Mother’s Day 2021: Ideas for your virtual celebration, from afternoon tea to candle making
There are still ways you can mark the occasion and shower the queen in your life with love
(iStock/The Independent)Mother’s Day, which falls on Sunday 14th March, is fast approaching.
While the usual celebrations are off the cards owing to lockdown 3.0 (unless, of course, you’re living together), the day still offers the perfect opportunity to shower the queen in your life with oodles of love.
Read more: Mother’s Day gift ideas to show mum how brilliant she is
Chances are that despite not being physically together that much over the past year, the mother figure in your life has offered you more support than ever. So, we suggest making the day extra special to really show your gratitude.
Whether you usually mark the occasion with letterbox flowers, a thoughtful present, or simply by sending a card, you might be scratching your head for ideas on how you can honour it this year considering the current lockdown rules.
Luckily, there’s no shortage of ways you can celebrate virtually, and we’re here to make sure she has a day fit for a queen. From candle making to afternoon tea, use these ideas to forge a plan that is as golden as she is.
You can trust our independent round-ups. We may earn commission from some of the retailers, but we never allow this to influence selections, which are formed from real-world testing and expert advice. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.
Earl of East online candle making workshop: £55, Earlofeast.com
If you and the mother figure in your life have a shared appreciation for home fragrances, this online candle making workshop is the perfect opportunity for you to learn how to make them yourself. For this limited-edition class, Earl of East has paired up with The Botanist Gin, so you’ll not only receive all the essentials you need to create your soy wax candle, but also a 20cl bottle of gin, a cocktail book and a highball glass. The perfect Sunday afternoon activity.
Bristol Film Festival’s film night companion: £29.99, Bristolfilmfestival.com
Featuring in our guide to the best Mother’s Day hampers and gift boxes, you “get to pick your own movie and choose sweet or savoury snacks, then you’ll be sent a box with a DVD, a bottle of wine, and a pack of quiz questions for an entertaining night in”, noted our writer.
“The best thing about this gift box is that even if you can’t meet up for a movie night, you can share the experience by watching along at home yourself,” she added. Simply, choose a film that’s on your favourite streaming platform, then have “a go at the quiz questions via video call afterwards”. “It’s a lovely little pick-me-up experience during what has already been a challenging year,” praised our writer.
Magnificent Marrow blooms & breakfast virtual Mother’s Day workshop: £200, Magnificentmarrow.co.uk
What better way to spend Mothering Sunday than by taking part in a virtual flower-arranging event? Award-winning florist Emma Soulsby will be hosting the hour-long event, showcasing how to create a floral display to be proud of. Sharing techniques and tricks that can be used beyond the workshop, it’s a great option if the queen in your life loves herself a good bloom. While more expensive than other virtual events, the cost includes two boxes, which contain a vase, a selection of springtime flowers and three pastries to enjoy while releasing a little bit of creativity.
Morrisons afternoon tea box: £20, Morrisons.com
If you’ve been inspired by Bridgerton this year, whether that’s through incorporating Regencycore into your wardrobe or reading historical fiction books, why not celebrate Mother’s Day with an afternoon tea delivery? This one from Morrisons contains everything she needs to recreate the experience at home. Think classic ham and cheese and egg mayo sandwich fillings and crisps for their savoury fix. There are also sweet treats galore – sultana scones (there’s a four-pack, so plenty to go around), cherry Bakewell tarts and Mr Kipling chocolate slices. While Sicilian lemonade and tea are included, you can upgrade your offering for an extra £5 to contain a bottle of prosecco, too. Order one for her and one for you, and enjoy over Zoom.
Declan O’ Meara Art Mother’s Day jewellery making workshop: Free, Eventbrite.co.uk
In this free, one-hour masterclass, you’ll learn how to make personalised jewellery, including beaded necklaces. There’s a list of recommended materials you should have on hand, such as round nose pliers (£2.66, Amazon.co.uk) and a selection of beads (£8.79, Amazon.co.uk). Declan also hosts a range of other arts and crafts classes – on Saturday 13 March he’s running an oil pastel landscape workshop (£17.28, Declanomearaart.com) should you wish to celebrate the day before.
Cash & Kari by Hoppers lamb kothu meal kit: £30, Hopperscashandkari.com
Do you normally go out for food on Mothering Sunday? Bring the restaurant to you in the form of a DIY meal kit; a fun activity that can be done virtually. If it was us we’d opt for this one from London-based south Asian restaurant Hoppers. If lamb isn’t to your taste, there’s also a paneer version (£30, Hopperscashandkari.com) and a vegan meal kit (£25, Hopperscashandkari.com). Order one for you and one for her and jump on FaceTime for an evening of cooking – any leftovers can be enjoyed for lunch the next day.
Sculpd pottery kit: £39, Sculpd.co.uk
Release some inner creativity with this pottery kit, which took the top spot in our guide to the best adult craft kits thanks to its therapeutic qualities. Each box contains enough materials for two people to have a go at the same time, so we’d suggest ordering in advance, splitting the pack and posting half to your mum or mother figure.
“The instructions couldn’t be clearer – there are step-by-step, pictured guides to making pinch pots, plant pots, trinket dishes and more,” praised our writer. A wonderful activity to do over a video call, you could even pop a bottle of our favourite bubbly (£6, Asda.com) and toast from afar.
Google Arts & Culture virtual tours: Free, Artsandculture.google.com
If your usual Mother’s Day celebrations involve visiting areas of cultural interest, then Google Arts & Culture will allow you to explore more than 2,500 museums and art galleries from around the world in the comfort of your own home. Set up a Zoom call and share your screen so you can discover famous landmarks together.
Looking for present inspiration? Our Mother’s Day gift guide is a good place to start
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