Parenting & New Baby Advice Blog

Archive for the ‘Baby Gifts’ Category

Baby diaper wreaths are so adorable. If you’ve never seen one, you’re in for a lovely surprise. When complete, a baby wreath is a circle of diapers with embellishments such as baby toys and pacifiers that serves as a door hanging or baby shower decoration. The mom can actually take it apart and use the diapers or just leave it up as a fun decoration. They’re so easy to make. Surprise a new mom with one as her next baby shower gift!

First, think about a theme. Then you can collect everything you need based on that theme. Some good ones are rubber duckies, Pooh, Hello Kitty, baby dolls, teddy bears, bunnies, monkeys, zoo animals, Mickey and Minnie, all rattles, trains, cars, puppies, and kittens. Think up your own theme and then plan to get ribbon and toys to coordinate with it. If there are twins coming, why not do two of everything on the wreath? It will look darling.

Here’s what you’ll need to complete one wreath:

• About 20 disposable diapers. You can use cloth diapers but it really is easiest to make this wreath with disposables. The folds in them are easy to maneuver and secure.
• A wire wreath form. You can find them at the craft or hobby store. An 18” frame works best but you can go smaller or larger if you like.
• Ribbon in the color of the baby shower’s theme. Or choose any happy baby friendly color and style. Just make sure the ribbon is sturdy.
• Toys such as rubber duckies, pacifiers, and rattles. You can also use small bottles of baby lotion or powder.
• One bigger toy to serve as the top decoration on the wreath.
• One big bow

To assemble the wreath, clear a space and lay the wreath form down on a table. Take a diaper and place it over the wreath form with the tab sides facing down. Secure it with a small length of ribbon around the middle. Do this for all the rest of the diapers around the form. Every bit of the form should be covered by diapers, so if you find you have gaps add a few more diapers.

Next, add the embellishments. Tie on the toys so that they are evenly spaced around the wreath. Use ribbon to secure them. Add the bow to either the top or the bottom of the wreath. Secure it using either a twist tie or a length of ribbon.

For the final touch, add the large toy. This will be the focal point of the wreath. Secure it to the wreath with ribbon. Stuffed toys and other cute animals look nice to complete the wreath.

The beauty of this gift is that the new mom can really use it. Every time she reaches for one of the diapers, she’ll thank you all over again. New moms go through at least seven or eight diapers a day, so don’t worry if someone else brings a diaper wreath to the shower too. It will definitely be appreciated. To really top it off, bring a baby diaper cake as well!

Diaper wreaths are perfect to bring to the hospital when visiting baby for the first time. They also make nice hanging decorations for the baby shower. Or, the new mom can hang it on her door as a nursery decoration.

Related Articles:

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Baby Shower Diaper Cakes - A Gift And Centerpiece All Rolled Into One!

If you know a mom to be and want to purchase a lovely and useful baby gift for the new little bundle of joy, look into buying a monogrammed layette.

What is a layette, you may wonder? If you haven’t had a baby yourself, you may never even have heard the term layette until now. A layette is nothing more than a set of clothing and items that a newborn baby needs when they first come home from the hospital. It used to be that new moms had to have lots of items in the nursery bureau drawers because fabrics didn’t wash as well and couldn’t be washed as easily. Now, with the convenience of the washing machine, moms don’t need to stockpile so many things. They can just run a load of laundry.

Busy moms, even with the washing machine at their disposal, still want lovely clothing for their newborn to wear. They may not have the time to do a load of laundry, or they may want to pack for traveling. So it’s still a good idea to gift a new mother with a wonderful array of items in a baby layette.

What should you include in a layette gift? Well, first consider making it unique and personal. If you can, order items that can be monogrammed. A good specialty retailer, online or in person, can offer you personalized baby baskets. You might not be able to get the baby’s entire name, since names these days are so unique, from a stocked item. You should be able to find pretty initials, or even sayings, on store brand bibs or onesies that create a monogrammed or personalized look.

Include in your layette gift some or all of these items:

• Onesies with long and short sleeves
• Baby booties or socks
• Monogrammed baby bibs
• Diaper covers (if mom is going to use cloth diapers)
• Sleeping sacks or buntings (these are shirt dresses that have drawstring or elastic at the bottom to allow for easy midnight diaper changes)
• Baby hats

These are the basic items to start with. You can always add more or less to your gift. Some layettes also include baby bath soap and lotion, crib bedding, baby spoons, blankets, etc. These are add-on items that you can certainly go in for with a group of friends or if you want to give a larger present.  Don’t feel you have to include every single item in a layette in order for it to be a lovely gift. Do what you can.

