Upcycle Old Photos and Send a Message of Love this Mother's Day

This gift idea for Mother's Day is beautiful and simple to make, and it won't clutter up Mom's bookshelf or give her more stuff to dust.

At some point, most of us end up having too much STUFF! Some people really like stuff. Others are mindful of getting rid of stuff. If your mother is mindful of getting rid of stuff, give her stationery made out of upcycled photographs of flowers. Not only are you getting rid of old photos, but your mom can feel good about getting rid of your gift.

Just as a side note….

My sister and I hassle my mother about the fact that our childhood artwork never debuted on our refrigerator, and the purple porcelain cow I bought her at the amusement park never donned a visible surface in our home. My grandmother once said of hand-me-downs she offered my mother, "If it doesn't go with Kay's decor, she won't take it." It wasn't a compliment. My grandmother lived through the Depression and firmly believed one shouldn't pass up useful items because they didn't work with one's decor.

Photos of flowers have been upcycled using a metallic Sharpie to make pretty stationery for Mother’s Day.

My mother had an aesthetic before "aesthetic" was a thing! We marvel that she was always ahead of the trend by years, yet she was never trendy. Her decor choices were timeless, and the thing we seldom tell people about but are very appreciative of is my mother framed a lot of our artwork and proudly hung it on the walls of our home. She elevated its stature by framing it and, in the process, made us feel proud of our accomplishments. She taught us how to be strong, independent women who instinctively knew what we wanted and constantly encouraged us not to be afraid to be different. She gave us confidence even when she didn't have it because that's what good mothers do for their children. They pull every bit of strength from every fiber of their being and infuse it in their children. That's what our mother did. She dug deep every day and imbued us with strength, determination, and love allowing us to grow and bloom. Thanks, Mom!