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Apr 05, 2025

The 36 Best Gifts for Your Mother-in-Law in 2025 | Reviews by Wirecutter

By Samantha Schoech and Mari Uyehara For this spring update, we’ve added a bright patterned sarong, a gorgeous paper-crepe flower, and some truly excellent shortbread. Even though so many

By Samantha Schoech and Mari Uyehara

For this spring update, we’ve added a bright patterned sarong, a gorgeous paper-crepe flower, and some truly excellent shortbread.

Even though so many mothers-in-law are truly lovely, collectively they tend to get a bad rap. Maybe your MIL is your bestie and confidant, or maybe you’re just getting to know her. Either way, she did bring your beloved into the world, and she deserves a nod when an occasion arises where you can express your gratitude and affection (or at least try to get in her good graces).

The gifts on this list are for travelers, cooks, readers, hosts, gardeners, decorators, and loungers, because in the end, your mother-in-law is a person as unique and individual as anyone else.

There’s a stunning crepe-paper flower, a kneeling pad for gardening , and a lovely tea-towel subscription service (you know you’re curious!).

Looking for a gift that speaks to her particular interest? Check out Gifts for Gardeners, Gifts for Book Lovers, or Gifts for Frequent Travelers. We also have Gifts for New Moms and Gifts for Mom.

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These crumbly, buttery cookies—made by a family-operated bakery in Scotland’s capital—are a favorite of upscale British food purveyors.

You can tell your mother-in-law that they carry Shortbread House of Edinburgh in Britain’s fanciest food emporiums, like London’s Fortum & Mason. But after she bites into one of these delectable biscuits, she may not care either way. Made in a family-run bakery in Scotland’s capital, these cookies are uncommonly tender and buttery, and they have a slight pleasing crunch, due to the addition of rice flour. Staff writer Mari Uyehara swears they’re the best shortbread she’s ever had, and many Wirecutter staffers enthusiastically agreed when they recently tried them in a taste test at our biannual retreat.

At 67 by 39 inches—about the size of a 3-by-5-foot rug—this mixed-pattern, 100%-cotton scarf is big enough to be twisted into a sarong, dress, or poolside cover-up.

The versatile Poemet Desert Rose Cotton Pareo makes for a breezy beach cover-up, a sweet garden-party sarong, or a chic head scarf (paired with some shades for convertible cruising). Whatever your mother-in-law’s favored warm-weather leisure, she’s sure to find good use for the 100%-cotton scarf. At 67 by 39 inches, it provides plenty of light, breathable coverage, and its exuberant pattern of stripes, hearts, and dots—in an array of saturated colors—is easy eye candy. Poemet also offers five other patterns in its cotton pareo collection, if there’s a color scheme you think is more her style.

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The toffees, caramels, and truffles from Valerie Confections are deceptively simple, combining classic fillings with beautiful technique—and some unexpected flavor combinations.

When staff writer Mari Uyehara gifted her boyfriend’s mother the Valerie Confections Classic Gift Set for her birthday, his mother—the family giver and caretaker—swore she was not going to share one bite with anyone else. And then she declared the toffee was the best she’d ever had. One of our kitchen team’s picks for the best boxed chocolates, Valerie Confections’ box includes bonbons with flawless, satiny exteriors and classic fillings, like buttery molten caramel and smooth ganache—the Platonic ideal of the form. They come packed in an elegant, cream-colored box with gold lettering and tied with a gold ribbon

Unlike bouquets that die in a week, these exquisitely realistic blooms are constructed by hand with Italian crepe paper.

The delicately constructed paper flowers from Unwilted are just as impressive and eye-catching as a bouquet of fresh blooms—without the attendant trimming, wilting, and cleanup. Each one is made with Italian crepe paper that’s ruffled and layered into the approximation of a real-life variety—like a fluffy ranunculus, a bountiful peony, and an elegant Icelandic poppy—and they come in a variety of lovely hues. For upkeep, your MIL can spray the bloom with a paper UV protectant and chase away dust by blow-drying it on low and cool. The company also offers full bouquets, for a step up in price.

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This visual travel guide suggests events and destinations for every month of the year. It’s as much an inspiration as it is a planner.

This epically photographed, inspiring book is just the ticket for sojourning mothers-in-law, or for ones who aspire to sojourn. Lonely Planet’s Where to Go When is arranged by month, and it further categorizes potential trips by budget, family-friendliness, and “expensive but worth it” (a July road trip along the Westfjords of Iceland, for example). This book tracks festivals, art shows, weather, and more, so she can go to the best place at the best moment. It’s a helpful trip-planning tool, and it’s also chock-full of information that she can consume from an armchair, dreaming of future jaunts.

