I look back on my childhood and thank the stars above. For everything you gave me, but mostly for your love. - Wayne F. Winters, from "Ode to Mom"

It's that special time of year where individuals reflect on the instrumental role one woman has played in their lives. As we think about our mothers, we may feel inspired, comforted, and grateful.

Mother's Day is a great opportunity for all of us to show our moms (and those who have been "just like a mom", how we care without having spending a lot of money on a store-bought gift. After all, moms most appreciate the thought that goes into a gift from her children, regardless of their age. So, if you're feeling crafty and want to show mom how much she means to you, read on!

Fun Cards and Posters

This is an easy craft that uses materials found around the house and is only limited by your imagination. Take a look around the house and collect items that you think may be useful to create a unique Mother's Day card.

The Basic Card and Poster Materials

You'll want to find materials out of which you can cut a card shape or use as a poster. The base for your card or small poster can include construction paper, brown paper bags, or old placemats. This material should be relatively sturdy, but still thin enough to cut and bend. A very good material for a poster is cardboard. Cardboard is still thin enough to be cut into a specific shape, but it will not bend easily and can support the weight of numerous decorations.

Find the Supplies:

Use whatever you have handy, including scissors, stapler, glue or glue stick, crayons, markers, and transparent tape. Keep them stored together in a plastic container or large zipper bag for easy access and quick clean up.

Gather your Decorations:

This fun activity can take place over several days and will provide a storehouse of materials for future crafts as well.

First, collect several Ziploc™ storage bags, preferable in both quart and gallon sizes. Then, scavenge around the house to collect items you can use to decorate your card. Be creative! You can find new ways to use old materials and make recycling a part of the fun.

What's in mom's junk drawer?

Be on the look out for colorful buttons and beads, pipe cleaners, glitter, and even dry beans. Mom may also have bits of leftover items from projects of her own, such as bits of fabric and old material, yarn, twine and party supplies.

Can dad make any contributions?

Ask him if he has any leftover materials stored out in the garage or shed. Even if you don't think you have a use for a certain material now, store it into a baggie and save it for another time.
Have you looked outside?

Go for a walk; look up, look down. Perhaps you can find some pretty flowers or leaves that you can place in a large book and press for a couple of days. Bougainvillea flowers and fern leafs press exceptionally well. After they are dried and flattened, they will make a uniquely pretty addition to your Mother's Day card. Once you've collected all of your items, sort through them and label each baggie by category.

Assembly:

Sit at a clean table or on the floor and spread out all of your materials. Think of a specific theme you would like to create for your card. Perhaps you will choose "hearts," "superstar," "animals," or "nature" as your theme, depending on the decorations you've collected.

Once you've decided on a theme, select a material for your card and cut it into an interesting shape. This card may be larger than a store-bought card and can either bend in half, such as in the shape of butterfly wings or a heart that open up to reveal a mirror image, or remain a full-size poster to look more like a picture.

If you use construction paper for your card, you can layer two or three different colored pages and staple or glue them together so that each color is revealed at the edges when they are folded in half.

If you decided to use cardboard, you may decide to create a large picture where the front can be a decorative poster and the back can contain your Mother's Day message. Consider cutting the cardboard into a large shape, such as that of a flower, tree, or star.

Finishing Touches:

Once you have created the shape of your card or poster, it's time to decorate it! For a poster, line the edges of the cardboard with a material that can be easily glued down, such as twine or fuzzy pipe cleaners. You can also apply glitter to the edges of your poster. Cut pieces of fabric and glue it to construction paper that has been cut into shapes and glue those shapes to your card. Cover your pressed flowers or leaves with saran wrap and glue, tape or staple these to your poster or card. Now what is missing to complete your Mother's Day theme? Glue buttons, beans and beads for added color and shine.

Write your message:

On the back of your poster or inside your card, write a thoughtful message to your mom, thanking her for some specific act of kindness you remember from this past year. You can cut words out of a magazine or newspaper to create your message or handwrite it with colorful markers. Be sure to sign and date your card.

These Mother's Day crafts only scratch the surface of what you can construct using found materials around the house. Don't let these suggestions limit you - keep searching for items to add to your collection and who knows what you'll be able to create! For additional ideas on Mother's Day crafts, you can visit Kids' Domain or DLTK's Holiday Activities for Kids. For craft supplies, check out your local craft store or an online site like Sunshine Crafts.