As for monogramming or personalizing, you may not even know the baby’s name until after the shower. Mom and dad may not have picked one out or don’t know if they are having a girl or a boy. In that case, you can pick up items that have cute sayings already printed on them, or you can do the family’s last name initial to make it more unique.

An embroidery shop will do monogramming on just about anything you bring in. So bring in a baby blanket or onesies or hats if you want them monogrammed. It’s a nice little touch and doesn’t cost much in money or time. It will make your layette gift that much more special to the new mom and dad.

More Unique Baby Gift Ideas:

• Top 10 Personalized Baby Gifts
• Best Personalized Baby Gift Ideas
• Mommy and Baby Combination Gifts

Baby bibs are a necessity in any mom’s life. If you want to surprise a mom you know, or if you are a mom yourself, you can make bibs that are lovely and personal in just a few quick steps. They’ll save money over store bought bibs and they’ll be personal and long-lasting. Even if you do not have extensive sewing skills, you can still create bibs like a pro. You can do it with or without a sewing machine. These also make for great 1st birthday gifts. Babies need bibs all the time!

First, choose two kinds of fabric. One fabric should be absorbent, like a terrycloth. Think washcloth fabric. The softer the better. The second fabric should be a cotton in a fun baby print for the back. This can be as silly and outrageous or colorful as you like. As long as it’s cotton and washable, it’s perfectly fine.

Now, you’ll need to create your own pattern or download one from online. You can type “baby bib pattern” into any search engine and you’ll find a pattern or two that you can print out. If you prefer to create your own pattern, you can simply draw a bib shape on an 8.5” x 11” piece of paper. Or you can trace a bib you already have.

Next, pin your pattern to a layer of terrycloth on top of a layer of cotton. Cut around the pattern edges. You’re going to sew the two layers together next. If you have a sewing machine, sew a basic stitch around the edges with the wrong sides of the fabric together. Leave an unsewn part so you can turn the bib right side out and hand stitch the gap. Or, for a more rustic, handmade look, just go ahead and sew with right sides out. Your finished bib will have nice stitches along the edges. If your sewing machine does fancy dog stitches or other designs, use one of those.

If you have never sewn a day in your life, you can still do this project. Simply use fusible webbing which you can find in any craft or sewing store. This miracle product allows you to use an iron to secure two pieces of fabric together. With the wrong sides of the fabric facing out, place a layer of the fusible webbing along the edges. Iron on leaving a small space so you can turn it right side out. When finished turn the bib so right sides of the fabric are out.

Next, you’re ready to add trim. If you’d like, use a binding in a cute baby print or check. Or, leave plain. As a closure you will need to add a snap or ties. If you are choosing the snap, hand-stitch each side of the snap to the bib. If you are using ties, sew on soft cording or string. Any washable string will work. Or choose a thick ribbon like grosgrain that will wear well.

Baby will have a whole new wardrobe of bibs when you realize how easy it is to make them. Personalize with baby’s name in iron on letters or fabric paint. Or use decals. Don’t, however, use sequins or beads as they can come loose if baby chews on the bib, or in the washing machine. Stick to soft, simple decals or embellishments.

Get Crafty! Here are some more fun craft ideas for a little one:

• Handmade Baby Gift Ideas
• Baby Shower Crafts - Create Onesies For The New Baby

When you have a child, every piece of clothing that touches their skin is precious.  You want to save the outfit you took him home in, the pajamas he wore when he first slept through the night, the bib he had on when he tried cereal for the first time…. Since we can’t keep our babies tiny forever, saving their clothes is the next best thing.  When the clothes outgrow the closet, and you have to make room for bigger sizes, a baby memory blanket will allow you to keep the pieces you love and transform them into something new and unique. How do you make a memory blanket?

There are different ways to make a baby memory blanket, depending on your level of comfort with sewing machines or embroidery needles.  But regardless of how you are going to make the quilt, whether it's for your baby or to give as a baby gift, the first step is to gather your fabric.  A 36-inch x 6-inch quilt will use about 30 articles of clothing, depending on the size.  Lay out the pieces you want to incorporate into the memory quilt to get an idea of the colors and patterns that are emerging.  Cut squares of the same size: for a 36x36" quilt, for instance, 6x6 inch squares are great. You can supplement your baby clothes with other fabrics: fleece and flannel are especially well-suited to baby quilts.

