Reviews Gifts
Written by Connie Chen, Katie Decker-Jacoby, and Emily Hein
Updated
2022-05-03T15:33:59Z
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A personalized item, even if it's the simple addition of a monogram, goes a long way in showing that you put thought into the gift. It makes the recipient feel special whenever they use or wear it, and one person in our lives who undoubtedly deserves to feel special is Mom.
From monogrammed suitcasesto photo gifts and special maps that could only belong to her, these personalized gifts take the extra step to make a big impact this Mother's Day.
Personalized gift options are also a great opportunity to acknowledge that Mother's Day looks different for everyone: a kind and personalized gesture can make anybody's day this May, regardless of what May 8 will look like for them.
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Get creative with these 32 personalized Mother's Day gift ideas:
This list includes a Sponsored Product that has been suggested by Function of Beauty. It also meets our editorial criteria in terms of quality and value.*
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A custom candy box
Personalize a Sugarwish gift box, from $23
Best for:The mom with a sweet tooth
Nothing's quite as sweet as a custom gift box filled with Mom's favorite candy, popcorn, cookies, snacks, or coffee. Once you purchase Mom's Sugarwish order, she gets a message prompting her to choose the treats and shipping timeframe.
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A thoughtful book by her favorite author
Personalize the "100 Things I Love About Mom" Book at Amazon, $12.49
Best for:The sentimental mom
It doesn't get more personal than a custom book for Mom written by their own child. Although there's a bit more work required to prepare this gift than ordering a pre-personalized item, incorporating your own thoughts and words will make it even more memorable.
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Custom haircare designed just for them
Personalize Shampoo & Conditioner at Function of Beauty, from $29.99
Best for: Moms with custom hair needs
Haircare looks different for everyone, which is why Function of Beauty is an excellent choice for those with specific hair needs. Customize their shampoo or conditioner based on their preferences, or send a gift card so they can explore what works best for them.
*Sponsored by Function of Beauty.
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A chic travel case
Personalize the Small Travel Jewelry Case at Mark & Graham, from $59
Best for:The mom who's always on the go
Simple meets personal with this custom travel jewelry case that adorns Mom's initials. Although intended for travel, it could easily be an at-home staple to store jewelry all year long.
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A thoughtful frame they can admire at any time
Personalize the Note to Mom Picture Frame at Uncommon Goods, from $48
Best for:Moms who love to reflect on their favorite memories
A wooden frame with a custom message is a discrete enough, but still incredibly thoughtful way to demonstrate your love. You can order the frame on its own, opt for a typed message, or even include a handwritten message on the back.
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A refillable, leather journal with her initials
Personalize the Medium Journal at Leatherology, $70 + $10-$15 monogram
Best for:The list maker
For the mom who loves organizing her thoughts or jotting down to-do lists, a monogrammed leather journal is the perfect gift. This one is sure to last — she can order as many paper refills as she needs.
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A flower arrangement curated by you
Personalize a flower arrangement at Floracracy, $155-$350
Best for:The Mom who loves a classic gift
Floracracy guides you through the personalization process with questions about the occasion, the receiver, the message, and the aesthetic. After the brief questionnaire, you can choose the shape, size, color palette, and flowers that match your mom's taste.
You can read more about our experience with Floracracy in our guide to the best online flower delivery services and our full review of Floracracy.
A candle with a custom message on the back
Personalize the Thank You, Mom Candle at Homesick Candles, $27 + $5-$15 personalization
Best for:The scent-imental mom
This floral-scented candle may look ordinary, but she'll find a heartfelt message from you when she turns it around to see the back. You can write custom notes on both the packaging and the actual candle for extra thoughtful touches.
For our full review of Homesick Candles, read on here.
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An apron labeled with her name
Personalize the Classic Solid Adult Apron at Williams-Sonoma, $24.95 + $12 personalization
Best for:The home chef
An apron is a great gift for any mom who loves to cook or bake, but you can make it even more special with this personalized apron from Williams-Sonoma. There are a variety of apron colors, fonts, and font colors to make this apron special for Mom.
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A sleek, leather AirPod case with her initials
Personalize the Saffiano AirPod Case at The Daily Edited, $40
Best for:The podcast or audiobook enthusiast
The mom who appreciates tech gadgets will enjoy having a sophisticated home for her AirPods. You get to select everything from the font, text, and font size to the font color, text position, and greeting card. The Daily Edited offers custom cases in an array of neutral colors for the AirPods and AirPods Pro, and in either pebbled or saffiano leather.
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A custom jersey from her favorite team
Personalize a Women's Custom Jersey at MLB Shop, $149.99
Best for:The sports fan
The sports fanatic mom will enjoy repping her favorite team with the team's name on the front and her own on the back. You can even pick her favorite number to go below her name. Although this one is specifically for Major League Baseball, you can easily find custom jerseys from other professional sports leagues, too.
You can browse more of our gift ideas for sports fans here.
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A letter charm necklace
Personalize the Mini Gold Letter Charm Pendant at AUrate, $250
Best for:The mom who enjoys simplicity
This 14-karat piece of gold jewelry is sure to make your mom feel special every day.
