Gift ideas?

[Sparrow1]

My mother's birthday is coming up and I'd like to make her something instead of flaking out and buying her an impersonal gift. The problem is that I'm having a hard time coming up with ideas. I immediately thought something like a jewelry box would be nice but I'm not sure she'd get much use out of it. Currently I'm debating on making her a small spice rack.

Does anyone have any other ideas? I'd love creative suggestions! The only limitation is that it needs to be something I can ship across the country fairly easily. Something small and not overly fragile is preferred.

 

[Harry]

I love the idea of the jewelry box, but turn it into a memory box. You can decoupage an old photo of her parents or grandparents or any other old artifact from her past. Just don't use the originals. Turn the top into a glass-covered box and have a shadow box to hang on the wall with a box behind it. It can hold special treasures to pass down.

 

[woodcrafts]

A memory box is a wonderful idea, and you can put a picture in it of you as a child. If she doesn't wear jewelry then I would skip the jewelry box. What does she like? It's hard to come up with something without really knowing the person. You could make a wall hanging from old wood or a picture frame from old wood.

 

[maximus]

A spice rack sounds pretty unique, I think. Does she cook? If she does that might be nice. I know my girlfriend is always rummaging through the mess of spices we have in the cabinet and complaining she can't find anything. It might be a useful gift.

 

[Sidekick]

My husband used to do woodworking when he was in high school. He made a large wooden mallet by gluing boards together and turning the head on a lathe. He made a separate handle and then used varnish or shellac on the outside. I've used that mallet for almost 40 years and love it every time I take it out. I beat bags of ice with it before dumping the ice into the cooler. I also pound chicken and plastic bags of dried cereal to use for coatings. One of these would make a grand gift.

 

[BldrsWife]

How about a nicely decorated picture frame complete with a picture of you and your mom together? It'll be even more special to her knowing you made it and I bet that picture will be displayed proudly.

 

[Rae]

I made several gifts for Christmas last year. Hand carved signs were the most popular, but I also made a really cool step stool and a shelf for CD storage. Think about what your mother likes and focus on that.

 

[Sparrow1]

Wow, thanks for all the great suggestions.

I'm torn between trying my hand at making a hand carved sign and attempting to make a kitchen mallet. Both would require that I work a little outside my comfort zone but I'm fine with that.