Mother’s Day is tomorrow. You can still make these cheap gift ideas at home

This story is part of Mother’s Day Gift Guide 2020. CNET editors round up the hottest gadgets for Mom this year.

We have nothing against you sending your mom a towering flower bouquet for Mother’s Day, but time’s running short. You have just one day to pull together a thoughtful gift, and we’re here to help. If the nonessential businesses around you are closed, that means a spa day or classic Mother’s Day brunch are out, but that’s OK, especially if you’re on a budget.

For a few examples, you can create a photo book or photo calendar online to send to your mom as a delayed gift (you can print a photo to turn into a teaser card). Or you can grab a few items from the store and make her a fun stay-at-home kit with treats she might not get herself, from fancy coffee to wine (more below).

Remember that even if you can’t spend the day with your mom this Mother’s Day, she’ll appreciate any gesture from you — even if it’s just a Zoom, Skype or FaceTime call that you make extra silly by adding backgrounds or serenading her with her favorite song. Read on for some gift ideas you can make at home for your mom. Here are 5 other great last-minute Mother’s Day gifts and 15 more gift ideas if you’re OK waiting until after Mother’s Day.

Make a photo book or calendar

Your mom won’t have this gift in hand on May 10, but don’t discount this gift yet — it’s well worth waiting for. You’ve already got several photo albums stored away, as well as hundreds of photos on your phone and laptop. Gather those pictures and use them to create a photo book or calendar to send to your mom for Mother’s Day. You can use services like Mixbook, Google Photos and Walmart Photo to keep costs low.

Once you’re finished creating the photo book, you can have it shipped to your mom. Some sites offer free shipping if you spend a certain amount, otherwise shipping prices will vary, depending on the service you use. You can always tease the gift in a beautiful card or a photo you selected from the book with a note that this photo is just the beginning.

Read more: How to make and print your own photo books online

Plant a small flower garden

If you live nearby, you can surprise your mom on Mother’s Day by planting a small flower garden at her house. Hardware store, supermarkets and nurseries that are open in your area will have potted plants, herbs and seeds. All it takes it a little labor on your end to create something she’ll be able to enjoy all summer. 

Here’s another idea if you don’t have a green thumb. Try making wine cork planters. First, you’ll need to hollow out several wine corks and place a small succulent in each of them. Then fill it in with soil to help sustain the plant. You can glue a magnet to the back of the cork so she can place it on her refrigerator. Succulents require little water and sunlight, so the maintenance is lower than other plants.

Want to go for something that’s more practical? Consider a backyard vegetable garden. (Just be ready for considerably more work.)

Make her a care package

Being stuck inside isn’t fun — and even if your mom is a savvy online shopper, she might be focusing more on necessities. Thankfully, you can spoil her: Put a small kit together of things your mom enjoys, such as coffee, books or wine. Here are some options to get started.

Wine lovers: Give your mom the wind-down day she deserves with a wine kit. It can include a bottle of wine, bath salts and a good book to read.

Coffee lovers: If your mom can’t start any task without that first cup of coffee, make her a coffee kit. It can include a mug with her favorite coffee and a journal or planner she can keep her tasks written in.

You can even gather small necessities that she needs, like lotion, chapstick and hand soap. Or if she’s a foodie, make her a food basket with dry foods she’s never tried. If your mom happens to enjoy cooking, here are 8 must-have kitchen tools under $20 that we absolutely love.

Make a door hanger

Get creative and make a door hanger or wreath to hang up on her front door. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy — you can make it from tissue paper and a paper plate. You can find quick and easy designs on Pinterest. 

Or if you want to put your design skills to use, find a metal wire (like a coat hanger) to create a frame, then gather some greenery from around your house. For example, you can use evergreen leaves or pine. Use material like dental floss, fishing line or thin metal wire to attach the greenery to the metal frame. When your wreath is finished, tie a ribbon around the top so you can hang it on the door.

Need more ideas for what to gift your mom? Here are nine Mother’s Day gifts guaranteed to impress the palate, our 15 favorite gifts for Mother’s Day and best Mother’s Day 2020 gifts for foodie moms.