Baby Shower Gift Giving Tips

First off I'm so excited to be the guest blogger today- especially addressing the issue of what to do for baby showers- I'm assuming this question is more on the gift giving end so I will focus solely on gifts.

Tip #1 Make it Practical

Don't be afraid to give practical gifts. Practical gifts may include:

Diapers, wipes or a combo of the two, burp clothes, bibs, bottles, socks, onesies, etc...
I think there is nothing wrong with getting loads of wipes and diapers as a present. Heaven knows how much we need items like these.

Tip #2 Make it personal

Give something that you would like to have. Most women have similar likes and tastes so you can't go too wrong. I like to look through Cookie Magazine or blogs like Design Mom for good ideas of things I would like to have and that in turn influences what kind of things I like to give.

Tip #3 Make it handmade

Not everyone is crafty but sites like Etsy have made it so much easier to appear to be crafty without having to have any crafty skills yourself. Etsy is a great resource for handmade gifts and they can also be affordable. I personally love to make an effort to give handmade gifts. They do take some extra time and thought but the end results make for a thoughtful and unique gift. Here are some handmade gift ideas:

Receiving blankets- it takes 1 yd of flannel and 1 yrd. of your choice of cotton fabric (my favorite part). I do my own thing with receiving blankets but it doesn't have to be too complicated. Great material is key here- I usually find great fabrics through Reprodepot and Purl Bee. You can also find good fabrics through Ikea or JoAnn's fabric store. Sometimes I even use new bed linens from Ikea- think outside the box.








Burp Cloths- Again so darn easy. Flannel on one side cotton fabric on the other. Very easy and very useful.

Baby bracelets- So quick and easy to make. Just head out to a craft store to get beads and other supplies. I think this this is a great personal gift to give.

Handbags- I have just started making some of these they are very simple to make here are some instructions. For handles you can use the same material as the bag or buy some back pack strap material by the yard. You can find all you need at your local JoAnn's.

Dyed T-shirts or onesies- I dye my t- shirts with Dylon brand dye, there are natural dyes out there but they are a little more complicated to find and use. I really like dying t-shirts and onesies because the colors come out so perfectly faded. I then embroider a design on the front.










Tip #4 It's all in the packaging

Wrapping paper is great and easy but who likes to wrap up a gift of diapers and wipes? I think containers such as baskets or galvanized tubs are great practical containers to use for gift giving. You can purchase galvanized tubs at Home Depot and if you feel extra crafty you can spray paint the tub and decoupage a sweet little cut out.


There it is.

As a little plug for handmade gifts I am doing a give away of two custom shirts a onesie or t-shirt with any of the above designs. Just comment at this post and a winner will be picked and posted on Monday. I'm in the process of moving out of state so the gift may be a bit of a wait- sorry! You have until Sunday at midnight to comment.