Shop Small: Feminist Mother’s Day Gifts

Flowers? Candy? A manicure?

Handprint art from kindergarten?

Sure, those are all acceptable gestures for Mother’s Day to tell the mom in your life that you care about her. But the only one that will last is the handprint art, and we all have at least 5 of those already.

So it’s time to get a little more creative when you shop for a Mother’s Day gift for the awesome feminist (a.k.a. someone who believes in gender equity) in your life. If she cares about smashing the patriarchy, she’s sure to love one of these gifts.

And promoting small shops, especially those owned by women, the LGBTQ community, and BIPOC, is one of my favorite things to do. This way, you can support a small Etsy shop while finding a kick-ass feminist Mother’s Day gift!

This post contains affiliate links to Etsy shops, which may provide Think or Blue with a small commission, but does not change the price up or down for you. Thanks for your support to maintain our site! More info here.

For the welcoming home:

This sign sets the stage for what you expect in your home, and the lessons you teach to your children. Let all visitors know the type of inclusive environment you hope to foster at home and beyond.

In This House sign by Little Gold Pixel: Buy here.

For the Body Positive Mother:

Body positive is not just a slogan or a #bopo hashtag. It’s a movement that helps women of all shapes and sizes, especially in bodies that are historically marginalized, to embrace themselves in a new way. Instead of thinking about our bodies as “parts” or as something that needs to be fixed, let’s work to shed unrealistic expectations and treat ourselves with the love we deserve.

When was the last time you did something truly loving for your body? (Related: 5 ways to be kinder to your body this year.)

Body Positivity Coloring Page by Official Self Care Club: buy here.

For the book lover:

If you know a mom who loves to dig into Roxane Gay and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, or perhaps earlier works by Audre Lord, bell hooks, and Betty Friedan, this is the bookmark she’ll use to keep tabs on her favorite works, whether nonfiction or literary.

“And the world was hers for the reading” bookmark by Wonderflies: buy here.

For the earth lover:

This tote sends a double message: save the planet, and topple the patriarchy while you’re at it. This neutral bag will suit any mom who has committed to using more reusable bags for errands and groceries. Cut down on plastic AND send other shoppers a subtle – or not so subtle – message.

“Destroy the patriarchy, not the planet” tote bag by Hellion Clothing: buy here.

For the rock star:

It’s important to me to teach my daughter about women in music and the difficult road they’ve paved. A rock legend like Stevie Nicks is definitely on the list. We often expect girls to be polite and look attractive. But who wants to be a lady, when you can be a legend?

“Don’t be a lady, be a legend” tank by Neena Creates: buy here.

For your favorite anti-racist friend:

It’s all well and good to say that we promote diversity and inclusion. But diversity for diversity’s sake is unhelpful. Each of us needs to work to break down our own internalized racism in order to make true progress. This includes not only supporting black-owned businesses with your dollars, but dismantling white supremacy – and that starts on an individual level. We all have work to do, including me. In the meantime, trust and listen to black women.

“Trust Black Women” tee shirt by Mocha Design Studio, a self-described black-owned business: buy here.

For anyone!

This necklace works well for anyone. Sometimes I’m still surprised by people’s hesitancy to embrace the “F-word.” It still has negative connotations and can be associated with man-hating, even though that seems sooooo 20 years ago. Nevertheless, we need to keep spreading the word about what it REALLY means! What better conversation-starter than this necklace? Candy’s Kloset has many Latinx-inspired items, too.

Feminist necklace from Candy’s Kloset: buy here.

For the writer / journal lover:

I know some of you just can’t give up your planner for an online calendar or checklist. Sometimes there’s nothing like a blank journal that holds endless possibilities! Grab an awesome pencil (see below) and write down your goals, your to-do list, favorite quotes, or list of must-see movies. Whichever you pick, people will have a hard time not peeking with a title like this!

“This is Where I Keep My Feminist Agenda” journal from One Blue Platypus: buy here.

For the LGBTQ+ Ally:

Curly Fry has gender-fluid and trans pride necklaces, and lots of pronoun pride jewelry, too. A great reminder that pronouns matter, even if you’ve never thought that carefully about yours. If you’re not entirely sure what non-binary or bigender is, catch up with this guest post about raising a nonbinary child.

Nonbinary pride necklace from Curly Fry Studios: buy here.

For the chef / podcast lover:

Here’s my vision. Set this gorgeous stand up with a key lime pie recipe you found on Pinterest, and the latest podcast episode of Call Your Girlfriend. (Then get interrupted every 5 seconds by your kid asking you to watch her do a somersault.) Okay, so maybe this beautiful scene is a little unrealistic, but a mom can dream, right?

I got this idea from Etsy’s roundup of unique Mother’s Day Gifts.

STAK Kitchen Tablet Dock, by STAK Ceramics: buy here.

For your favorite role model:

I need this for my office! Or maybe for my daughter’s room someday. You all know I love the idea of taking up more space with our thoughts and bodies – literally and metaphorically – and modeling that for our daughters.

What a wonderful reminder that each of us is worthy and important.

“Take Up Space” print from Girl and Cat Studio: buy here.

For the true team player:

For those of you who lead from the heart, and lead by empowering others, this is the perfect tee. Cathy C Illustrations has some incredible “black girl magic” inspired prints, totes, and tees. You can even nab illustrations of Aretha and Rihanna if you’re lucky!

“Diversity” tee shirt from Cathy C Illustrations: buy here.

For the body image role model:

Repeat after me: diet culture sucks, and diet culture is holding us back. Yup. The more I dig into the ways that major industries are making women and girls feel bad about themselves in order to make a buck, I get madder and madder. So let’s take that anger and use it to reclaim our bodies as beautiful – all bodies.

Related: 3 secrets about diet culture

The Kind Studio is eco-friendly, woman-run, anti-sweatshop, and donates a portion of proceeds to women’s organizations. This design comes in sweatshirts and tees, too.

“All Bodies are Beautiful” mug by The Kind Studio: buy here.

For the realist mom:

These pencils are amazing! There’s too much pressure on our kids, especially our girls today, to master everything. Get good grades, maintain a close circle of friends, excel at sports, spend time with family, brand yourself on social media, be fit and sporty, but feminine and manicured. All the while make it look effortless! The pressure is out of control. In order to lift the pressure off of our daughters’ shoulders, first we must lift it off our own. Set an example by being a perfectly imperfect person.

Oh, and of course, these pencils go hand-in-hand with the journal above.

“Perfectly Imperfect” inspirational pencils by Who Will You Inspire: buy here.

What other gifts from small shops on Etsy would make your list of creative and fun feminist mother’s day gifts? Share with us below!