During tough times, creativity and resourcefulness are essential, just like our mums taught us. To help you plan the perfect surprise, we’ve compiled a list of affordable things to do on Mother’s Day based on the five love languages.
Understanding your mum’s preferred love language can help you choose the perfect Mother’s Day gift. If she appreciates material gifts, go for flowers or pastries. Or if she prefers spending quality time with the family, plan an activity everyone can enjoy together.
Choose one or two ideas from this list or combine them to create a series of treats for all the special mothers in your life!
Affordable material gift ideas
1. Prepare a DIY care package
Ready-made gift baskets can be expensive, if not impersonal. Instead, put together a DIY gift box with your mum’s favourite bits and bobs—a bar of chocolate, scented candles, high-quality coffee beans, and delicious biscuits.
Or combine this idea with the gift of physical touch; how about gifting her a cosy blanket she can wrap herself up in or a comfortable pair of socks that she can snuggle her feet into?
2. Bake a cake or cupcakes
Photo by cottonbro studio on Pexels
Why order when you can bake Mum’s favourite cake at home? Find a simple recipe online and follow it step by step. And get creative by adding her favourite colours and presenting it on a beautiful cake stand!
You don’t have to be a master baker to whip up a special treat for your mum. But if you’re feeling stuck and need some personalised tips on achieving your cake vision, consider contacting a skilled baker on Airtasker. They can help you with everything from choosing the right ingredients to perfecting the finishing touches.
3. Give her a nice potted plant
Instead of buying expensive flowers that will wither away after a few days, gift Mum a potted plant that she can nurture and enjoy for a long time. Alternatively, you can make a DIY paper flower bouquet if you have some free time and crafting skills. Either way, Mum will appreciate the unique and thoughtful touch!
4. Recreate and frame childhood photos with siblings
Photo by George Milton on Pexels
Time to get the siblings involved with this one! Pick your mum’s favourite photos of you as kids, then recreate these pics. You’re sure to make your mum laugh or even tear up once she sees the results.
5. Restore old photographs and home videos
Bring new life to old photos and videos so that Mum and the rest of the family can enjoy them for decades to come. You can easily find photo restoration services and video editors who can help revive these precious connections to the past.
Low-cost ways to give the gift of service
6. Clean the house
Even your super-tidy mum would appreciate a break from vacuuming and decluttering. You can clean up the garage or attic yourself or offer to book a deep cleaning service to get the job done as thoroughly as your mum likes.
7. Set up or help maintain the home garden
A lovely home garden is a mum’s paradise; the watering and weeding keep her active, she can plant ingredients for her home cooking and even sit down and have a cup of tea while enjoying the view! How about gifting her a professional landscaping service, a garden design consultation, or a full garden makeover?
8. Sign her up for a class that aligns with her interests
Mum will love that you noticed her growing interest in painting or yoga. You can find a variety of instructors on Airtasker who offer both online and in-person lessons.
9. Help her with house repairs
Don’t wait for her to ask you about that squeaky hinge or broken shelf again—get it fixed in time for Mother’s Day! If the repair is beyond your expertise, you can always get help from a local handyperson. Either way, your mum will appreciate the effort.
10. Cook a feast for her
Photo by Askar Abayev on Pexels
Tell mum to sit back and relax on Mother’s Day and take care of Sunday lunch for the whole family. Not sure where to begin with the feast? You can take some cooking lessons beforehand or hire a home cook for the day.
11. Teach her a tech skill she’s always wanted to learn
Has Grandma or Mum been constantly asking you how to use FaceTime or Instagram? Or would she want to get in on the latest TikTok recipes? Helping her navigate these social media platforms is a unique, low-cost gift that makes her feel more confident and empowered in the digital world.
12. Sing her a heartfelt, personalised song
You don’t need to be a professional musician or songwriter to make it special! Simply think of memories, qualities and emotions that remind you of her and write them down. You can then turn these into lyrics and set them to a tune of her favourite song.
Ways to spend quality time together on Mother’s Day
13. Book a family photoshoot at home
Time to update the photos on your family wall! Since the family will be together on Mother’s Day, you can use the opportunity to book a professional photoshoot. You can surprise Mum on the special day itself or involve her in the planning process.
14. Host a game night or karaoke night
Photo by Karolina Grabowska on Pexels
Bring out the Monopoly and Scrabble boards, or introduce Mum to some new games too. Game night will surely be memorable and might even become a new (or revived) family tradition. If karaoke is more of Mum’s speed, you can look up videos online, stream them on the TV, and even rent microphones for the full experience!
15. Host a movie marathon of her favourite films
Indulge Mum by putting together a marathon of her most-loved flicks. You might even find that you’re growing to love these movies or genres, too. Feeling extra cheesy? You can curate a list of films about mums, like Lady Bird, Mamma Mia, Everything Everywhere All At Once, Stepmom, and The Blind Side—the sky is the limit!
16. Take her on a picnic
Photo by Alessandro Avilés Renaldi on Pexels
If travelling is out of budget, you can still give her a change of scenery by taking her on a picnic at a nearby park or beach. Make sure you pack all her favourite snacks in the basket. If you need help setting up the perfect picnic, Taskers are available to lend a hand.
17. Join Mum in her favourite activity
Our mums did their best to go to all our sports matches, take us to and from dance lessons, and take an interest in our hobbies! Now, it’s time to do the same for them and see why they love antiquing trips, museum tours, or those Saturdays at the farmer’s market.
18. Work on a crafting project together
Quality time doesn’t have to be expensive or extravagant. You can work on a crafting project together, like knitting or repainting a chair. Or, spend time with Mum in the kitchen and finally learn her secret recipe.
Gift ideas to express words of affirmation
19. Create a short Mother’s Day video
Get the whole family to tell your mum how much she means to all of you. Take videos of people sharing what they love best about Mum, then stitch them together on your computer to make a heartfelt video you can play on Mother’s Day. If you want to make it a little fancier, hire an affordable videographer or editor to help you make the video.
20. Write a poem or song
No greeting card quote can beat a heartfelt, personalised poem or song! Plus, you can print out your composition onto beautiful paper and frame it, so mum can display it at home. If you don’t have a knack for poetry or songwriting, no worries! You can hire a writer to help you out.
21. Frame personalised calligraphy highlighting Mum’s best traits
Remind her that there’s no one quite like her and that you love her just the way she is. First, ask the whole family for words that describe her. Then, with the help of an illustrator or graphic designer, create a poster with all these beautiful words. Frame it, and it’s ready to go right on the wall! This gift will surely bring a smile to your mum’s face long after Mother’s Day.
Gift ideas for mums who appreciate physical touch
22. Create a DIY spa at home
Photo by Monstera on Pexels
Surprise Mum with a gift basket of bath salts, scrubs, lotion, and her favourite skincare brands. Don’t forget to light up some scented candles for a more luxurious feel! You can give her a foot rub or arrange for a relaxing mani-pedi in the comfort of her own home.
23. Spend the day together
Sometimes, it’s the small things that make the biggest impact. You can simply take a moment to connect with your mum through simple yet meaningful gestures, like holding her hand during a conversation, giving her a warm hug, or linking arms while strolling in the park.
Get a headstart on your Mother’s Day gift by posting a task today!
Whether you need affordable flower delivery services or professional cleaners, Airtasker can help you get the help you need for your Mother’s Day preparations. We hope this list inspires you to put together a day to remember for Mum.
Before you go, we’d love to know: what’s your mum’s love language?