If you prefer not to use any of your baby’s clothes, you can use other fabrics and embroider them with names or special memories.  You can use fabric paints or pens to decorate the squares, or better yet, to have each family member make a square.  You can also buy photo fabric to incorporate pictures into your quilt or have fabric squares made by photo printing companies.  This certainly lets you remember all the special moments without sacrificing clothing that could be used again.

An easy way to complete the quilt is to sew your squares on a soft blanket.  This gives you the shape and form, not to mention the beautiful texture that you need.  It is a bit easier than assembling everything, basting, quilting, and binding a quilt, although that certainly is an option as well.  It is more time-intensive, but the results can be more traditional and lovely.

After the squares have been sewn or quilted, you can adorn the top by sewing on cute baby socks, hats, mittens, or bibs.  These are cute embellishments, and when your child is grown, you’ll marvel that his feet once fit in these tiny little socks.

If all this talk of sewing has put you in a panic, don’t worry.  You can still make a beautiful baby blanket. Ticche and Bea, for instance, sells a reasonably priced kit that comes with pre-cut squares, batting, cotton backing, templates, straight pins, safety pins, and very clear, detailed instructions.  You simply assemble the quilt, saving untold time.  If this is not calming your sewing fears either, you can send the squares you’ve made from your baby’s clothing back to Ticche and Bea, and they will sew the quilt for you.  This costs about $40 more, which may be well worth it to save you time and pricked fingers.

A baby memory blanket will allow you to preserve treasured memories while making entirely new ones.  They also make wonderful gifts when your baby is all grown up and expecting a baby of his or her own.

Love this article? Try this post on Handmade Baby Gift Ideas.

Even a bad party can be transformed into a good time with the right food!  Food is a crucial component of any party, whether a wedding reception or your child’s first birthday party.  Fortunately, babies and toddlers are a lot less demanding and fussy than their adult party-going counterparts.  Planning a menu for a first birthday party is easy – and relatively mess-free.  What should you include on the menu?

The most important thing to remember when it comes to a first birthday party is that it should be short.  You needn’t serve a five course meal to impress your guests.  Your guest of honor, in fact, will probably be more impressed with the bright balloons, first birthday gifts and gooey, messy cake.  This relieves the pressure of planning a menu.

To keep your little guests happy and fed, try the following toddler-friendly snacks:

• Cheerios.  These are an all-time favorite toddler finger food.  Chances are the adults won’t like picking at them much, but there are plenty of other foods to try.
• Animal crackers or Goldfish.  Fun for everyone, these are a great, minimally-messy choice.
• Apple wedges without the skin.
• Soft cheese cubes.
• Juice boxes.
• Cookies.

This will probably be more than enough to keep your little one satisfied.  You can always set a bowl of chips and dip, veggies, fruits, or candies out on the table or countertop for the adults and older children to enjoy.

If you want to serve a meal, or your party will work best at lunch or dinnertime, serve a meal that your child likes.  Well-cooked noodles are always great, and for the other guests, you can simply add a sauce so you don’t have to make separate meals.  You can also try chicken and steamed vegetables (soft enough for your child), pot pie, or other child-friendly foods.

The cake is the most important food you will serve at your child’s first birthday party.  You can always pick up a cake from your local bakery or a mix from the grocery store.  But if you want to continue the healthy eating habits that your baby has developed, why not try this healthier ice cream cake?

You will need:

• An angel food cake (which has less fat and fewer calories than regular cake)
• ½ gallon of vanilla frozen yogurt
• Fresh strawberries, blueberries, peaches, or bananas
• Sugar to taste

Cut the angel food cake in half and tear one half into small pieces.  Set this aside and slice the other half into thin slices.  You’ll probably have 12 to 14.  Arrange the slices in the bottom of a baking pan lined with wax paper.  Spread the frozen yogurt over the cake.  Try to smooth it as much as possible.  Then press the cake bits into the yogurt.  Cover and put the dish into the freezer.  When it’s time to serve dessert, slice the strawberries (or bananas if you do not want to introduce berries to your child yet).  Cut the dessert into squares and put the fruit on top.  Light a candle, and you have a great dessert.

Planning a child’s birthday party can be stressful, but a one year old is very easy to please.  Give her some finger food, birthday party favors, some balloons and streamers, and a piece of cake, and you have the makings of a great first birthday party.

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• First Birthday Party Favors