If this isn't quite her style, there are more personalized jewelry gift ideas for Mom here.
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A set of custom bookends
Personalize the Framed Bookends at Amazon, $49.95
Best for:The avid reader
What better way to hold up Mom's collection of hardcovers than with a custom set of bookends? Choose a photo along with a name, an important place, an inside joke, or really whatever you'd like to fill out the set.
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A custom box of M&M's
Personalize the M&M's Candy Gift Box, from $29.99
Best for:The candy fan
Satisfy Mom's sweet tooth with some customized candy. You can choose the colors of the M&M's and then personalize them with any pictures or writing you'd like.
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A personal-styling service
Gift a Stitch Fix gift card, from $20
Best for:The style icon
Shopping can be difficult and time-consuming, which is where the stylists at Stitch Fix come in. A great gift for busy moms, the service delivers the newest trends and styles to fit any occasion and price point.
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A monogrammed leather makeup bag
Personalize the Large Clamshell Makeup Bag at Leatherology, $100 + $10 monogram
Best for:The Mom of the "fewer, better" mindset
Choose up to six characters and the color for the monogram of this leather bag. The size is perfect for travel-sized toiletries and makeup and has a waterproof lining to protect the leather.
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A pair of Nike shoes in her favorite colors
Personalize a pair of sneakers at Nike, from $120
Best for:The athlete
Whether she runs occasionally to clear her mind or is the family's resident marathoner, she'll love a pair of shoes to truly call her own. More than 70 styles, including casual walking shoes, soccer cleats, and basketball shoes, can be designed from the outsole to the laces.
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A photo calendar
Personalize the Brass Easel and Calendar at Artifact Uprising, from $59
Best for:The 365-day Mom
This classy, solid brass piece makes a beautiful desktop display, and the pictures add warmth and familiarity. The hardest part is choosing only 12 of your favorite photos to include.
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A constellation map
Personalize the Constellation Print at Etsy, from $55
Best for:The stargazer
This Etsy shop lets you choose three different locations of significance. You're in charge of picking the color, location, exact text under each map, and font style. The artist will take care of the rest.
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A custom map of anywhere in the world
Personalize a map print at Grafomap, from $49
Best for:The mom always walking down memory lane
If the stars aren't aligning for you, try this type of map instead. After choosing a design theme, zoom out to your mom's favorite country or get hyperlocal and zoom in to an exact neighborhood.
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A monogrammed water bottle
Personalize a water bottle at S'well, from $25 + $10 monogram
Best for:The mom who elevates the ordinary
These sleek colors and shapes bring a new elegance to an ordinary water bottle. S'well's bottles keep beverages cold for 24 hours and hot for 12.
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An engravable watch
Personalize a watch at Timex, from $75
Best for:The mom who loves subtle nostalgia
The dial, case, and strap can all be customized, plus adding an engraving on the back is free. Whether you want to make a time-related pun, engrave simple initials, or squeeze in a concise message, the back is yours to own.
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A hand-painted monogrammed suitcase
Personalize a suitcase at Away, from $245 with $50 monogramming cost
Best for:The traveler
Hand-painted by a lettering artist in New York City, these monogrammed suitcases take two to three weeks to ship, so plan accordingly. With their smart features, compact design, and array of colors, they're worth the wait.
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Another suitcase she can customize beyond a monogram
Gift a Roam Gift Card, from $120
Best for:The Mom who loves to stand out
If you think she'll want to go beyond a simple monogram, she's better off with a Roam carry-on. Nine parts of the lightweight hardshell suitcase are customizable, allowing her to flex her creative color chops.
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A custom quote print
Personalize a quote print at Minted, from $38
Best for:The mom who pays attention to every word
Spotlight a quote from her favorite film, book, or song, or even quote Mom herself. There are many font colors, sizes, and frames to choose from.
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A simple personalized t-shirt
Personalize the Fitted Crew at Known Supply, $32 + $10 monogram
Best for:The cozy mom
Let the world know who your mom is with this comfortable Pima cotton basic tee embroidered in cute, loopy cursive.
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A vitamin-and-supplement subscription
Gift a Care/of gift card, from $30
Best for:The fan of convenience
Before Care/of, gifting a pack of vitamins would be strange, but the company has somehow normalized the process with its personalized packaging and even more personalized vitamin plans. After taking a quiz, she'll learn which vitamins and supplements she needs most and can get them conveniently delivered to her house.
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A monogrammed leather tote
Personalize the Classic Leather Tote at Cuyana, $198 + $15 monogram
Best for:The commuter
This everyday bag is made from Italian leather and comes in a variety of neutral colors like black, navy, and caramel. It's versatile for Mom's different uses, like work, errands, or a weekend trip.
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A sound-wave art print
Personalize the Sound Wave Art at Etsy, from $70
Best for:The music lover
This one-of-a-kind gift is a visual piece with a surprising auditory twist: the artist converts the audio file of anyone's voice into a sound wave, whether it's yours or your mom's.
