Mother’s Day Gifts under $50

Mother’s Day is heading our way, and as usual, you are racking your brain for unique, affordable gifts for the moms in your life. Moms do so much, whether they are yours by birth or by choice, so choosing a gift that expresses how you feel — and one that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg — can be a tall order. I found 20 gifts that are sure to please all the moms on your list. 

Apparel & Accessories

52 Days of Style ($13 and up)

We all have phases when we are excited to get dressed, but there are other times when we are in a style slump. These cute cards, which were developed by stylist Dina Scherer, help provide creative ideas for coordinating colors, outfit suggestions, and fun fashion inspo; helping Mom work with her existing wardrobe and providing tips for picking up new pieces as well.

TYR Women’s SunDefense Long Sleeve Shirt ($44.99)  

This soft long-sleeve sun shirt makes shielding Mom’s precious skin from the sun a breeze with instant UPF 50+ broad-spectrum protection.  The SunDefense QuickDry, moisture-wicking fabric is a pleasure to wear, wet or dry, and the shirt has thumbholes to ensure that the shirt stays in place. Lots of colors are available. I have the 900 Deep Ultramarine, which is a beautiful shade.

Kindred Bravely Emmaline Robe ($39.99)

This silky, lightweight robe in basic black makes a wonderful gift for a mom-to-be. The belt can be worn 2 ways, creating an empire waist, which is ideal for pregnancy, or a traditional waist. The robe has deep pockets for essentials, like wipes or tissues, and the 3/4 length sleeves won’t get in her way.  The robe is also handy to use as a nursing cover.

Pretty Things

Felt Flowers by Heather Donohue ($12 each)

These handcrafted felt flowers feature cheery pinks, oranges, and yellows cut into pretty shapes, then stacked to make whimsical blooms that will last forever. Each flower has a leaf that can be personalized with a name or “Mom” and a pipe cleaner stem. I fell in love with these and ordered several for the Moms, Nanas, Grandmas, and Grammys in my life. 

Pretty Pep Talks Stationery Set ($45 and up)

If Mom enjoys sending written correspondence, a lovely letterpress stationery set from Pretty Pep Talks would be a welcome addition to her stationery stash. There are lots of designs to choose from, including sophisticated monograms and quirky designs featuring images like cocktails or flamingos.

BeachTech Towel in Sunset ($24.99)  

These ultra-thin beach towels have their own carrying pouch and are made from recycled plastic water bottles!  They are ¼ the size of a regular towel, and yet they resist sand, absorb 3x more water, and dry very quickly. Available in a variety of prints – I chose Sunset, which is very pretty. 

Gift a Green ($12.99 on Amazon)

A fun and affordable gift, this “card” pouch has a space for her address, a personal message, and a sport for postage (for 100g).  When Mom receives the pouch, she opens it to reveal soil and a seed packet to grow her own microgreens! Instructions are at www.giftagreen.com. There’s also a gift box ($33) that contains 5 different micro-green gardens.  

The Stationery Studio Stunning Glass Photo Paperweight ($35.00)

You may know by now that I am always on the hunt for unique photo gifts. This elegant glass paperweight is 3″ x 3″ x 0.75″ and will look beautiful perched atop her papers.

The Happy Birdwatcher Starter Box ($32 and up)

A birdwatcher’s delight, this birdseed mix is unique to her zip code and the seed comes with expert info on what birds she can expect. You can choose between Regular, No Waste, and Hot Pepper blend options; No Waste is ideal for a patio because no hulls are left behind. Hot Pepper mix is the choice for those with a squirrel problem. Subscriptions are also available, and the customized mix is adjusted throughout the year according to bird migrations.  Packaging is recyclable, and a portion of the proceeds is donated to organizations serving those with mental health issues or addiction. 

Food & Beverage

BOSKA Cheese Baker ($27.49)

This oven and dishwasher-safe white dish will be a go-to when she entertains; it’s the ideal size for a brie or warm dip, and the tea light candle underneath will keep the contents at the perfect temperature for dipping.  A lid is included, so what’s left can be stored in the fridge. 10-year warranty. 

Corico Olive Boat ($30 on Amazon)

Another must for entertaining, this two-piece white glaze serving bowl holds olives around the edge and it has a clever, covered receptacle for the pits in the center. She’ll never have to look at ugly olive pits again! Dishwasher safe.

