Handmade Mother’s Day: a tutorial roundup

Still searching for the perfect Mother’s Day gift? If times are tight—or if you just like the idea of putting a little extra love and care into this year’s present—consider making mom something yourself.

And while I’m sure she still adores the pinch-pot ashtray you sculpted her in the second grade, you might consider kicking things up a notch by following one of the crafty tutorials below. Plus, hopefully she’s kicked the smoking habit by now.

Please feel free to add your own Mother’s Day handmade gift suggestions in the comments section. I’ll be writing a roundup of nonhomemade gift suggestions later this week (for us last-minute LouLous), so I’d love to hear your ideas in that category as well.

-Aprons are one of the easiest things to sew, and they’re a classic Mother’s Day gift. Tipnut offered a list of 50 links to free apron tutorials a while back, and then had to add a list of 50 more later. One of my favorite aprons to make is the Emmeline , by Sew Liberated, a pattern that’s available locally at The Top Stitch . The photo above is an Emmeline apron I made for a friend recently.
Speaking of aprons, be sure to check out Portland crafter Amy Karol’s blog Tie One On , which is dedicated to apron making. Karol chooses a different theme every few months and encourages readers to sew an apron inspired by the theme. Last summer, for example, the theme was gingham, and you can see a gallery here of aprons readers created.

-Cathe Holden, of Just Something I Made , made a box of notes for her mom with messages about why she loves her this year. It’s a darling little project, and the kind of thing I think any mother would treasure more than a toaster.

- Craft has a few suggestions for Mother’s Day , including a potholder and a recipe for vanilla coffee syrup . Also found on Craft are these tree-limb coasters , this tutorial for decoupaging furniture , and these suggestions for transforming tin cans into flower vases .

-Design*sponge has instructions for a double-sided picnic blanket . You might consider sewing that up and then pairing it with a basic (vintage or new) basic full of goodies.

-For the disorganized moms among us, check out this door hanger that keeps the morning’s most important items in one spot. Make one for me while you’re at it, OK?

-How about a journal? Cereal-box journals . Journals made from recycled materials . A journal cover.

-For sporty moms, you could make bicycle helmet ear muffs or a yoga-mat bag ,

-More inspiration can be found on Sew, Mama, Sew’s holiday gift idea lists from 2007 and 2008 , The Long Thread’s list of tutorial links for the home , and the Princess & the Monkey’s links list .