The sweet sentiments of Mother’s Day extend beyond the core relationship between a mother and child. As the holiday approaches, it’s natural to feel a heightened appreciation for all the mother figures in your life. This special group often includes your friends and family members.
If you’re also a mother, your “mom friends” likely play an important role in your daily life. Perhaps you’re experiencing the joy of seeing your BFF become a wonderful mom for the first time.
Count yourself lucky if the list of moms you love is long!
There are endless reasons to honor your best mom friend with a gift this Mother’s Day. It doesn’t need to be anything big or expensive—just a thoughtful gesture to show you care.
What should you give your mom friends for Mother’s Day?
To help you decide, check out this list of thoughtful Mother’s Day ideas for your friend.
1. Bullet journal calendar
If your mom friend has ever mentioned needing a boost in the organization department, give her this clever calendar inspired by bullet journals. Choose photos of her kids having fun to make this sweet (and useful) gift one she’ll treasure all year.
Tip: Mixbook lets you choose the starting month for all custom calendars.
2. A photo book celebrating your friendship
A friendship photo book, like the Have a Nice Day by Steffi Lynn theme, brings cheerful vibes that suit the loving sentiments of Mother’s Day. Create a meaningful friendship book filled with your favorite memories of “mom life” with your best friend.
This Mother’s Day idea for your friend also works for a group of mom friends. You can print multiple copies of the same photo book — one for each friend, plus one for yourself.
3. Custom birthstone necklace
Any jewelry featuring your friend’s children’s birthstones is a beautiful way to honor her role as a mom. How about this custom raw birthstone necklace? It has a unique boho aesthetic thanks to its beautiful, naturally unfinished stones.
4. Journal & pen set
Beautiful, high-quality stationery can elevate every writing experience, whether it’s journaling about motherhood and life, or just writing down reminders and to-do lists.
This Mother’s Day, give your friend a fancy notebook such as this velvet jumbo journal in a bold and stylish check pattern. Pair it with a nice set of pens or pencils. We love this timeless engraved chrome Parker Jotter pen set.
5. Homemade microwave heating pad
If you have a sewing machine and basic sewing skills, give the gift of relaxation with a DIY microwave heating pad.
Follow this tutorial to measure, cut, and seam fabric and fill it with dry rice. Choose a pretty fabric and consider adding dried lavender or other aromatics inside.
6. Travel highlights photo book
Did you and your friend travel together before or after having kids? If some of your favorite memories together were away from home, put together a travel highlights photo book.
This beautiful keepsake preserves memories for a lifetime, making it a special Mother’s Day gift for a friend. Plus, it’s a great way for your friend to share fun travel experiences with her
7. Tea or coffee gift set
To celebrate a friendship forged over infinite cups of tea or coffee, or to help out your mom friend who needs her caffeine boost, put together a tea or coffee gift set.
Any of the following items are nice to include:
- Teacup or mug —you can’t go wrong with a classic “World’s Best Mom” mug!
- Quality coffee beans or selection of teas
- A fun kitchen towel to line the gift basket
- A pour-over coffee maker or teapot
- Vintage teaspoons
- A small tin of cookies
- Chocolate-covered coffee beans
8. Pressed flower art
The art of pressing flowers is timeless and easy to do. Any craft project using your pressed flowers makes a sweet Mother’s Day idea for a friend.
Gather pretty blooms and leaves from your garden (or your friend’s), and follow Martha Stewart’s tips and tutorial to preserve their beauty forever. Use the pressed flowers on a card, put them in a frame, or make a bookmark.
9. Funny candle for mom friends
Hilarious sayings elevate the simple gift of a scented candle, making this candle with a funny saying a fantastic Mother’s Day idea for a friend. Choose her favorite fragrance and celebrate every mom’s right to make sarcastic comments about her kids.
10. Heartfelt photo cards
Meaningful Mother’s Day ideas for your friend can be as simple as a greeting card—even better when it’s a custom photo card from Mixbook. Customize the greetings and add a favorite photo expressing your feelings about your friend and her role as a mom.
11. Proud “Mama” sweatshirt
Your BFF couldn’t be prouder to be “Mama,” so give her the gift of a personalized Mama sweatshirt. It’s available in five colors and has a comfy-cozy, relaxed fit for that casual mom style.
12. Eye massager
This technological marvel—an electronic eye massager with heat and Bluetooth for streaming calming music—is like a spa day in a box. Ten minutes or so with this light-blocking massager can relieve eye strain and headaches and induce a sense of complete relaxation.
13. Handmade washi tape bookmarks
Handmade decorating tape bookmarks are quick to make and become a sweet Mother’s Day gift you can tuck inside a card. Decorating tape, or washi tape, is readily available in an endless array of color and pattern options, so you can create a few designs your mom friend will love.
14. The baby book she feels bad about never making
A baby book is a beautiful project many moms never get around to doing—probably something to do with those 24-hour childcare demands! It can become a major source of unnecessary “mom guilt.”
As a Mother’s Day idea for your friend, take all that guilt away and make the baby book for her.
Mixbook’s baby photo book themes make it easy to create a book that suits her aesthetic. This can be a surprise gift or a collaborative project with your friend’s co-parent or other family members.
Tip: Find all the photos and captions you need by scrolling her social media feeds.
15. Custom name necklace
A custom name necklace, such as this sophisticated and stylish handwriting necklace, is a perfect Mother’s Day gift idea for your friend. Customize it with her children’s names and pick her favorite precious metal.
16. Cheese board & knife set
Give your mom friend the chance to elevate her snacking or hosting setup with a chic cheese board and knife set. It could be part of a gourmet hamper filled with fancy cheeses, crackers, and other charcuterie items.