Filthy Starter Kit ($16)

If she loves cocktails, this cheeky kit will be a excellent addition to her home bar. The kit contains essential ingredients for Bloody Marys and Margaritas, including all-natural mixes plus naturally-cured queen olives stuffed with delicious Wisconsin blue cheese and wild Italian slow-cooked Amarena cherries. All products are non-GMO and gluten-free. Bump up the gift with her favorite booze brands.

Self Care

MICROJOYS: Finding Hope (Especially) When Life Is Not Okay ($22.68) 

This insightful book by author Cyndie Spiegel weaves together essays addressing the microjoys that have kept Cyndie going through tough times and shows us how we can learn to find microjoys in our own lives. As she reads the book, Mom will learn how you can weather something hard but find joy in the small things at the same time. 

Mental + Calm Strips Banana Breather ($11.99 for a 5-pack)

Life can be hard, and this limited edition Banana Breather is a sensory sticker that will encourage Mom to focus and breathe calmly whenever she needs it. The sticker can be attached to most surfaces; a phone, laptop, desk, etc., and can easily be removed.  Mental is an online platform dedicated to real life and its ups and downs, offering support, and removing the stigma of mental health challenges, because we all have them! The banana represents their tagline “Because life is bananas” and was created in partnership with award-winner Calm Strips.  The strips come with a simple – yet effective – breathing exercise. This month, a percentage of the proceeds of each Mental + Calm Strips Banana Breather packet sold will go to Made of Millions, a global mental health advocacy nonprofit.

Sips by Bath Tea Kit ($40)

The Bath Tea Kit is a collaboration with Sips by Founder Staci in Austin, artist, watercolorist August Wren in NYC, and designer Julie in Portland. This soothing blend of herbs, fruits, and flowers is dispensed into sachets (included) infusing Mom’s bathwater with antioxidants and inflammation-reducing benefits. The teas and sachets come packaged in a beautiful, reusable floral print double-layered clutch.

Beauty

Nivea Skin Care Set for Her ($14.81 on Amazon

This set of NIVEA products is nestled in a colorful, reusable zipper tote. The set includes full-size bottles of NIVEA Nourishing Care Body Wash with Nourishing Serum, Essentially Enriched Body Lotion, Moisture Lip Care, and a 2oz. NIVEA Crème. A lovely gift that is very affordable!

FaceTory Dream Garden Collection 8 Sheet Mask Set ($23.16 for 8 masks. Originally $28.95) 

This collection of floral printed sheet masks contains 8 masks to provide nourishment and hydration to parched skin. The masks are infused with concentrated essence with ingredients, like Elderflower Water, Chamomile Extract, and Lotus Flower Extract, and her skin will feel fantastic after each mask.

grace & stella energy drink eye masks ($24 for 48 pairs) 

A treat for tired eyes, these cooling and anti-inflammatory hydrogel eye patches contain nutritious ingredients, like Chondrus crispus powder and glycerin to intensely hydrate the eyes, depuff, and mitigate under-eye circles. Vegan, cruelty-free, and paraben-free.

If you’re not sure what to get

I hope you found some inspiration in the above suggestions, but if you’re still scratching your head, I have two suggestions for you.  

One is PerfectGift.com ($10 – $100), where you can purchase a Visa gift card for Mom that can be personalized with a photo and message. That way, Mom can use her special gift card to buy whatever she wants! 

I also recently had a chance to try Snappy, which is an innovative gifting platform where you purchase a Snappy for Mom for $25 – $500. She clicks on the email notification and then there’s a fun “scratch” feature, which reveals a slew of curated gifts (anywhere from 10-40) based on a variety of interests and hobbies that she can choose from.  She can even send you a digital thank you note after! I received a Snappy to try for myself and I had a hard time choosing because there were so many nice gifts.  

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Trae Bodge is an accomplished lifestyle journalist and TV commentator who has specialized in smart shopping, personal finance, and retail for more than a decade. She has appeared on TV over 1,000 times; including Today Show, GMA3, NBC Nightly News, Inside Edition, and network affiliates nationwide. She has been named a Top Voice in Retail by LinkedIn, and her expert commentary has appeared in Forbes, USNews.com, Kiplinger, Yahoo Finance, and numerous others.