Unique Baby Gifts

hi, M.,
i've received/given lots of wonderful baby gifts. some favorites:

a basket filled with favorite children's books. (i'm sort of a collector of these, so if you want suggestions, i'm happy to help.) put a note or at least your name/date inside the book for an added personal touch.

a homemade blanket for my son was/is a treasure. my friend simply purchased a super soft flannel in a cute cowboy print and a nubby texture white chenille for the other side. even if you can't sew, you can stitch two rectangles together and create a one-of-a-kind meaningful, useful gift.

a personalized backpack in soft fabric, bright colors. easy to find a place to embroider the name (once that's been decided). mom can use it early on, and baby can use it later to carry toys, treasures, books, etc. :-)

after the baby's born: a plaque for his/her room that's been handpainted with the baby's full name, birth date, weight, etc. and a sweet, simple design to match the nursery. i LOVED receiving this for my firstborn.

the book "sign with your baby" by joseph garcia!!!! i give this to EVERY new mom. it is amazing.

the book "the baby whisperer." fabulous.
the book "the girlfriend's guide to pregnancy." a laugh-out-loud awesome book. i've never met a mom who didn't love it.
give her these books along with a super comfy pillow.

a gorgeous growth chart for the baby's room.

a special "tooth fairy" pillow with a pocket for the tooth. never too early to appreciate such treasures and tuck them away in a drawer for later. high-end baby boutiques usually have these.

a disposable camera with printed instructions to take a photo of the baby EACH MONTH IN THE SAME LOCATION for baby's first year. this is a wonderful way to document that first incredible year! everyone has loved this suggestion.

beverly's suggestion to give them a TREE is awesome. we did this for each of our two children. each of them love looking at and talking about "my" tree. i suggest something special like a flowering cherry or a gingko.

it really is better to give than to receive.
have fun gifting, and God bless!

1 mom found this helpful

I absolutely agree about the sling being a GREAT gift and highly recommend the Maya wraps http://www.mayawrap.com/. Also, PeePee TeePees are a fun little gift for a baby boy.

Bless This Child and www.uncommongoods.com

When my best friend had her first baby I bought her a picture package at Sears( i'd say just about any studio will do it)
They take pitures every month or so for the first year,so you can really see how the baby grows over the year! It's the gift that keeps giving!! Good Luck!

i recieved a gift from my step-mom that was very neat and creative and was put to good use. She made me a baby wreath. you take a foam cirlce (you can get at wal-mart or any craft store) and wrap and tie diapers all the way around with ribbon and then use the ribbon to tie other things on it like pacifers and bottles or rattles. it was very cute and everything on it i could use for the new baby.

If they own their own house... or are planning to stay there...

I received a tree for my first son. We planted it the day he was born and is growing quite well with him. He is 6 now and in a few more years will be able to climb around in it. He is thrilled to have his very own tree!! And its a great reminder of him and will be for many years to come!

Go to Clay & Stitches on East Brainerd Rd. You can paint ceramics there. They have all kinds of baby things. I just painted a piggy bank for my daughter. The lady who owns the store is there to help if you need it. It's lots of fun and you get to be creative.

Hi M.
This one kinda depends on the parents' personalities but one gift that I have used in the past is a scrapbook. I went to Walmart and bought an empty scrap book and bought several different kinds of paper, sleeves, etc. There are also some great premade books. For an added personal touch make a page about your family (you, dh, and dd) and maybe a page about your brother (baby pics of him, etc). If you could get info to do a page about your sis in law too that would be ideal. You get the general idea. Best of luck.
A.

I love Robeez soft soled shoes or a very cute and unique blanket like Petunia Pickle Bottom rolls like this http://www.petuniapicklebottom.com/collections/original/b.... There are so many great gifts out there. If you get Robeez, usually it's best to get size 6-12 months or size 12-18 months so they can get good use out of them. Bumbo seats are great and they now make a tray to go with them. If you were looking for skin care, California Baby has some great ideas. They now sell them at some Target stores so you could make a basket and Wild Oats or other natural stores probably carries them, too.

I make diaper cakes for the people that I reaally care about, and every one I've ever made has received enthusiastic reviews. You take newborn or size 1 disposable diapers and roll them up really tightly, tie them with white ribbon or yarn, then assemble the diapers into cake layers. You can then decorate the cake with all kinds of baby stuff - pacificiers, bottles, receiving blankets, etc. It you're a crafty person and have the time to do a diaper cake, it is well worth it. It's all stuff they need, but packaged creatively. Let me know if you want me to email you a pictures of the cakes I've done in the past. Good luck!

The diaper wreaths and the diaper cakes that the other two ladies posted about are really cute! I've never made a diaper cake but I made a diaper wreath for my sister in-law when she was pregnant with my nephew. It was really easy and she loved it.
My friends mom also made a basket out of diapers and filled the basket with travel size baby lotions and shampoos, pacifiers, etc. It was so cute but I'm not sure how she made it. I'm pretty sure you could google it and find out how to make one.
Good luck!

I believe that a Diaper Cake is a great Idea, My mom makes them and they are awsome, you can put all kinds of things on there, so that way you don't have to just buy 1 thing. Let me know if you don't know what a diaper cake is. Some people do and some people don't. J.

Some of the gifts I enjoyed getting: a baby bjorn, a silver cup to be engraved with his name and birthdate, a silver teething ring (both antibacterial and stays cold!), a gift card to Gould's for mom :) Other things are knitted blankets (or crocheted - but handmade blankets are by far my favorite! We got several!). You could also stop by Legacy Linens and see what sorts of gifts they have - they're pricey, but their quality is excellent. They have nice christening gowns, blankets, towels, bedding, and keepsakes.

One gift I gave was a little silver first lock of hair holder. I had it engraved with the child's initials. You can use it for the first lock of hair or a box for their teeth for the tooth fairy. It looks like a small trinket box that snaps closed, about an inch long, or they have round ones about an inch in diameter. Not anything really big. Hope this helps!

My favorite gift I received for my daughter was a blanket that has her name embroidered on it. She got it from DISNEY.COM (I think), but if your brother's baby already has a specific room theme, I'm sure you can find a company that does the same.

a really nice sling- some of them out there are quite luxurious and decorative.
There is a seat for baby called a Bumbo?

My parents got me a silver rattle and engraved it with my initials and I still have it...
My aunt gave my son a silver or was it pewter music box with bears all over it and it plays teddybear picnic when you open it... has his name.

If you know someone who knits or crochets, a blanket with the baby's name and or date (given later on usually so the date is correct)
A series of cute board books... make up a board book of the month type thing..
a massage for the mom...

Hi M.,
There is a website where you can order ceramic baby shoes. www.ittybittyblessings.com They put the baby's name, birthday, height and weight on them. They make very cute keepsakes! I also like the piggybank ideas.

If it's a girl, I have been making little girl bow holders for about a year now. I started making them when my sister-in-law wanted one for my niece for Christmas and I didn't like any of the ones I found in stores or on-line. I have made several for friends for baby shower gifts and everyone has absolutely loved them. It is basically a 12"x12" wood frame (painted) with four dowels at the bottom to hold pony tail holders. I use material around a backing and fasten 4 or 5 ribbons across it to fasten the bows too. I typically stamp the baby's name on it to personalize it. I have some pictures of some of the ones I've done if your interested. I think their perfect because you can pick material and ribbon out to match the nursery, or make it neutral so it will go with anything. And it is defintely a unique gift. Good luck with your decision, it looks like you've gotten several great ideas already.