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Fluffy, embroidered hand towels
Personalize a pair of hand towels at Weezie, $54 + $15 embroidery
Best for:The mom who loves to host
More than 300 style combinations are possible with Weezie's personalization options, which let you choose the piping color, embroidery style, and embroidery color of the soft, durable cotton towels. You can go simple with a block-letter monogram or fancier with a 12-character script.
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A photo phone case
Personalize a photo phone case at Casetify, from $45
Best for:The tech enthusiast
Casetify's easy-to-use design interface offers tons of options to turn an ordinary phone case into a completely unique one. You can connect to an Instagram account to make choosing photos a breeze.
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A personalized body care set that uses her favorite scents
Personalize a Mad Optimist body care set, from $30
Best for:The mom who's into clean beauty
The Mad Optimist is a startup that makes all-natural, fully personalized body care products, from your preferred scents and ingredients to custom labels.
Connie Chen is a former senior reporter on the Insider Reviews team, where she led coverage of home textiles, home entertaining, and food and drink. While at Insider, she specialized in all the things that enhance life at home, from the most comfortable bed sheets and fluffy pillows to cool online wine clubs and bartender-approved co*cktail shakers. She combined rigorous testing methods, conversations with professionals, and active knowledge of the home and kitchen space to help readers get the most out of their money. When she's not changing duvet covers or washing towels twice a day for articles, she loves talking about and trying the newest snacks, drinks, andfood gifts. You can see more of her testing process and other behind-the-scenes of being a product journalist on her Instagram @connayreviews. Connie joined Insider Reviews as an early member in 2017 and has also reported on products and services in the style, tech, fitness, travel, and e-learning spaces, with a particular interest and expertise in emerging startups. She has represented the team at CES and moderated panels on media business and the future of retail. Connie graduated from UC Berkeley with degrees in media studies and business administration, which help inform her perspective on and coverage of industry trends, as well as the competitive e-commerce landscape at large. Read some of her work: The 4 best co*cktail shakers in 2021 The 7 best women's bathrobes in 2021 The 5 best wine openers and corkscrews we tested in 2021 The 5 best bed sheets we tested in 2021 The 5 best cordless vacuums we tested in 2021 12 direct-to-consumer kitchen startups that are changing the way we shop for cookware and knives 8 tableware startups changing the way we shop for dishes Even chefs experience cooking burnout — here's how they get re-inspired in the kitchen How businesses create successful virtual experiences 50 cookbooks from famous restaurants across the US that will help you recreate their best dishes at home Learn more about how our team of experts tests and reviews products at Insider here. Learn more about how we test kitchen products.
Style & Beauty Reviews Fellow
Katie is a style and beauty reviews fellow for the Insider Reviews team, with a focus on buying guides. Through researching, testing, and writing, she aims to help readers learn about the best style and beauty products on the market. She has mainly concentrated on updating the team's beauty coverage through interviewing dermatologists, hairstylists, and other industry experts. However, she has also rounded up the best fashion brands and products to shop, across all different styles, budgets, and needs. Prior to joining Insider, Katie interned at Fashion Snoops, a trend forecasting agency, where she kept her finger on the pulse of all things beauty and wellness. She researched and wrote trend reports that covered innovative brands, products, and shifts. She also held an internship with Giuseppe Zanotti, during which she learned the ins and outs of fashion public relations. Katie graduated from Brandeis University with a bachelor's degree in American Studies, Journalism, and English. See below for some of her most recent work.
- We asked editors, stylists, and influencers for the stylish sneakers they love — here are their 16 picks and styling tips
- We've tested dozens of swimsuit brands as a team, but these are the 10 brands we keep going back to
- The 13 best hair dryers for every hair type, according to stylists
- The 10 best places to shop for comfortable workwear, so you never have to go back to hard pants
- This is the skincare routine experts recommend for shrinking the appearance of pores
- Everlane launched its first swimwear collection, with pieces starting at $30 — here's what 7 of us thought after testing the swimsuits
- The 30 best face moisturizers for every skin type, tested by our team of experts
- 51 rompers and jumpsuits that will keep you breezy and cool all summer
Say hello to Katie at kdeckerjacoby@businessinsider.com. Learn more about how our team of experts tests and reviews products at Insider here.
Associate Editor, Health
Emily is an Associate Editor for the Health team within the Service Journalism division of Insider. She and her team provide digestible, actionable advice for readers' most pressing health questions. She has a particular passion for mental health advocacy, which has led her to pursue a Master of Social Work degree at NYU (expected 2024).Emily joined Insider back in 2019 as a Story Production fellow, later growing into a Senior Story Producer role. Her years of experience formatting and optimizing stories in Insider's CMS have provided her with a unique perspective on the editorial process, shaping her thoughtfulness as an editor. Prior to Insider, Emily graduated from the University of Michigan, where she studied communications and English.
You can purchase logo and accolade licensing to this story here.
Disclosure: Written and researched by the Insider Reviews team. We highlight products and services you might find interesting. If you buy them, we may get a small share of the revenue from the sale from our partners. We may receive products free of charge from manufacturers to test. This does not drive our decision as to whether or not a product is featured or recommended. We operate independently from our advertising team. We welcome your feedback. Email us at reviews@businessinsider.com.
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