DIY Personalized Mother’s Day Gift for Grandma (Perfect for Mimi, Gigi & More)
If your grandma isn’t just “Grandma” or “Nana,” it can be surprisingly hard to find something personalized. Most custom gifts only come with standard names, which doesn’t work when you have a Mimi, Gigi, Tutu, Nonna, or something completely unique.
For Christmas, I worked with our in-house artist (Margot) to create custom tote bags for our Mimi and Gigi. When I showed a friend, she said it was such a creative idea, and I immediately thought this would be perfect for Mother’s Day.
I wanted something that felt elevated but still practical. Not a novelty gift that ends up in a drawer, but something they would actually use.
I found these large, thick canvas totes with a zip top from Target, and they were exactly what I was hoping for: sturdy, neutral, and big enough for errands, travel, or throwing in all the grandma essentials.
We kept the base simple and made it special ourselves.
How We Made Them
Once we had the blank tote, we turned it over to Margot.
We let her choose her paint colors (removing white, brown, and black from the options to avoid a muddy situation 😅) and let her paint freely on both sides.
After the paint dried completely, we ironed on the name patches. “Mimi” went on one, “Gigi” on the other. We also added a few decorative patches that felt personal to each of them.
The mix of toddler art and structured lettering is what makes it feel intentional instead of messy.
And the best part? It feels like something only your child could make.
What You Need:
Canvas tote (neutral works best)
Washable or fabric paint
Letter or name patches
Decorative or interest-based patches
Iron
A Few Tips If You’re Making One
Choose thicker canvas. It holds paint better and feels more gift-worthy.
Let the paint dry fully before ironing patches.
Keep the background simple with some white space so the name stands out.
Why This Makes the Perfect Mother’s Day Gift
It’s:
Personalized (even if you call her something totally unique)
Kid-made (but still practical)
Affordable
Easy to replicate for multiple grandmas
If you’re looking for something meaningful but low-stress this Mother’s Day, this is such a sweet option.
