Mother’s Day Tray

Here is a great craft that you and your kids can make for their mother, grandma or any mother figure in their lives. Not only will it show how much you appreciate them but will serve as a memento for years to come. Make it extra special with personalized messages of love for their mom (or grandma!). It’s perfect for serving breakfast-in-bed on Mother’s Day morning!

Materials:

• Raw wooden tray (found at any craft store)
• Acrylic paint
• Paint brushes
• Paper plate
• Cup of water
• Cleanup supplies (wet wipes, paper towels, etc)
• Varnish or clear paint (optional)

To add a homemade card:

• White drawing paper
• Pencil/markers/crayons

Step 1:

First, get the juices flowing by brainstorming designs with your kids. Ask them what they love the most about mom? What colors does she like? Does she like certain flowers or animals? By having them take the lead, you’ll help grow their creativity and make this gift even more special.

When you’re ready, take a paper plate and add a few globs of the colors that your kids want to use. They can even mix their paints for fun creative colors or combinations. Don’t forget to keep paper towels for cleanup and a cup of water nearby to rinse your brush out.

Step 2:

Now it’s time to start! If you want a little more structure you can have your little one trace whatever they want to paint onto the tray in pencil first. But they can also be as spontaneous as they want! What makes this present special is that it’s handmade for mom. Don’t forget to check in with them about their design and offer plenty of encouragement along the way. Let them know how proud you are that they’re making this gift themselves!

Step 3:

Your best bet for the most painting space will be the bottom of the tray. Draw some of mom’s favorite flowers on there or maybe reference a silly family inside joke.

Step 4:

Help the tray’s design pop by painting the sides bright, solid colors to stand out. Once you’ve finished painting, put it to the side and let the paint dry. Acrylic paint typically takes about 20-30 minutes to dry, though a thick coat can take around an hour or so to dry.

Step 5:

Take this time to grab some paper for your kids to make a special Mother’s Day card you’ll include with your tray. You can use the same colors and designs from your tray on your card.

Step 6:

Once the tray is dry you can add optional varnish or clear paint on top of everything to help the tray colors stand up to washing. With your tray and card finished, it’s now time to think about a delicious breakfast to serve on Mother’s Day morning! Check out these easy Mother’s Day breakfast recipes to get you started.