17. Squirrel picnic table and bird feeder
For your mom friend who loves nature and whimsy, consider this adorable squirrel picnic table and bird feeder.
She can mount the picnic table on a fence or the side of a tree in her yard, offer peanuts or a corn cob, and watch in delight as the critters come to enjoy the picnic. Her kids are sure to enjoy the show, too.
18. Homemade chocolate truffles
It’s safe to say that any friend would be thrilled to receive a box of homemade chocolate truffles for Mother’s Day. You don’t have to be a whiz in the kitchen to rustle up a batch of these delicious truffles.
Tip: You can find many suitable truffle recipes online if your friend is vegan or has food restrictions.
19. Date night & babysitting
There’s a good chance your mom friend would love nothing more than a date night with her partner. If her kids are young, this will require a few hours of babysitting from a trusted adult—you!
Put together a simple gift set that includes:
- Movie tickets
- A restaurant gift card
- A “gift certificate” for your babysitting services
- A Mixbook Mother’s Day card
20. Custom paint-by-number kit
A custom paint-by-number kit is an excellent Mother’s Day gift idea for a friend with an artistic side. Use one of your favorite photos of your friend with her family, or borrow one from her social media feed. Other options include a photo of her pet, home, or a scenic landscape.
21. Phoenix & peony playing cards
Add some artistic style to your friend’s game nights with a sweet Mother’s Day gift of these Phoenix & Peony playing cards. From games of Go Fish with her kids to game nights for the grownups, these stunning-on-both-sides cards are a major step up from the standard deck.
22. DIY macrame coasters
You don’t need a lot of macrame experience to make these wonderful DIY round macrame boho coasters. The project is beginner-friendly and the results are an excellent Mother’s Day gift idea for a friend. Use any color of cording your friend would like.
23. BFF friendship calendar
A custom BFF friendship calendar can help you stay connected all year. Make it special by combining friendship with a Mother’s Day theme. For example, you could include photos of your friendship before and after she (or both of you) became a mom.
24. Personalized watercolor birth flower print
A bunch of fresh flowers is one of the top Mother’s Day ideas for a friend. An even sweeter sentiment that lasts much longer is this personalized watercolor birth flower print.
Tip: The digital copy is an excellent idea if you wait until the last minute!
25. “Breathe” tote bag
Are you the calming voice your mom friend often needs, or does she fulfill that role for you? This gorgeous “Breathe” tote bag is a sweet nod to the gentleness of such a friendship. It’s available in three sizes and helps tote groceries and all that endless mom gear.
26. Flower shop puzzle
If your friend enjoys puzzles, consider gifting her this delightful flower shop puzzle. With 500 pieces, it’s challenging yet achievable for a busy mom to enjoy during her downtime.
The puzzle features a colorful and Mother’s Day-appropriate illustration of a flower shop. Plus, it comes in a house-shaped box that makes the gift feel even more special.
27. DIY magic folding photo cube
This DIY idea seems like magic, and you will wow your friend when you give her one as a custom Mother’s Day gift.
Choose 10 photos you know she’ll love (sneak into her social media feed if necessary) and carefully follow the tutorial here to turn them into a fun puzzle cube.
28. Vase trio
This set of three stylish and inexpensive glass vases from IKEA is perfect for Mother’s Day flowers—but they’re also super versatile.
The set includes three different colors and sizes of a modern, minimalist vase. Your bestie could use them to hold fresh flowers, display air plants, or even propagate cuttings or avocado stones.
29. Modern floral robe
This gorgeous Sabah ivory and blue modern floral robe is one of the best Mother’s Day ideas for a friend. She’ll feel extra glamorous lounging around the house, even while making waffles for the kids on a Saturday morning.
30. Sew a roll-up pencil or brush case
Sewists can create this roll-up pencil case, which is also ideal for paint brushes or makeup brushes. The project is achievable for anyone with some sewing experience.
Add a set of high-quality pencils, colored pencils, or brushes for a gorgeous yet functional DIY Mother’s Day gift.
31. Self-heating mug
If your BFF is a mother to young children, ask how often she reheats each cup of coffee in the microwave. Solve the issue of often-interrupted hot coffee time with the gift of an ingenious self-heating ceramic mug.
32. Wool ball trivet set
This DIY wool ball trivet set is easy to make, looks pretty, and has many home uses. If you need DIY Mother’s Day ideas for a friend, that’s a win-win-win.
Buy a bag of wool felt balls in colors of your choice (you might like to match your friend’s kitchen decor) and sew them together in a spiral shape using a needle and thread.
33. Hand-painted mirror
This beautiful hand-painted floral mirror is a true work of art. Plus, a Peruvian artisan makes it as part of a UNICEF initiative to help children in need around the world. The mirror will look stunning on a dresser or hung on a wall.
34. Homemade herbal bath salts
A long soak in a hot bath is the perfect way for moms to get some rest and relaxation. Help your mom friend elevate her bath time into a spa-like experience with homemade herbal bath salts.
There are countless herbal bath salts recipes online, including this one that is straightforward yet luxurious.
35. Air-dry clay jewelry tray
This thoughtful Mother’s Day idea for a friend is easy to craft using air-dry clay. It also looks impressive.
Follow this tutorial to roll, shape, dry, and paint a set of jewelry trays in any size you like. The best thing is that looking a little rough and imperfect only adds to the handmade beauty of the gift.
36. Mixbook acrylic photo block
Mixbook’s acrylic photo blocks are a unique way to showcase stunning photographs. Find one or more of your friend’s favorite photos, or perhaps a fantastic photo you took that she hasn’t yet seen, and transform them into a gallery-worthy, free-standing display.
Need more Mother’s Day ideas for your friend?
If you still haven’t decided on a gift for a friend on Mother’s Day, check out these ideas or our custom Mother’s Day gift guide.
