Mamma Mia! Your Ultimate Guide to a Heartfelt, Handmade Mother’s Day
- Words by Peppermint
With Mother’s Day just around the corner, maybe you’re hesitant to wade into the blatant disposable consumerism of novelty mugs and cheap bath bombs. Maybe you’ve just forgotten to buy a present altogether. Never fear! Why not make her something handmade instead?!
After all, your mother may have been one of the first people to tell you that a gift made from the heart counts the most, so she has to at least pretend to appreciate the gesture! And if you follow our guide to the killer Mother’s Day combo, your mama will be feeling so thoughtfully appreciated, she won’t have to fake it!
HOUSE OF CARDS
To start with, you’ve got to make a killer card. A handmade card is an instant heart melter. And we’re not talking crayon scribbles anymore. The culmination of all human creativity is at your disposal via the desultory medium of the internet – there are card tutorials out there that will have your mum saying, “Woah, you made this?” Case in point – this amazing papercut art card Studio Flos created exclusively for Peppermint!
Also check out this incredible pop up card from The House That Lars Built. Once you were small enough that your mum could hold you in her hands (wait, how small are babies?) and now you are walking and talking around like a real person – isn’t that weird? Write in a few heartfelt words to showcase how well that literacy she taught you stuck and you’re off to a terrific start.
FLOWER POWER
Peppermint has previously posited the environmental pitfalls of that Mother’s Day staple – a beautiful bouquet of flowers – and we have the solution! A list of sustainable florists with green minds to match their green thumbs.
If you’re worried about rough winds shaking your darling buds of May, you can opt for the more permanent alternative of crafting some paper flowers. Lia Griffith is a paper flower extraordinaire and her website has tutorials for every possible plant under the sun, from Birds of Paradise to Venus Fly Traps. If your mothers has a favourite flower you could no doubt find it in there and make her a perfect paper replica to treasure forever. And if you can’t make it to a craft store to pick up some crepe paper in time, Handmade by Sarah Kim has a tutorial on how to make beautiful paper flowers from recycled materials you could find around your house and in your bin!
ADRIFT FOR GIFTS
A lot of Mother’s Day gifts are themed around “self-care”. Why is that, do you think? Are we trying to repay our mothers in kind for taking care of us? Are we attempting to combat the societal reality that women, particularly caregivers, tend to deprioritise themselves and their wellbeing in order to tend to those around them? Who’s to say! If you want your mum to relax and take some time for herself why not gift her some sweet me-made threads for kicking back in?
Peppermint’s Loungewear Set or Robe Jacket both make for some cuddly, comfy casual wear that will have your mum feeling stylish and serene. If that feels overly ambitious to whip up in a couple of days, you can go for a smaller project like a soothing lavender eye pillow or a spa’s worth of DIY zero-waste beauty products.
Even if you don’t pick up any of these sweet tricks to wow your mama, all you really have to do is drop her a line and let her know you’re thinking of her! Mum’s the word…
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Look, I don’t want to make anyone panic but IT’S DECEMBER!!! If you’re planning to give homemade gifts, you’re going to have to act fast. …
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🌻 The Paddington 🌻
This is a much-loved staple, created for Issue 50 in 2021. We love seeing the #PeppermintPaddingtonTop continually popping up in our feeds!
How stunning is our model Elon MelaninGoddessEfon – she told us it was one of the first times she had been asked to come to a shoot with her natural hair. 🌻
We worked with South African patternmaker Sarah Steenkamp of @FrenchNavyNow_ to create this wardrobe essential – the perfect puff-sleeve blouse. Raglan sleeves make it the ultimate beginner sew, plus the gorgeous back buttons let you add your own personal twist.
Pattern via the link in bio! 🪡
Photos: @KelleySheenan
Fabric: @Spoonflower
Model: MelaninGoddessEfon
“In the 1940’s, Norwegians made and wore red pointed hats with a tassel as a form of visual protest against Nazi occupation of their country. Within two years, the Nazis made these protest hats illegal and punishable by law to wear, make, or distribute. As purveyors of traditional craft, we felt it appropriate to revisit this design.”
Crafters have often been at the heart of many protest movements, often serving as a powerful means of political expression. @NeedleAndSkein, a yarn store in Minnesota, are helping to mobilise the craftivists of the world with a ‘Melt The Ice’ knitting pattern created by @Yarn_Cult (with a crochet pattern too), as a way of peaceful protest.
