By Mi-Ling Stone Poole

DEAR MI-LING: Mother’s Day is approaching, and I would like to do something for my mom that she will appreciate all year long. Her house needs to be spiffed up a bit. I thought about painting a room for her or making a pair of curtains for her bedroom. Do you have any ideas?

Tanya

DEAR TANYA: Maybe you could do a project with your mother. Consider painting a piece of furniture. There are a variety of colors and finishes available in spray paint, so you don’t have to use a paintbrush to get a great look anymore. You might be surprised how good your wood furniture will look.

I recently spray-painted an antique table platinum. Of course, you could decrease the value of your piece when you remove the original finish, so check with an antique dealer. Edmond Antiques is a great place to go for expert advice.

Another fun thing to do together is decoupage an inexpensive flower pot and then fill it with her favorite flowers.

You can also create a unique piece of artwork for her with some of her collectibles. Consider hanging her spoon collection from a potholder.  The one in this photo was featured at Edmond Antiques.

Take some before-and-after photos and sit down together and make a scrapbook of your projects. This is a great way to create some fond memories for your mom, aunties or just the kids.

Projects like these are a great way to bond with your family members. And spending quality time with your mom or other relatives and friends is worth more than any gift you could buy for this special day!

What have you painted lately?