Attention all parents who have a special partner they want to celebrate on Mother’s Day— we have such a fantastic and MEANINGFUL gift idea to share with you! And, if you and your kiddos get to work right away (say, this weekend, perhaps?) you should be able to receive your amazing, one of a kind gift before May 10th.
You might remember the beautiful hand drawn snowflake necklaces Isla and I created for Christmas? Well, we had the opportunity to partner with Caitlyn Minimalist for a Mother’s Day project and I am seriously giddy about it! I knew personalized jewelry would be so special, but I wanted to think a bit outside the box, and have my children make something that is really specific to our relationships and unique to their current life stages. So, today I’m going to share what we did, as well as a few other sentimental ideas along the same lines:
(For children who can write independently) Have your child write out a short phrase or term of endearment they use regularly with their mom. (If your child is a new writer, I encourage you to consider keeping their inventive spelling!)
Isla, our six year old, says, “Hey, Mom?” about 100 times a day (not exaggerating!), and so I had her write the words in her sweet kindergarten handwriting. I joined the letters together digitally, and her favorite phrase will soon be memorialized as a pendant that I will cherish forever. It’s a little bit playful, a little bit sweet, and being the two words I hear coming from her mouth the most, completely representative of this stage in our lives together.
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Use toddler art. Abstract scribbles can make a great piece of jewelry!
Just because it’s a scribble doesn’t mean it can’t be meaningful. Try asking your little one to draw a picture of themselves with mommy, or a picture of a hug with mommy, or any other sentimental concept along those lines– then their intention will exist within the scribble. SO special, right?! But what if your toddler is stubborn and won’t cooperate? Well, we hear you, friend. Patience and creative problem solving skills will be your greatest assets when collaborating on this project (and every other waking moment that you’re with your toddler). Our son, Cole, is two, and not cooperating is one of his super powers. Any other toddler parents out there relate? Right now Cole’s pictures consist of a lot of scribbles. I figured an abstract scribble pendant could look really cool, but I wanted to see if we could set up a scenario in which Cole created a somewhat meaningful scribble. For example, when he signs his name on cards he always says, “Love, Cole” as he makes his scribble mark and it is SO sweet! Of course, as soon as I tried to get him to do this for the jewelry project he refused. Oh, two year olds… All Cole wanted to do was make big scribbles that he said were monsters. It may seem silly, but I was really hoping he would create something sweet or related to us in some way, but monsters were the ONLY thing he would draw. I tried repeatedly to get Cole to draw something different, but several days and 20+ monsters later I was feeling a bit frustrated. Suddenly I was hit with a brilliant a-ha! moment and asked if he could draw me a “love monster”. Cole’s eyes lit up and he replied, “Yes! I draw a mommy love monster!” Compromise to the rescue! The scribble Cole made was so cute and actually kind of resembles a heart, or a baby, depending on how you look at it. Every time he sees it he points and excitedly says, “That’s my mommy love monster!” His meaningful little scribble is also in the process of being turned into a pendant that I can wear and enjoy for years– the perfect reminder of my little two year old monster!
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So, now you’ve seen the route we chose to go, but if you’re still looking for a little inspiration for creating personalized art jewelry, here are a few additional ideas for your consideration. Have your child:
- draw a simple symbolic picture of a favorite pastime they share with their mom (a flower if they garden together, a book if they read together, a pencil if they draw together, etc.)
- write a nickname they call their mom (or a nickname their mom calls them) in their handwriting
- write a favorite lyric from a song they like to sing together (if it isn’t too long!)
If your little one isn’t yet able to draw, a similar concept is to make a piece of jewelry of your child’s name in your handwriting. Two years ago Isaac made necklaces for me with Isla and Cole’s names in his handwriting and I absolutely ADORE them!
Also, you don’t have to make a necklace. Key chains, earrings, rings, and bracelets can all be customized with your child’s artwork.
Tips for working with your child to create a meaningful piece of artwork:
- first explain your intention– tell your child you want to work with them to make a gift that is meaningful and their mother will love!
- brainstorm ideas together– the more ownership your child has over the project, the better!
- set the expectations for the artwork– best effort, clean lines, everything connected (if possible)
- keep the experience fun and lighthearted– this gift is about intention, not perfection, so allow a safe space (and plenty of extra paper) for mistakes
- if you’re working with a toddler or older infant, put on your patience pants, let your child make lots of drawings and choose the best option when they’re all done
Tips for creating a successful piece of jewelry with your child’s drawing/writing:
- choose a drawing that isn’t too complicated– clean, clear lines are easier to replicate! It is important to communicate these expectations to your child (assuming they are old enough to understand) before they begin creating their artwork
- embrace the quirks of your child’s drawings– these are the details that will pull at your heartstrings over the years
- make sure all the elements of the drawing are connected in some way, otherwise it isn’t possible to replicate it in the jewelry (for example, if your child draws a face where the pupil is floating in the middle of the eye, the jewelers would either have to omit the pupil from the necklace or move it over and connect it to the outline of the eye)
- if your child writes a word/words, the team at Caitlyn Minimalist can help you connect all the letters together
- have your child make their drawing with a marker (or trace it in marker) so the lines are thicker and easy to see
- think about the style and color of jewelry your wife or partner usually wears because different finishes (silver, yellow gold, rose gold) are available.
- photograph your child’s drawing straight on, in natural light
- Submit the photo of your child’s artwork in it’s most complete form here and make sure to communicate any additional assistance you might need with the design, such as connecting letters together. These necklaces are currently on sale and shipping is free!
- pay close attention to the production timeline– custom pieces often take as long as 4-6 weeks to make, so plan accordingly– Caitlyn Minimalist’s tentative cut off dates for Mother’s Day are April 22 (First Class Mail), April 23 (Express), April 24 (Fedex). Be sure to check in with them before placing your order.
Phew! Friends, that was A LOT of information. Are you still with me? I sure hope these suggestions were helpful to you! Meaningful gifting is a serious passion of mine, and I know there are so many INCREDIBLE mothers out there who would LOVE a piece of jewelry that features their child’s art and highlights a special aspect of their relationship. Please feel free to pass this post on to individuals who are thinking about how they want to honor their wives/partners this Mother’s Day. We’ll post an update with our finished necklaces as soon as they arrive! If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to leave them in our comments. Or, if you’re so inspired, we’d love to know the familiar phrase you’d want your child to write for your necklace!
