50 Gifts for the Design-Loving Mom
If your mom loves to entertain, she will probably like these unique napkin rings for brightening up her table. If she's running low on linens, throw in some white napkins with these rings.
If your hostess-with-the-mostest mom is more traditional, try these Vera Wang for Wedgwood Grosgrain Napkin Rings instead.
If you opt for Vera's silver napkin rings, these timeless floral linen napkins are a wonderful set to put into the gift box.
I am crazy about this champagne bucket that's wearing Carmen Miranda earrings. Fill it with a bottle of bubbly and O.J. and serve her mimosas at Mother's Day Brunch!
If your mum is more of a techie whose idea of entertaining is more along the lines of making dinner reservations on OpenTable.com, she'll enjoy this cute iPhone case from kate spade. The glossy red cover also makes it a lot easier to find it in a large purse.
Every mom probably has a glamorous lady in her. Help her let out her inner Eartha Kitt or Marilyn Monroe with a beautiful jewelry tray for her dressing table or nightstand.
Perhaps a snow leopard is a little much for your mother? If so, the same glamorous idea works with this silver and gold bowl.
If Mom likes to keep fresh herbs around, consider this great container that keeps herbs fresh. Throw in a packet of her favorite variety.
Have you ever made a bundt cake? They are showstoppers and so good. My mother makes the best Bundt cake, probably yours does, too. To make a real Bundt cake you need to have the right pan, and this one caught my eye for its novelty. And why not include a cake along with the pan?
Mom can never have enough cute tea towels. They can instantly transform the feel of a kitchen.
Is your mom a big list-keeper and note-taker? Then she can never have enough notebooks around. This stylish number from Orla Kiely will inspire her to use her very best penmanship!
One of our favorite ways to entertain casually is to use our raclette maker for a fun, around-the-island kind of party. The traditional mix of melted raclette cheese, boiled new potatoes, cornichons, black forest ham, sausages and a few bottles of white wine is a really fun way to eat with a group of people over a the course of an evening. Throw Mom a dinner and show her how to use this wonderful appliance at the same time.
I'm not suggesting giving this to Mom so she can make you a picnic. I'm a big fan of interactive gifts. Prepare a picnic, fill the basket, and spend some time with your mom. Both the basket and the time will mean so much to her.
If Mom's not ready for a full-on picnic but likes to dine alfresco, consider these cheerful and bold plaid Melamine plates for those meals on the porch, deck or patio.
This very special pewter box is a place for your mom to keep her most treasured items. Get her collection started off by inserting a note telling her how much she means to you.
Sometimes a candle can seem like an easy go-to gift, but Diptyque Paris candles are so special and luxurious they count as a splurge. Mom's worth it!
This intricate and beautiful soap dish is made only more perfect when paired with a lovely bar of soap. One lovely bar of soap coming up...
This soap, paired with the previous dish, is an elegant gift. The packaging is so pretty I don't think I'd bother to wrap it in a traditional manner, I'd just put the soap on top of the dish and tie them with a raffia bow.
Is mom trying to shove toothbrushes with fat handles into that wall-mounted toothbrush holder thingee that no longer functions due to modern toothbrush design? Try something new and repurpose this lovely tumbler as a toothbrush holder for the bathroom counter. Throw in a few fresh toothbrushes to go with it.
Does Mum love coastal style? If so, she'll love the work from Element Clay Studio. This bowl has a surprise inside, a beautiful, light-blue glaze. It works "upside down" and "right side up," appearing as a bowl one way and as a lovely ceramic shell on the other.
Obviously, I had my own coastal style-loving Mom in mind with a lot of these blue-and-white gifts. This lovely pillow from Cococozy resembles a flower or a starfish, whichever Mom likes more!
If your Mom is an interior design fan, she's going to love this gorgeous book by Kelly Wearstler. This fancy-schmancy edition is a work of art in itself, with a gorgeous cerulean blue cover and gold embossed lettering. Oh, and I'm not just judging it by the cover; I have the original version and can tell you it's a must-have design tome.
Speaking of books, if Mom's a bibliophile, this embosser is a wonderful and personalized gift that will let her leave her mark in beloved books before loaning them out.
My parents always had plastic cubes like this on their desks, filled with family photos. Print six of your favorite shots of the family and fill it for your mom.
This tray's intricate feather pattern is so detailed you could get lost in it. It's the perfect way to corral Mom's ever-growing collection of remote controls, or that collection of perfume bottles on her vanity.
