Giving Mom More than Flowers and a Card

Traditional Mother’s Day gifts include flowers, maybe a stuffed animal and probably brunch. But if you’re looking for something a little different this year, there are alternatives.

, in Mt. Washington, is a nonprofit ceramic art center that provides classes to help promote and sustain ceramic arts, according to its website.

Paying for Mom to attend a class could make for a unique Mother’s Day gift, Executive Director Mary Cloonan said. The center's classes cater to a range of experience levels, from beginners to seasoned vets.

“It’s a good way for moms to seek revenge against their kids for all the arts and crafts they’ve given her over the years,” Cloonan joked.

If Mom doesn’t have experience with hand-building or wheel-throwing ceramics, Baltimore Clayworks offers one-day, three-hour “Try It!” classes. There are also classes where children and adults can build something together.

“It’s a nice kind of afternoon to spend, and make a mess and have a souvenir to remember it by,” Cloonan said.

Elissa Strati, owner of said antiques stores are a good place to look for less-ordinary gifts for Mom because of the variety they offer.

She said her store has a range of items, such as estate jewelry, glassware and vintage clothing that could make good Mother’s Day gifts.

The key to picking out a good Mother’s Day gift from an antiques shop is to know what Mom enjoys. “Most mothers don’t want a kitchen-related or a cleaning-related item,” Strati said.

She also said some items that are more associated with Valentine’s Day, such as a set of champagne glasses or an ice bucket, make good Mother’s Day gifts.

“Any mom is still a woman,” she said.