Have you thought about what you are doing for that special lady this year? Flowers have always been associated with Mum’s and even though fresh flowers are beautiful, have you ever thought about everlasting dried flowers? Mother’s day is fast approaching and will be on Sunday 11th May this year. 

The best thing about Mother’s day is that whatever you do for your Mum, she will appreciate and treasure it forever. Mum’s are selfless so let’s see what we can do to make that day a memorable one and not break the bank! I have a few ideas I want to share that can make brunch, lunch or afternoon tea a little more special for you and her.

Crafts for the table

Gift tags

Gift tags are inexpensive and can be purchased at the local $2 dollar shop. Better yet, you can make them out of old cards or even cardboard. That’s a big tick right there for the environment when you reuse or repurpose.  Add a little ribbon we all know we have lying around from Christmas and birthdays and then add a few dried flower heads by sellotaping, hot glue gunning or craft glue in place. Use calligraphy to write Mum / Mom / Mother onto the gift tag and ta da! You have a beautiful yet simple table place card or gift tag to add to your present. I told you it was simple. 

 

Centrepiece Table Setting

To add a vintage look, try dried flowers as a table centrepiece. They come in so many colours just like fresh flowers so it would be easy to find shapes and colours that go with your theme. 

• Think neutrals (Bunny Tails, Ammobium, Honesty seed pods, Scabiosa seed pods, Poppy seed pods and other grasses)

• Pinks (Roses, Peonies, Strawflowers or Helipterum- paper daisies)

• Brights (Sunflowers, Statice, Strawflowers)

• Deep colours ( All the above but in the purples, dark pinks and burgundy) 

• Greens (Dried leaves, flax, eucalyptus stems and seed pod varieties)

• How about a combination of the above

Place Settings

You can go bananas with this one!  If you have a smaller table which doesn’t have enough space for a centrepiece (cause that’s where your spongecake and eclairs are going) then a mini bouquet on your side plate is the way to go. Like before, you can make the bouquets match your colour scheme. 

To tidy up your bouquet and hide the elastic which is keeping them together, you could go for a few options:

• Use twine to give a rustic feel

• Use those ribbons that you’ve got hidden away in the drawer to add a pop of colour

• If you’re going with the vintage theme, use lace. Keep the ends long to give a dramatic feel

Napkin/Serviette Holder

This one is very simple and is the perfect craft for both young and old. 

• Take an empty toilet roll and cut it in half. You can wrap it in any craft paper to suit your theme or keep it the brown cardboard. 
• Draw a line on either end so your tube is now marked halfway. 
• Gather your dried flowers and hot glue (or craft glue) the flowers to the one half of the tube. This is because the other half will be on the table so no need to decorate the entire tube. 

To make it more personalised, you could write the name of the person on the tube and then glue the flowers around it. Have fun with it!

Incorporate more Flowers in your day

Tea

Tea is such a personal thing. I looove fruity and citrus teas.  Others may love black, chai or green teas. Whatever your choice, make it special for Mum. There are so many teas to choose from but a few that are my favourites are citrus green tea, hibiscus, raspberry and peppermint. There are so many herbal teas with flowers, you can’t go wrong with choosing two or three. You could make it fun and even incorporate a tea tasting if you wish.

Tea Total has some unusual and tasty options

Harney and sons has a very good peppermint tea that I love and always go back to. Their tins are also beautiful and would make a good Mother's day gift.

Add a Little Sparkle

On the other hand, if your Mum is a lover of Champagne (French) or Prosecco (Italian) and would appreciate a bit of bubbly for Mother’s Day, then I have you covered there too. New Zealand has a rich wine history and is known for their Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc wines throughout the world but we do make sparkling wines too and they are fantastic.  As you may realise from where the wineries are located, the award winning sparkling wines are made in the majestic valleys of Marlborough!

Mud house - Marlborough

Sileni - Hawkes Bay

Cloudy Bay - Marlborough

Kim Crawford - Marlborough

 

Pick your Treat

I love a little sweet treat and who wouldn’t. To round off your Mother’s Day flower fan fair, why don’t you try your hand at making shortbread. They are beautiful and buttery and are a good pairing with tea or bubbly alike. If you can't find your grandmother's recipe, here are a few from Kiwi women who know their way around the kitchen.

Lavender Shortbread - Nadia Lim

Edible Flower Shortbread - The view from Great Island

I hope I have inspired you with a few flowery ideas to make your Mum feel as special as she is. Whether you have time to only do one or attempt all, I hope you have fun making and embellishing your Mothers Day table. Wishing all the Mums and Grandmothers out there a Happy Mothers Day.

With love and passion