If you google mothers day experience, you can literally watch your hard earned cash disappear into thin air (or at least into the red!)

Spa days, high tea days, fancy restaurants... and costs that would make you faint.

Mothers day experiences you create yourself! 

Now, we’re not saying you should skimp out when it comes to mums, but what if your mothers day idea was something really unique? Thought up and designed by you, planned by you and given with care, time and love? This can be a cheap mothers day gift, but mums will just swoon with the thoughtfulness. And because you’ve planned it just for her!

You can totally create your own mothers day experience gift, and add a few extra touches to hit that sweet spot, and here’s how.

It’s the time and thought that really counts on mothers day - not the cash you splash

Days out with mum, afternoon teas, places to go on mothers day, or a mothers day lunch .. you can do these without them costing the earth. And, you get to spend some real quality and fun time with your gorgeous mum.

Plan your experience (see the cheat ideas below) And make sure your mum keeps a day free!

Make it personal! Make your own mothers day voucher and gift card.

(We love this bit ..) make your own custom mothers day voucher for the experience you have planned, hand it over and wait for that smile! 

If you got a little creative flair, design your mothers day voucher by hand. Or (if your last art project was in crayon, aged 5) use a free design app like canva.com. Or write your fabulous plans for mothers day on a gorgeous handmade card like this plantable ‘Love’ card

Point is, first thing that morning, your mum gets a lovely handmade mothers day voucher for an experience planned by you!

Great ideas for DIY mothers day experiences 

There’s so much you can do together with mum that won’t cost the earth. They say - it’s the time we spend with the people we love that means the most. It’s so true!

It's easy to hand over a bought gift, but this is about making memories! And the thought and planning you’ve put into a special experience for mothers day will not go unnoticed! 

(Top tip, insert a glass of Prosecco or Rum punch into any of the below and you can’t lose!)

1. Mothers day afternoon teas

It’s the perfect mothers day treat. You can totally DIY this one, and it’s a few special hours with mum. Here are our top tips for a DIY afternoon tea experience for mum

• Choose the venue. It can be at home - just make it special. How?
• If you’re a bit of a budding Bake Off contestant, you can bake & decorate your own cupcakes and sweet treats.
• If not, find a little independent bakery and choose some freshly baked cakes.
• Make some small, elegant sandwiches. No experience needed! But think cucumber and cream cheese over a BLT!
• Invest in a special pack of organic tea. Herbal, if that’s her favourite
• Hit the local charity shop and find some old fashioned tea pots and cups and saucers. Fun and sweet. And if you stumble across an old style cake tray stand.. then wow, you’re in!!
• Find an old fashioned table cloth and dress that kitchen table up!
• Tea lights, fabric napkins all add to the traditional afternoon tea look and feel.
• Dress up for the occasion and enjoy a few hours of retro high tea!

2. Days out with mum. Places to go on mothers day

You can avoid the big costs of organised days out by getting creative about where you can take mum. As long as it’s planned and thought out, you can have a great day. Here’s some quick ideas...

• If mum loves a browse, organise a shopping trip to vintage stores and charity shops. There is nothing better than discovering weird, wonderful and retro clothes and objects. There’ll be a few stories shared, we guarantee. Top tip: For extra fun, find yourselves complete 70’s or 80’s wardrobes to dress up in and take pics together for your Insta!
• Find an artist's or artisan market somewhere near you. Check out https://artisanmarkets.co.uk  Book a train, bus, or taxi if you need to, and head off with mum to browse some crafts, ceramics and paintings. Add in a stop at a lovely coffee shop.
• Outdoorsy mum? Plan a picnic trip. You can go to the local park, or plan a (non stressful) train trip to a local beauty spot. Plan a good walk and pack a small picnic. Remember it doesn’t have to be huge, but the thought and planning make it so special. And enjoying nature together.
• Check out classes you could try together locally. Local councils run activities for very reasonable costs. Cooking, pottery, life drawing. Or if mum likes a challenge, do an archery session, or paint balling! Whatever it is, choose it especially for her. Doing something new together is a blast - you’ll be talking about it for weeks!
• Even if mum isn't a culture vulture who knows her Dali from her Dada.. art galleries and museums are fab places to wander around (and many are free! Check up online..) But for the relatively small price of two tickets, a few hours spent at a museum is a really relaxing mothers day experience. And a total conversation starter. Add a coffee stop - galleries and museums have some of the best cafes!

