowers are great, but a jade succulent in a lucky planter is a whole different level of thoughtful. The small plant is expertly planted in a ceramic elephant-shaped planter, which not only looks adorable but actually ensures that her plant will drain properly and remain healthy for years to come.
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Credit: ETSY
A custom pet portrait
Best For The Pet Mom
If your mom likes the family pet more than you (just kidding), immortalize their cute little face with this custom portrait so she can admire them even more.
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Credit: GRAVITY
A Gravity Blanket + Calm bundle
Best For The Stressed Mom
Being a parent can be stressful. Help here chill out with this weighted blanket that comes paired with a meditation app, then watch as the tension eases out of her shoulders.
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Credit: ANTHROPOLOGIE
Some pressed glass frames
Best For The Photo Collector
Does mom have more photos of you than she knows what to do with? Give her a way to display them — we promise she'll be happy to plaster your baby pictures all over the house.
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Credit: CHRONICLE BOOKS
A batch of handwritten letters
Best For Writers And Readers
You’ll have to plan ahead for this one—but it’ll be worth it, trust us. Letters to My Mom comes with a dozen decorated writing prompts that will allow you to express memories, thoughts and feelings, and other little slices of life for mom to read and keep forever. The pre-written prompts make it easy to fill out — even if you don’t consider yourself a natural writer.
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Credit: UNCOMMONGOODS
Custom socks
Best For The Mom With Cold Feet
What's more fancy than having a personalized pair of socks? Have her kick back in style this Mother's Day with this super comfortable five-pair bundle with a message of your choosing.
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Credit: UNCOMMONGOODS
A map coaster set
Best For Avid Travelers
Does your mom have a favorite place in the world? Get it printed on these coasters so she can see it every single day, whether it's where your family grew up, her dream vacation spot, or anywhere else you think she'd love to be.
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Credit: MONTAGE
A Montage video
Best Gift From The Whole Family
Sure, Zoom celebrations are fine and well — but a Montage Video will come as a surprising keepsake that they’ll be able to replay forever. The trendy new digital gift allows you to pull together all your family to send messages and visuals that will be spliced together into a cute little video.
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Credit: HOMESICK
Homesick scented candles
Best For Evoking Memories
Whether she’s longing for her favorite bookstore or for the streets of Paris, these Homesick scented candles are sure to evoke tender memories of her hometown or favorite place to travel.
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Credit: UNCOMMONGOODS
A personalized yarn bowl
Best For The Mom Who Knits
Plenty of people still love to knit. If your mom is one of those people, cap off her knitting setup with a custom yarn bowl with her name on it. Knitting just doesn't get any cooler than that.
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Credit: UNCOMMONGOODS
A custom coffee infuser
Best For The Coffee Connoisseur
Get your mom her caffeine fix with a twist — coat this mini oak barrel with the included bourbon essence, and her coffee beans will age with a sweet whiskey flavor. You can get her name put on the barrel, too.
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Credit: MFGNEH
A cute throw pillow cover
Best For The Home Decor Fan
It doesn’t matter how long you’ve been out on your own… Mom’s house is always going to be home. These cheeky “Home is Wherever Mom is” throw pillow covers express just that in an elegant, modern farmhouse style.
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Credit: AIRBNB
An Airbnb gift card
Best For The Mom Who's Itching To Travel
Whether she’s had to cancel bucket list trips due to the pandemic or the two of you have been planning a little road trip once you’ve both gotten the vaccine, an Airbnb Gift Card will allow her to start dreaming of all the travel possibilities as the world begins to open up again.
Dylan Haas is a Lead Shopping Reporter for Mashable, where he covers all things gaming, laptops, fitness, and shopping events like Black Friday and Prime Day. Before joining the team at Mashable, Dylan received a B.A. in Communications from Pace University and contributed to publications like Paste Magazine, Bandsintown, and others following a brief stint as a marketing and management assistant in the music industry.
