Show your mom all kinds of love by crafting a beautiful necklace or bracelet for Mother’s Day! Another nice thing? It comes from the heart and also less expensive than going to a store, picking something out, and spending 10x the cost. All you need is a wire/cord, jewelry charms or beads of your color choice, a little “mom” imagination (we all know mom’s have their own style:) and you’re all set. You can even make one for yourself!

Find all of these arts and craft supplies and much more from Factory Direct Craft. Not only are there loads of beautiful charms, filigrees, beads, and wire/cords for jewelry making, but they are at really great prices, too! Here are a couple of Mother’s Day ideas, to set you off:

Lay Out Your Letters on the Canvas

Step 1: Get Your Supplies

Your canvas for this project is going to be a cheap piece of underlayment from a hardware store. This will cost you about $6. Make sure you have it cut to the size you want at the hardware store to avoid extra work at home. You’ll also need some paint colors of your choice (any kind works) and a paint brush. Small bottles of paint from the craft store will work, or you could even use leftover wall paint stashed in your garage.

Step 2: Select a Quote

Pick a quote that will easily fit on your board. For our artwork we used Proverbs 25:11, A word aptly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver. But you can choose a quote, song lyrics or poem that is meaningful to you and your special someone.

Step 3: Print Your Letters and Cut them Out

Choose a font and size and then print your letters. It’s best to choose a basic font that will be easy to cut out. We used Impact. Cutting out your letters may take a little while, but it’s a project you can complete while sitting on the couch.

Step 4: Prep Your Canvas

Choose Your Colors and Paint

This step is optional. You may want your letters to show the natural wood color, or you may want to paint the canvas. Either way your artwork will be lovely. We painted ours white.

Step 5: Tape On Your Letters

There are many ways to adhere your letters to the board, including just using regular tape. Stick them down well so that paint is less likely to seep underneath.

Step 6: Start Painting

This is where your creativity can really show. Select your colors and start painting. There are no real rules– just have fun! And if it doesn’t turn out the way you imagined, simply start over with more paint!

Step 7: Allow Paint to Dry

The Finished Product: DIY Custom Artwork

Make sure the paint dries completely before peeling away your letters. This will help the edges of your letters stay more crisp.

Step 8: Remove Letters and Hang

Start tearing away your letters. Don’t be alarmed if your paint leaked under them. This just adds to the artistic affect. Framing your custom artwork is definitely optional. The board works fine on its own, or you can add a frame to give it more of a finished, gallery look. Either way you’ve got a one-of-a-kind gift that your sweetheart will love.

Photos courtesy of Alison Storm