3. Mother's Day brunch or lunch - make it unusual!

Everyone loves being taken out for a mothers day lunch, but do something out of the ordinary! Put a little work and thought into the research and find the perfect place. Doesn’t have to be expensive.

• Try brunch instead of lunch - there’s something cool about that late breakfast, early lunch vibe! And you can add a little shopping browse, or gallery or museum browse after. So cultured!
• If mum’s a foodie, find interesting independent cafes online, and plan the journey there if it's a drive, train or bus ride away. There are so many fab little vegan, vegetarian and niche themed cafes that are just a joy to visit. One with a great bookshop, or an art cafe - or one that’s literally famous for its gluten free pizza, or its vegan cheesecake.
• Find a place or food she, or you, hasn’t tried before. Could be anything from vegan, to Vietnamese to a street food market. It's about the experience of trying something new together. 

4. Organise a queen for the day (or weekend) experience for mum

Mum’s work hard! Think of everything they do for everyone on just a normal day! Right? So this one is our favourite pick - because there is not a mother out there who isn’t going to LOVE this! Your hand made mothers day voucher should say “Queen For The Day”!

• Make mum queen for a day - better still, a weekend!
• Whoever is in your household, get organising them now! Sisters, brothers, dads, partners, the dog! Because this is going to mums ‘dream queen team'.
• Everyone gets a task for the day/weekend. Cooking the meals, doing the washing and ironing, hoovering, cleaning, walking the dog, dropping your little brother or sisters off to weekend activities. All of it gets done by the dream team. And mum gets to relax for a change.
• The key is organising. Make sure you list all the things that need done, and attach tasks to people! Give everyone a list so they know what their responsibility is.
• Mum gets to literally do what she likes, knowing she has a day or weekend off from being, well, mum! The perfect mothers day experience!

5. The trip down memory lane mothers day experience 

Mums had lives before you, you know! They used to go out, dance, hang out with friends, argue with annoying sisters and brothers… this is a great way to hear her stories, find out who she was before you came along! 

• Call up mum's friends, or sisters she hasn’t seen for ages and arrange a meet up for them. You’ll need to organise this with their families, but you’ll all be basically organising a girls get together for all your mums! You could set up the DIY afternoon tea idea at one of their houses. Or arrange for them all to meet at a gallery, cafe, or walk .. or dare we say it, a little cafe bar somewhere? (You might need to arrange pick ups after!)
• Gather together old photos of mum, her family and friends and put together a photo album. You could do it online .. or make a physical photo album (if it's ‘actual’ photos!). This is such a lovely surprise, and a really great opportunity to sit down with her, and hear all her wonderful stories and memories. We can guarantee some serious giggles (80’s hairdo? Fashion disasters ..!), and probably a tear or two. Have the hankies ready for an emotional trip down memory land. Now that’s a mother's day treat!

If you’re looking for great mothers day experiences, or days out and things to do with mum - and you need to keep to  a budget, then we hope one of these ideas gives you some inspiration to create your own fabulous and fun mothers day.

Mums, step mums, aunties, grannies, big sisters, best friends .. it's the women around us that hold us up, help us up when we’re down, keep secrets, give good advice and stand by us. And whoever that is for you, show them them the love.

Love yourself, the mums, all the great women in your lives, and .. the planet.

Still Struggling? Check out our luxury gifts and mother's day gift guide to help you decide on the best Mothers day gift!

Collection ~ Luxury Gifts for Her

Blog ~ Mother's Day Gift Guide