This box replicates a food tour through the small shops and eateries of Barcelona, with culinary treats and trinkets from beloved local establishments.

If your mother-in-law knows her noshes, she’ll appreciate the delicious assortment of the Culinary Backstreets Barrio Box. It comes with culinary treats like olive oil, Largueta almonds, tinned seafood, and saffron. And it adds the kind of authentic, been-there touches that one might bring home from vacation: a paper placemat from Bodega d’en Rafel, classic bodega glasses, and a guide to the small shops and eateries of Barcelona. Culinary Backstreets offers similar boxes for Istanbul, Tokyo, Mexico City, and more; each one includes a link to a virtual video tour.

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A study in muted greens with gentle pops of color, this 22-inch-diameter, aromatic wreath features herbs like lavender, sage, and bay leaves grown on a family-owned California farm.

Layers of dried herbs are hand-woven onto a 16-inch frame to create the luscious-smelling Creekside Farms Dried French Herb Wreath. It has a distinctly French country charm, even though it’s made in California. And the smell—a mix of lavender, thyme, bay, and sage—is potent enough to scent a room and delicious enough to inspire an appetite (but this gift is strictly for display purposes). The made-to-order wreath arrives securely attached inside a structured cardboard box for safekeeping. It’s vibrantly colored and becomes more muted within a week, but herbs keep their shape and structure for months. Although the website is basic, Creekside Farms has other lovely wreaths, too.

This sturdy, rust-resistant garden kneeler/bench combo is extra-wide (for stability) and extra-cushy (for comfort).

The Gardener’s Supply Company Garden Kneeler prevents a lot of gardening aches and pains. Used on the ground, it protects the knees and offers steadying support for getting back into the standing position. Flip it over, and it provides a place for a mid-weeding rest. Each side is padded with foam for extra cushion. The rust-resistant steel-frame bench weighs only 8 pounds, and the locking sides fold flat, so it’s easy to tote around the garden or tuck into the shed.

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This subtle disk charm necklace has lots of options for metals, texture, and chains, and it can easily be added to.

Your mother-in-law can document her grandkids or other loved ones with this delicate take on the letter disk necklace. The petite disks come in either a smooth or hammered surface, with your choice of three chain lengths and four finishes (including a solid-14-karat-gold option). In addition to letters and various fonts, the charms are available with tiny stamped illustrations, like hearts, moons, or astrological signs. And you can add other charms, if you choose to. If your MIL prefers more sparkle, consider the GLDN Aura Pendant Necklace, which uses birthstones instead of alphabet disks to represent loved ones.

Display cakes, pastries, or beautiful objets d’art on this surprisingly durable and dishwasher-safe Parisian-style glass cake stand.

Your mother-in-law doesn’t even have to be a baker to enjoy the Jupiter Hobnail Glass Cake Stand. It would look just as pretty holding a plant, keys, or even the day’s mail. Molded from soda-lime glass (with magnesium oxide and alumina for durability), the stand features raised knobs (or hobnails), and it’s modeled after vintage Parisian-style vessels with ornate glass beading. Despite its delicate and detailed appearance, this stand is dishwasher-safe and comes in three colors and two sizes.

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The convex double-sided blade of this push-pull weeder loosens soil as it cuts weeds at the roots. You’ll have to buy the handle separately, though.

Help your mother-in-law get a grip on weeds—the Wolf-Garten Interlocken Push Pull Weeder is the next best thing to getting down in the dirt beside her. The double-sided blade slides back and forth under the soil, nipping weeds at their roots and loosening packed dirt. It’s a sharper, more versatile version of Wirecutter’s favorite stirrup hoe. Handles are sold separately; they can easily be switched out with a click, and they’re compatible with all Interlocken hand tools. A short handle works best for more precise work; a longer, back-saving handle is best for big areas. And this tool can also be used without an additional handle.

London’s best stage productions and performances are available on-demand from this streaming service.

National Theatre at Home streaming service features plays and stage productions from the British National Theatre on demand. If your mum-in-law loves the theater but isn’t making it to London on the regular, this is the best way for her to see current and past productions, including Olivia Coleman in Mosquitoes, Kit Harrington in Henry V, and many other performances (plus interviews and behind-the-scenes content). Gift subscriptions are available for one to 12 months, and new shows are added soon after they finish onstage in London.

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This chic, compact reading light has eight different color and brightness settings, and its power indicator makes it easy to know when to charge it.

