Did you know that March 10th is Mothers Day in the UK? I didn’t, but someone told me the other day and it got me SUPER in the mood to talk about mothers day photo gifts!! Mothers day is one of those holidays that are really difficult to buy for. You could always go with flowers and a card, they’re pretty solid options. But as we ALL know, flowers only last so long!!

The magic of photo gifts is that they NEVER lose their charm. They don’t wilt in a vase and have to eventually be tossed in the trash. Photo gifts tend to be treasured – whether they’re something practical like a keychain, or used to decorate your home, like a set of prints for a gallery wall!

Prints as Mothers Day Photo Gifts

It doesn’t matter what the occasion is, prints make an amazing gift for family members (and for friends!). There are all kinds of prints you can order, from metal prints, to canvas prints, to standard prints you can frame. But one thing to keep in mind, is although you can get printed images from anywhere (I mean, Walmart still prints photos!) the best place to order? That’s going to be from the photographer you worked with for the photo session. There are a ton of reasons for that, but the biggest one comes down to print quality. The prints you can get somewhere like Walmart or Walgreens aren’t going to be archival quality ink, and they’re unlikely to stand up to the test of time. But prints from a professional printer that collaborates with photographers, they’re going to use archival quality inks, and their printers will be calibrated! That means the prints you get will look EXACTLY like they’re supposed to. No worrying about getting images that are slightly green or slightly orange or just… a little wrong.

If you’ve worked with me for your photo session, then you’ll have an even easier experience ordering prints! You can order them RIGHT in the gallery from your session. Easy peasy!

Decorated Frames (A Casual Craft Gift!!)

If you want to take things one step further with your print-related mothers day photo gifts, why not get the kids involved? But not in the “drawing that goes on the fridge” or “pinch-pot that has no practical use” kind of way. I’ve talked about ways to repurpose thrifted picture frames before, but this one involves some arts and crafts, AND ends up being an actually nice (if sliiightly chaotic) element of home decor. But it does require some adult supervision, and you’re gonna have to go through the final steps yourself.

Follow me here – you can go thrift a few picture frames, and order your prints for them. That’s step one. Just make sure the frames are simple, and in the right sizes. Then, pick up (or gather!) some small-ish flat-ish craft items. Flower beads, pipe cleaners to bend into shapes, fabric leaves, fabric flowers – get creative with it. The colors don’t matter, because you’re going to spraypaint them!! You’ll also want some hot glue, or glue appropriate to your kiddos ages. Now, for the paint, you can always go with a standard black or white, but any color will do. If you want a metallic finish to match other frames in the house, or to really make it pop, Rustoleum has some great metallic paints you can choose from at your local Lowes. So grab the things, and you’re ready to start!!

A list to make it easier:

• Thrifted frames
• Small artsy do-dads
• Spraypaint in your preferred color
• Age appropriate glue (use your best judgment on this one)

The next step is where the kiddos get to do fun things! Lay out all of the flat-ish small-ish things like a big ole buffet for your kids to place on their frames. You can either let them glue as they go (if they’re older) or you can have them lay it all out and you can be the glue-master once they’re done. Or along the way! Every kiddo responds differently to craft structures, so ya know… let them be as independent as you see fit.

Once all the stuff is on the frames, and the glue has dried, you’ll have something fairly chaotic, but that’s okay! Because now is when you sneak outside and spraypaint them, so that all of those colors mellow out into something that can reasonably be hung on a wall without quite so much “oh wow, that’s… colorful, isn’t it?”

Pop the prints you ordered into the frame… and you’re good to go!

Photo Jewelry

Etsy is your FRIEND!

Now if craft time isn’t quite your vibe, that’s okay too. There’s always Etsy! You can find all kinds of photo-based mothers day gifts there, but the ones I want to talk about here, are jewelry! There are all kinds of options, from something as simple as a locket, to as complicated as a bracelet that incorporates multiple images from a session.

Or, if you want to be extra fancy, you could go for a piece in the “photo projection” style, that way it can be small and subtle, but still include a gorgeous reminder of your family being super cool.

Creative Home Decorations

Standard wall art prints aren’t the only way to decorate your home with images. You can also work them into other decor – and if we head back to Etsy… you’ll find a TON of options! The images from your session can go on anything from mugs, to candles, to wallet cards, car mirror hangers, and even wooden cut lettering to hang on your walls! Home is where Mom is, after all.

Get creative with what you go for. Think outside the box. Is there an empty wall you know the Mom in your life would love to fill with images of your family, but standard prints feel a little too simple? Or they’re already all over the house to begin with so you want to go for something different this year? Take a look at what can be created for you – if you can imagine it, I bet you could find it on Etsy.

Keychains

Keychais have to get their own category here, because… honestly there’s just so many to choose from!! There are acrylic options, ones printed on metal, made with wood – others that involve that whole “image projection” thing I mentioned in the jewelry conversation above. And the thing about keychains… everyone needs one. Even if you’re a push-button car family, unless you’ve gone all the way to “implants that open your front door” I bet you’ve got keys. Right?

So why not use those small details of life, the things you have to touch and use every day, as a way to connect with the people you love. It sounds simple, because it is. But simple magic is the best kind.

Still can’t decide?

Well, if you’re looking to figure out what kind of gift to get for the Mom in your life after a session with Jessica Strobel Photography… reach out! I’ve got suggestions and options and can absolutely help you pick.

Your images deserve to be put to REAL use, not to sit on a hard drive forever, gathering digital dust. Why not work that simple, everyday magic into your Mothers day gifts?