Unconventional Mother’s Day Gifts for Grandma
Mother’s Day is coming up. Figuring out the best gift to get for your mom can be a challenge, but it can be even harder coming up with something to get for your grandmother that she hasn’t received dozens of times already. Flowers and a nice meal are always appreciated, but if you want to figure out something a little less expected to send her way this year, these Mother’s Day gift ideas for grandmothers may help inspire you.
1. Homemade Jewelry
If your grandmother likes jewelry – and so many women do that there’s a good chance she falls into this category – then picking out an item you can make for her that suits her style will show her that you’ve been paying attention to what she likes and cared enough to put in the time and effort to bring her something personal and special.
A simple Google search for “diy jewelry” will deliver a large number of DIY articles for making homemade jewelry. Then it’s just up to you to browse what’s out there and match what you can make to what your grandmother likes.
2. Bird Feeder
Does your grandmother enjoy nature and wildlife? Does she frequently go for walks outside or spend time in the garden? Then a gift that brings more beautiful birds into her life may be just the thing. You can make her a bird feeder yourself, or find cute, personalized bird feeders on Etsy. If you want something more simple and practical, you’ll still find a wide range of bird feeders to choose from among those for sale.
Whichever route you go, the result will be the same. Your grandmother will enjoy more frequent sightings of beautiful animals.
3. Surprise Picnic
You know many grandmothers will favor any gift that includes spending quality time with their loved ones. Instead of simply heading to the same restaurant you frequent every year, spend some time cooking and baking up foods you know your grandmom likes and take her out on a picnic. It gives you an excuse to spend time in one of the beautiful parks nearby while catching up and enjoying each other’s company. If it rains, you can just make it an in-home picnic. You’ll lose part of the appeal, but still get to enjoy the food and time together.
4. Family Name Nest Art
Etsy’s got a number of personalized gift options that may include something that’s just right for your grandmom. One idea to consider is this nest art that includes stones that resemble eggs decorated in the names of all her grandchildren. It’s different than the kind of monogrammed mugs and t-shirts you typically see and is something your grandmom can show off to her friends knowing they won’t already have one.
5. Potted Plants
If you visit any nursery in the spring you’ll see flowers in all sorts of colors and varieties all around you. Do some browsing to pick out something beautiful your grandmother can appreciate all year long. You can put it in a personalized pot before bringing it over so it’s a bit more unique and ready to go. All she has to do is make sure it gets sunlight and water and she’ll have an ongoing reminder of your love.
6. Quilt
Making your own quilt is a BIG project, so that may not be a feasible option for Mother’s day, but if you pick out fabrics in the color and style your grandmom likes, or collect old t-shirts from your own closet and the other grandkids that might inspire some memories in her, then you can hire a professional to put the quilt together for you. Your grandmother will get a gift that combines form and function with memories of her grandkids. When the weather gets colder and she starts turning to it for regular comfort, she’ll have a reminder of your thoughtfulness every day.
7. Family Movie
Everyone appreciates photo books, but what if you used some (basic) technology to turn some of the best family photos into a movie? If your grandmother is far away, this gift is an especially nice way for her to get to see you and her other loved ones from afar. There are a number of apps and software out there that can help you add music, text, and transitions to turn your photos into something new that grandmom will love.
- Stupeflix lets you make unlimited free videos that combine photos, text, music, and video clips.
- MakeMyMovie is a free app that lets you turn your photos into slideshows with music and transitions.
- Animoto is a user-friendly service that lets you make videos out of photos, video clips, and templates they provide to make them look professional-grade quality. They do charge $16 a month for the service, unless you want to commit to an annual subscription at $8 a month.
Many grandmothers will be quick to tell you they care more about knowing you’re thinking of them than what the gift itself actually is, but if you can manage to provide them with something that shows them you’ve put some real thought into it, it will mean that much more.
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Kristen Hicks
Kristen Hicks is an Austin-based copywriter and lifelong student with an ongoing curiousity to learn and explore new things. She turns that interest to researching and exploring subjects helpful to seniors and their families for SeniorAdvisor.com.
1 Comment
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My wife and I recently got a grandPad for her parents. They absolutely love it! With all of the wonderful support, grandPad is a GREAT tool. They are able to connect with friends and family members all over the country and even in Europe with the simple push of a button. The day their tablet arrived, my father-in-law was able to do a video chat with his son in Europe and it was the 1st time he had seen him “live” in over 4 years! Neither of them is very tech savvy, so the grandPad is a perfect way for them to email people, listen to music, do memory games, etc. There are frequent specials for Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, etc.