The Glocusent Bookmark Style Reading Light is our favorite reading light for several reasons. It’s tiny and lightweight, it has an indicator that lets users know when it needs a charge, and it swivels back and forth and up and down (so it can be aimed away from a partner trying to sleep). It also has three color settings (from mellow amber to bright white) and four brightness settings (from “I’m trying to make myself sleepy” to “I need to get these taxes done”). For extra mother-in-law points, give it along with a favorite book.

This is our favorite flower-delivery service, due its easy ordering and stylish bouquets. You can choose from three arrangement sizes, and the company reliably delivers anywhere in the US.

It’s classic for a reason: A bouquet of flowers delivered to someone’s door always brings a smile. While your best bet is likely a trusted local florist who can hand-deliver an arrangement at peak bloom, your next best choice is UrbanStems, our pick for the best online flower-delivery service. For two years in a row, our testers chose the service as their favorite for its easy ordering process and array of enticing modern arrangements, like the Firecracker, the Flutter, and the Margot.

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This 23-inch tapered pin rolls dough more efficiently than handled versions. It works well for rolling pies and cookies, and it is one of the easiest to clean.

If your mother-in-law delights in making pie, the Whetstone Woodenware French Rolling Pin might be a revelation. While rolling pins with handles are common in many home kitchens, pro pastry chefs favor tapered rolling pins without handles (also known as French style), since they give bakers a better sense of the dough and are smoother to maneuver. Our pick for best rolling pin is made from kiln-dried hard maple and hand-finished. It also doesn’t stick to dough as much as other pins we tried, and cleaning it is easy as, well, pie.

Simple prompts encourage young writers to lovingly describe Grandma on fill-in-the-blank pages.

Your mother-in-law often fills in as a last-minute babysitter, school chauffeur, personal chef, and champion cheerleader—all without compensation or complaint. To thank her, the littles can express their gratitude for everything she does with What I Love About Grandma Fill in the Love. The small, 4.5-by-3.25-inch book is filled with prompts, like “I love how you always say __” and “Everyone should be __ as you.” It’s just right for kids who aren’t yet writing full sentences on their own or who just need a nudge to make her feel special.

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Made with scratch-resistant borosilicate glass, these inexpensive ribbed vases elevate the simplest blooms.

The beauty of these relatively affordable vases is how they can showcase even the simplest flowers, like a stray blossom plucked from the garden or a snapped stem from a store-bought bouquet. The mini ridged vases—made of scratch- and shatter-resistant borosilicate glass—come in four elegant shapes, and they look lovely in clusters or dotted down the center of a table. They also come in colored glass versions.

Yes, this hammered copper vessel is expensive, but it’s also lovely to use and look at, and it develops a charming antique patina over time.

For the mother-in-law with a green thumb, make the task of watering a delight with a gorgeous and functional watering vessel. The Williams Sonoma Tall Copper Watering Can is big—it holds up to 2 liters—yet it is light and easy to control, with a steady, targeted stream. Our testers loved using it, and they were especially delighted with the burnished patina it developed with age.

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The distinct flavors from Welovejam are nuanced and delicious, with a fresh, delicate consistency.

A sure way to delight the toast-loving MIL in your life is to send a pretty gift box with six jars of jam and a personal note. One of our favorite gift baskets comes from Welovejam, a two-person company in Santa Clara, California, that uses only locally grown fruit. Choose from flavors like blackberry vanilla, apricot bing cherry, or tangy mango lime. The available flavors change seasonally—you write your choices in a pleasingly analog text box on the site—but the deliciousness stays the same. Whatever flavors your MIL is blessed with (there’s also has a four-jar option), you can be sure the jam will be spreadable, fresh, and way better than grocery-store options.

Simple and ingenious, these brass tubes are threaded with a cotton cord to slowly draw water from the container vessel into the soil of your plants.

The idea is simple and as old as time—a cotton cord draws water from one vessel to another—but the execution is a stroke of design genius. For plants that like moist soil, like baby’s tears (Soleirolia soleirolii) and umbrella papyrus (Cyperus alternifolius), these Swedish plant straws are effective and lovely to behold. The metal straws are available in many colors, including solid brass, but you must supply your own water container. Our only gripe is the cost of shipping, which turned a $50 pack of two straws into $65.

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Get soft, absorbent flour-sack tea towels in bright, colorful designs delivered monthly, with this subscription service from Arkansas artist Stacie Bloomfield.