I know summer is coming, but a sophisticated trellis throw like this one can be left out on sofa or bed all year. She can bring it out to the patio on those chilly summer nights.
There's nothing like a sweet bloom in an even sweeter vase. Cut a flower or two and place it in this vase, then sneak in and put it on her nightstand so she'll wake up next to it.
Is Mom's robe starting to look like Andy Capp's wife's — but no one has the heart to tell her? Chances are she'd never splurge on a luxurious robe like this, so do it for her!
A fresh bedscape can completely transform a bedroom, but it's also something that your mom might not splurge on for herself. If she's a fan of crisp blue and white, this duvet and sham set is a wonderful choice.
If you don't want to be so bold as to redecorate Mom's entire bedscape, order up a pair of these lovely white ruffled shams.
If your mother is an iPad addict, she'll need a good cover for it. And let's face it, the ones at the techie-centered stores are a drag. This want-ad cover from Kate Spade will add old-media style to her new-media toy.
A wonderful gift for a new mother or a mother-to-be, this glider looks great in a nursery, but also would also fit right into the decor of a stylish living room.
Is your mother a magazine hoarder? If so, she needs a system to keep her favorite issues organized! Perhaps you could pair this container with a subscription to a magazine she never splurges on for herself, like Oprah, or is too embarrassed to be seen buying, like Life and Style.
And we're back to coastal mom again; if your mom loves Nantucket style, this little scrimshaw-esque box is a wonderful accessory.
When I think of gifts for Mom, I try to imagine something that she can enjoy all the time — something that is feminine, and about her. This hummingbird feeder has soft colors and a delicate design that makes it beautiful on its own. The added plus is that gorgeous birds will flock to it all spring and summer.
I love this tablecloth; I own this tablecloth. It makes me happy every time I put in on the table outside for summer meals. Why not give your mom a scrumptious tablecloth she'll love, too?
Regardless if Mom is a new mom or a Grandma, this is a great Mother's Day gift idea. Who doesn't love a rest on the front porch in a rocker? I love the bent wood frame and how comfortable the hammock seat looks. It could cradle Mom and kids for years.
Any meal can feel like a special occasion with the right place setting. Incorporate these colorful napkins for an instant dining upgrade.
These lovely plated shells will bring the seaside to Mom, even when she's landlocked and needing a little ocean calm.
Does Mom like to take care of business around the house? Hit the hardware store for any tools she's missing (hammer, pliers, both kinds of screwdrivers, an assortment of nails, screws, hooks and picture wire), gather up the existing tools and put them all in this cute striped toolbox. This also works great for corralling glue guns, pinking sheers and other crafting tools.
If your mom is a gardener, these are really fun gardening tools that she'll always know come from you. They have a fun, quilted pattern and are quite useful with planting in beds and containers.
If you have a mother who is more Missoni than Martha Stewart, she'll love this gorgeous striped throw.
Handwritten recipes offer a wonderful way to pass down family traditions. Help your mom organize hers and add a few new cards with your own recipes in your writing. Then put them all together in this gorgeous reclaimed wood recipe box.
This mug is big enough to hold lots of coffee or tea and reminds Mom that you love her. Complete the gift with a bag of her favorite grounds or tea.
This adorable bee is actually a house that will encourage the helpful pollinators to colonize near her garden and make her flowers and veggies even more successful. It's a bright, fun and eco-friendly gift.
Thick and fluffy Turkish towels are always a luxurious and appreciated gift. Make them personal by having them monogrammed with the first letter of your mom's last name.
Not only will this lavender topiary look lovely gracing Mom's table, window, or front porch, it will fill the space around it with a wonderful lavender aroma.
Flowers wilt within a week, but this gorgeous vase ensures that your mom will have blooms long after the bouquet inside has hit the compost pile.
I first spied this Vera pattern at The Atlanta Botanical Gardens and bought a tablecloth in it for both myself and my mother. These placemats are a wonderful way to bring some fresh spring colors and creatures to a table. Next: More great gift guides
This needlepoint paperweight recalls those goofy crafts projects you'd make for mom in kindergarten — with a lot more polish. Whenever she looks down at her desk and sees it, she'll get a wave of nostalgia for that cat's eye you made her, yet be secretly relieved she's looking at a fabulous Jonathan Adler product instead.
Q