The proceeds from the $5 pattern will go to local immigrant aid organisations – or you can donate without buying the pattern.
Raise those needles, folks – art and craft can change the world. 🧶
Link in bio for the pattern.
Images: @Gather_Fiber @NeedleAndSkein @a2ina2 @KyraGiggles Sandi.204 @WhatTracyMakes AllieKnitsAway Auntabwi2
#MeltTheIce #Craftivism #Knitting #CraftForChange
TWO WEEKS TO GO! 🤩
"The most important shift is moving from volume-led buying to value-led curation – choosing fewer, better products with strong ethics, considered production and meaningful stories. Retailers have real influence here: what you buy signals what you stand for. At Life Instyle, this means using the event to discover and invest in small-scale, planet-considerate brands that align with your values and your customer’s conscience. Consumers don’t need more things; they need better things, and retailers play a key role in selecting, contextualising, and championing why those products matter."
Only two more weeks until @Life_Instyle – Australia`s leading boutique retail trade show. If you own a store, don`t miss this event! Connect with designers, source exquisite – and mindful – products, and see firsthand why this is Australia’s go-to trade show for creatives and retailers alike. And it`s free! ✨️
Life Instyle – Sydney/Eora Country
14-17 February 2026
ICC, Darling Harbour
Photos: @Samsette
#LifeInstyle #SustainableShopping #SustainableShop #RetailTradeEvent
Calling all sewists! 📞
Have you made the Peppermint Waratah Wrap Dress yet? Call *1800 I NEED THIS NOW to get making!
This gorgeous green number was modelled (and made) by the fabulous Lisa of @Tricky.Pockets 🙌🏼
If you need a nudge, @ePrintOnline are offering Peppermint sewists a huge 🌟 30% off ALL A0 printing 🌟 when you purchase the Special Release Waratah Wrap Dress pattern – how generous is that?!
Head to the link in bio now 📞
*Not a real number in case that wasn`t clear 😂
#PeppermintWaratahWrapDress #PeppermintPatterns #SewingPattern #WrapDress #WrapDressPattern
8 Things to Know About January 26 - from @ClothingTheGaps:
Before you celebrate, take the time to learn the truth. January 26 is not a day of unity it’s a Day of Mourning and Survival for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
It marks the beginning of invasion, dispossession, and ongoing colonial violence. It’s time for truth-telling, not whitewashed history.
Stand in solidarity. Learn. Reflect. Act.
✊🏽 Blog written by Yorta Yorta woman Taneshia Atkinson.
🔗 Link in bio of @ClothingTheGaps to read the full blog
#ChangeTheDate #InvasionDay #SurvivalDay #AlwaysWasAlwaysWillBe #ClothingTheGaps
As the world careens towards AI seeping into our feeds, finds and even friend-zones, it`s becoming increasingly hard to ignore.
We just wanted to say that here at Peppermint, we are choosing to not print or publish AI-generated art, photos, words, videos or content.
Merriam-Webster’s human editors chose `slop` as the 2025 Word of the Year – they define it as “digital content of low quality that is produced usually in quantity by means of artificial intelligence.” The problem is, as AI increases in quality, it`s becoming more and more difficult to ascertain what`s real and what`s not.
Let`s be clear here, AI absolutely has its place in science, in climate modelling, in medical breakthroughs, in many places... but not in replacing the work of artists, writers and creatives.
Can we guarantee that everything we publish is AI-free? Honestly, not really. We know we are not using it to create content, but we are also relying on the artists, makers and contributors we work with, as well as our advertisers, to supply imagery, artwork or words created by humans. AI features are also creeping into programs and apps too, making it difficult to navigate. But we will do our best to avoid it and make a stand for the artists and creatives who have had their work stolen and used to train AI machines, and those who are now losing work as they are replaced by this energy-sapping, environment-destroying magic wand.
Could using it help our productivity and bottom line? Sure. And as a small business in a difficult landscape, that`s a hard one to turn down. We know other publishers who use AI to write stories, create recipes, produce photo shoots... but this one is important to us.
`Touch grass` was also a Merriam-Webster Word of the Year. We`ll happily stick with that as a theme, thanks very much. 🌿