For about $20 per month, this small, woman-owned business in Arkansas will send a newly designed 100% cotton flour-sack tea towel to your mother-in-law every 30 days. Artist Stacie Bloomfield bedecks the towels with bright colors and flora- and fauna-inspired screen prints, and the fabric is soft and absorbent. After you subscribe, your MIL will receive her first towel within seven days, and then an exclusive towel will arrive once a month until you cancel. All taxes and shipping are included in the price, and she can pause delivery temporarily if needed. If $20 for a dishrag seems steep, think of them as paper towel replacements—and take a peek on the company website for the pages and pages of thrilled recipients.

Strong suction cups and a roomy acrylic structure readily accommodate multiple avian visitors. It’s squirrel-proof, and it can get messy, but it’s easy to clean.

We’re convinced that it’s good for your health to watch birds flit about while you’re drinking your morning coffee, washing the dishes, or listening to a podcast. This acrylic feeding house secures to the outside of a window, and it holds up to 12 pounds of birds and seeds, thanks to four suction cups that really stay put. And because squirrels can’t climb glass, you don’t have to worry about them stealing food. Like all feeders, this one does get messy after a while. Happily, the segmented seed tray slides out for easy filling and soap-and-water cleaning.

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These delicate birthstone bracelets can be customized with up to six stones to commemorate important months, and they’re available in sterling silver or gold vermeil.

These custom birthstone bracelets are gorgeous in their simplicity, and they come on a dainty silver or gold chain. You can get the bracelet with just one gem—maybe your MIL’s birthstone—or customize it with up to six. Another sweet idea is to include several gems representing each of her grandkids’ birth months.

This jersey knit robe offers a range of size options and several fun colors, and it feels fantastic to wear.

After testing more than three-dozen robes, our style team recommends the Natori Shangri-La Robe for anyone who appreciates an extra-soft fabric. The robe’s lightweight jersey drapes flatteringly on a range of body types, and it comes in more size options than most of the competition. It’s soft and comfy for optimal lounging, and in our testing, it still looked brand new after many washes.

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These sculptural earthenware vessels are slip-cast in Portugal, painted in food-safe glazes, and beautiful when filled with food or flowers—or just sitting pretty.

“They’ve got great taste in colors, graceful curves, and a Danish pedigree,” said editor Signe Brewster. “I’m not talking about mothers-in-law—I mean the Raawii Strøm Jugs.” Partly functional, partly decorative, this piece, which comes in seven superb shades, is equally suited for serving mimosas at Sunday brunch and holding a bouquet of flowers.

This user-friendly website offers the most affordable house plants we tested. Though the plants didn’t always arrive in flawless condition, Horti places a strong emphasis on giving customers the knowledge they need to help their plants thrive.

Since you love your mother-in-law’s grownup child, why not surprise her with a new, lower-maintenance child? Horti is a Wirecutter pick for buying plants online. The offerings are reasonably priced and extremely well packaged for shipping, and the plants generally arrive healthy and happy. You’ll find a selection of “hard to kill” options, such as snake plants and philodendrons suited for beginners, as well as rarer specimens, like the Pink Princess Philodendron for more-experienced green thumbs. You can order them “naked” in regular plastic pots or in one of Horti’s painted terra-cotta pots (a more expensive option but also more gift-friendly). If your MIL is interested in really growing her plant family, consider one of Horti’s plant subscriptions.

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This ceramic salt cellar’s unglazed interior absorbs moisture. And its wide, curved opening not only provides easy access but also protects the salt from splashes and spills.

This is the crunchiest, flakiest finishing salt, beloved by professional and home cooks alike.

Emile Henry’s wide-mouthed ceramic salt pig stores and protects the indispensable seasoning, so it’s easy to pinch or spoon from this vessel even in the busiest kitchens. The unglazed interior absorbs moisture so flakes don’t crust or cake, and the slightly curved design is less splatter-prone than an open salt cellar. Give it along with a big bucket of Maldon Sea Salt. This finishing salt is a favorite among our kitchen staffers, thanks to its delicate, crunchy shards, which complete everything from caprese salads to baked potatoes to dark-chocolate cookies.

As it pours, this 42-ounce ceramic fish pitcher makes a soft and pleasant gurgling. Available in 17 cheerful shades, it makes a lovely vase, too.

This fish-shaped pitcher is so darn cute and versatile it will please just about anyone. It’s made of durable stoneware, and it comes in a kaleidoscope of different colors to suit any home. As it pours, the 42-ounce vessel makes a soft gurgling sound—not unlike that of a babbling brook—which is both charming and silly. It functions equally well as a pitcher for lemonade and a vase for flowers.

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Cozy up with this soft, shawl-like throw. It comes in nine colors and a few different plaids and stripes, and it drapes beautifully over shoulders and armchairs.

