Sweet & Simple Mother’s Day Gift

I have a sweet and easy Mother’s Day project for you! This project works well for many ages, and I’ve adapted it to work for grandmas and aunts, as well.

It can be completed in one day (although I prefer to work on it for 3-4 days so we aren’t rushed.) Although, it’s important to note that if you are going to attempt the project in one day (we’ve all been there!), it’s important that you start by drawing the flowers and watercoloring them first, so that they have time to dry.

Materials Needed

1. Printed poem sheets – 1 per student
2. Brown construction paper – 1 per student
3. Sturdy paper (if making stencils of pots)
4. White construction paper for painting flowers – 2 per student
5. Black (or colored construction paper) for background – 1 per student
6. Watercolor paints and paintbrushes – class set or students share
7. Scissors
8. Glue sticks
9. Black crayon for drawing flowers

Teacher Prep

1. Download the free Mother’s Day project.
2. Copy enough poem sheets for your class. (They print 2 to a page.)
3. Either copy the pot shape onto brown construction paper (one per student) OR make a few stencils of the pot shape using a sturdy paper (I like using old file folders for stencils).
4. Gather white construction paper for the flowers and colored construction paper for the background. (I used black, but you could also have students choose their background color.)

Directions

1. To start, students simply fill out the poem about their moms (or an important person in their life.)
2. Then, on construction paper they draw flower shapes (no stems) using a black crayon. The wax in a crayon forms a natural border that watercolor is *less* likely to bleed through. By popular demand, I have included the hand-drawn images I used, but they are nothing special! If your students can handle it, the bouquets often look cuter drawn by the kids.
3. After drawing the shapes, students watercolor paint each flower.
4. Once dry, students cut out the flowers and pot (stencil/copy provided), and glue the flowers into the pot as seen below. I suggest they layer them on top of each other in a collage style.
5. The poem is glued below the flowers right in the center of the pot. And done!

Super simple and super sweet!

There are so many versions of moms in the world – birth moms, adoptive moms, foster moms, step-moms, the moms we choose into our lives, and the many women who desire to be a mom, but for whom that hasn’t happened. I wish a happy day to each of you.

Looking for fun projects for May? These are some favorites.