When Anna Jarvis began campaigning in 1908 for a Mother’s Day to be celebrated in the United States, she never intended for the day to become the commercial event that it is today. As more and more people began observing the holiday, card and gift manufacturers soon noticed and started selling flowers and gifts to profit from people’s generosity. Concerned that the original meaning of Mother’s Day was being tarnished by the commercialization of the holiday, Anna began campaigning against her creation and even tried to have Mother’s Day removed from the official calendar of National Holidays. 

Today, Mother’s Day is still a highly commercialized holiday, and people can choose how they wish to celebrate the day. If you’re looking to try and evoke more of the original sentiment of Mother’s Day, then here are five thoughtful and affordable Mother’s Day gift ideas that you may want to give in place of store-bought flowers, boxes of chocolates, or greetings cards. 

• Bake Your Mother A Cake

Baking for someone is a universal act of love. The cake you bake may not be perfect, but your hands will fill it with more sentiment than any cake you could buy from the grocery store. Whether you make a simple jam-filled sponge, cupcakes, or an elaborate three-tiered show stopper, your mum will take great pleasure in eating something baked just for her. 

• Grow Some Wild Flowers And Tie Them For Mother’s Day 

Flowers are expensive, and the price only seems to go up around Mother’s Day! Rather than buying a costly bouquet from the store, why not grow some wildflowers yourself and then harvest and hand tie them for Mother’s Day? You don’t need a garden to grow your flowers, a few pots on your kitchen windowsill will do the trick. Simply buy your seeds, sow them with love, and water them regularly while they grow and you’ll have a one-of-a-kind bouquet of wildflowers to give your mother on Mother’s Day. 

• Spend Time With Your Mother 

Often the simplest gift of all is the one most overlooked. If you live apart from your mother, then quite often, the greatest gift you can give her is some of your time. Boil the kettle and put the world to rights over a cup of tea, go on a walk together, spend a day in the garden or settle down to a home-cooked meal. It doesn’t cost a thing to give your mum some of your time. 

• Make Your Mother Something 

We’ve already mentioned baking, but there are so many other DIY gifts that you could make your mother for Mother’s Day. You could knit something, paint something, grow something, sew something, or build something. If you’re not sure where to start, we’ve created a post dedicated to DIY Mother’s Day gifts - you should check it out. 

• Write Them A Poem 

You don’t need to be a poet to write a Mother’s Day poem. Just sit down with a pen and paper and let the words flow. They may rhyme; they may not; it doesn’t matter. You may want to write a poem about a particular memory that you share, or you may want to use your poem to express your gratitude and love. Whatever you choose to do, a handwritten poem is a sentimental gift that your mother will treasure forever.