Thanks to its heavenly blend of cashmere and wool, this throw from Garnet Hill easily became a favorite when we tested throw blankets. As lovely to drape over a chair as it is to snuggle under while watching a movie, this throw comes in nine sophisticated colors. So whether your mother-in-law is the cheery coral type or prefers more of a classic heather gray, you can find a perfect shade for her.

This ample gift box provides sweet and salty sustenance, but the coffee cake takes the prize.

For a genuinely good variety of sweet and savory treats, give your mother-in-law the Zingerman’s Weekender Gift Box, one of our favorite gift baskets. Inside are two rich brownies, salty salami and cheese, a whole loaf of bread, and crunchy peanut brittle. The sour cream coffee cake is particularly transcendent: Tender, walnut-and-cinnamon-studded cake sits beneath a slightly crunchy crust. Staffers say it actually gets better as the days go by—if it lasts that long.

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This loose-fitting pinafore is absurdly comfy, and the thick linen keeps you protected yet cool.

“If your mother-in-law likes to throw dinner parties or loves to bake, treat them to an apron that’s as chic as they are,” suggests editorial director Marguerite Preston, whose team tested two-dozen options for Wirecutter’s guide to the best kitchen aprons. The Rough Linen Bella Linen Pinafore-Apron has a pretty silhouette, a breezy feel, and a comfortable fit. One tester even commented, “I forgot I was wearing an apron, and that’s amazing.” More practically, this apron offers ample coverage, and it has two large front pockets for stashing a cell phone or kitchen towels. It comes in eight lovely colors and three generous sizes to fit a range of folks, from petite (5-foot-4 and under) to large (size-18-plus).

The Aura Carver stands out for its easy setup, vivid display, and pleasing design.

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The Wi-Fi–enabled Aura Carver digital photo frame serves as a direct link between you and your mother-in-law. You can add photos remotely via an app to keep her up to date on family trips or growing grandkids, no matter how far away they are. We tested eight digital photo frames, and the Aura Carver stood out thanks to its sharp, bright display and straightforward setup. Load it with photos of you and your partner—or your kids, if you have any—and deliver a gift that keeps on giving.

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Our favorite online framing service has a simple-to-use interface, offers dozens of traditional and artsy frame styles, and guarantees all of its work.

If your mother-in-law is more the analog type, skip the digital photo frame and go traditional. Framebridge is our favorite online framing service: Unlike some competitors, it offers flat-fee framing for both original art and digital photos. Plus, the ordering process is simple, the image quality is top notch, and the frames are easy to hang.

Incorporate up to nine photos on a customized jigsaw puzzle, with anywhere from 60 to about 1,000 pieces.

If your mother-in-law likes puzzles, she’ll love putting together one featuring a cherished family photo. These customizable puzzles from Shutterfly come in a range of sizes, from 60 pieces (that’s 10 by 14 inches) to 1,014 pieces (20 by 30 inches). A kid-friendly version (11 by 14 inches) has 30 larger, thicker pieces—a great gift if your MIL likes to puzzle with the grandkids. Just be mindful of the photo you choose. A friend selected a snowy landscape of their home, and parsing through hundreds of white pieces was less than ideal.

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This lovely, 8-by-12-inch stoneware platter is a particularly handy size, ideal for family-style entrées, cheese plates, or pastry spreads. Plus, it’s microwave- and dishwasher-safe.

This oval serving platter—made by New Jersey–based artisan Jono Pandolfi—comes recommended by editorial director Marguerite Preston, who uses it regularly in her own home when she hosts dinner parties. “The modern, minimalist shape will look good in just about any setting,” she said, adding that “this platter can function equally well for presenting a roast chicken or a cheese plate.” Pandolfi sells a lot of his stoneware to eateries (including Jean-Georges Restaurants). The stylish pieces are durable as well as microwave- and dishwasher-safe.

We love finding gifts that are unusual, thoughtful, and well vetted. See even more gift ideas we recommend.

This article was edited by Hannah Morrill and Jennifer Hunter.

Samantha Schoech

I discover, vet, and write about gifts of all kinds from my office in San Francisco. I am particularly drawn to all things shiny or bookish, but I try not to impose my taste more than is strictly necessary.

Mari Uyehara

I cover a wide range of gift giving, with a specialty in food and drink gifts; I also touch on beauty on occasion. I work to ensure that we consider a diverse range of socio-cultural backgrounds in our guides.

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by Gabriella DePinho

by Samantha Schoech and Mari Uyehara

by Samantha Schoech and Mari Uyehara

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