Mother's Day Ideas: Plans, Gifts and What to Write

Mother's Day ideas: plans, gifts and the card that matters most

Mother's Day in the UK is Mothering Sunday - three Sundays before Easter, so it moves every year and usually lands in March, weeks before the American one. That's the single most common reason a card arrives late.

The day itself tends to go best when it's genuinely a day off for her. Flowers and a lie-in are lovely, but the winning move is usually taking something off her list rather than adding an event to it.

We make cards, pin badges and prints in house, printed in the UK, so everything below is a straight guide to the day - plus the card that goes with it.

The card that goes with it

Mother's Day cards designed in house and printed in the UK.

A cheeky Mother's Day card featuring the text 'Thanks for the good genes' in a playful, clean font. Happy Mothers Day Card (Thanks For The Good Genes) £3.87 A cheeky Mother's Day card featuring the text 'Thanks For The Booty' in a colourful design, displayed with its envelope. Happy Mothers Day Card (Thanks For The Booty) £3.87 A square white Mother's Day greeting card with funny text about drinking wine straight from the bottle. Thanks For Putting Up With Me, Wine From The Bottle (Mothers Day Card) £3.75 Illustration of a new mum holding her baby, with customisable options for hair colour and skin tones. Happy First Mothers Day Card (Personalised) £3.75 Cat Mum Mothers Day Card Cat Mum Mothers Day Card £3.87 Amazing Mum to be Mothers Day Card Amazing Mum to be Mothers Day Card £3.87

Shop Mother's Day cards

What to do on the day

  • A proper lie-in with the door shut and the kids handled. That's the gift, everything else is decoration.
  • Breakfast or afternoon tea at home - restaurants are packed and the service is rushed on Mothering Sunday.
  • Take on the whole day's admin: cooking, washing up, the school bags, the dog. No asking her where things are.
  • A walk somewhere with a view and a flask, if she'd rather be out than sat being waited on.
  • If she's far away, send the card to arrive on the Friday and call on the Sunday morning, not the evening.
  • If she's no longer here, mark her instead - her recipe, her flowers on the table, her favourite film.

Gifts beyond flowers

  • A print for the hallway or kitchen - flowers last a week, a print stays up for years.
  • The nice version of something she uses daily: the hand cream, the tea, the notebook, the umbrella.
  • A booked thing with a date: a lunch, a cinema trip, a garden she's mentioned wanting to visit.
  • A plant instead of cut flowers if she's a grower - it outlasts the day by a decade.
  • A photo book of the last year. Cheap to make, and the one thing she'll show people.
  • Vouchers for jobs from the kids: one car wash, one washing up, one hour of quiet. She will cash them in.

Mother's Day on a budget

  • Under £10: a card, a pin badge and breakfast made properly.
  • Under £25: a potted plant, an A4 print and a handwritten list of things she taught you.
  • Free: do the jobs she's been meaning to do, without discussing them first.
  • From young kids: a decorated card and a flower picked on a walk beats anything from a shop.

What to write in a Mother's Day card

  • Happy Mother's Day, Mum - thanks for everything, especially the bits I never notice.
  • To the woman who answers the phone every single time. Happy Mothering Sunday.
  • Happy Mother's Day. Today you do nothing, and we mean it.
  • To my nan, who is a second mum - happy Mother's Day, with all our love.
  • Happy Mother's Day to a brilliant mum from your favourite child. Don't tell the others.
  • Thinking of you today, Mum. Missing you every day, but especially this one.

Shop Mother's Day cards

How to write it so it lands

  • Check the date early - it moves with Easter and catches people out every single year.
  • Book any restaurant a month ahead. It's the busiest restaurant day in the UK calendar.
  • Post the card by the Thursday so it lands before the weekend.
  • Write the specific thing. 'Thanks for the 6am lifts' beats 'thanks for everything'.

Where to shop next

Frequently asked questions

When is Mother's Day in the UK?

Mothering Sunday is the fourth Sunday of Lent - three Sundays before Easter - so it moves each year and usually falls in March. The US and many other countries mark it in May instead.

What can I give instead of flowers?

A plant she can keep, a print for the wall, the upgraded version of something she uses daily, or a booked day out with a date on it.

How much do people spend on Mother's Day in the UK?

Commonly £20 to £40 including the card and flowers. Time and taking jobs off her list costs nothing and consistently rates higher.

What do you write if Mother's Day is difficult?

Short and honest works: 'Thinking of you today.' If you've lost your mum, writing her name and one memory somewhere - a card you keep, not send - helps more than pretending the day isn't happening.

Back to blog