The arrival of babies brings lots of joy. And one of those joys is getting to buy (or make) cute tiny baby things! But don’t worry if you can’t knit, sew or aren’t uber crafty as these are easy homemade baby gifts that anyone can make.
Whether you are looking to give the parents-to-be a special gift on the arrival of their newborn, something to take along to a baby shower, or even a first birthday gift, homemade gifts are a sweet idea.
You can personalise them to their taste and give a unique gift that’s a bit more special than something shop-bought.
But ssshhh! We won’t tell them how easy they were to make, and they will look like you have put lots of effort in!
1. Gift Baskets
Gift baskets make such great gifts, don’t they? I just love making them for all occasions because they suit lots of budgets and they look fab when assembled. Even if you add store-bought bits in the basket, you could finish it off with some handmade elements. Like a handmade box or gift tag. You could even attach a cute polymer clay dummy (pacifier) dangle. Of course, you could make all the things in the hamper yourself too. Or include a combination of some store-bought things and some handmade ones.
Baby Basket Ideas
- Baby books – Add a selection of baby books. Perhaps your favourite book from when you were a child for a personal touch.
- Clothes – Who can resist those tiny clothes? I mean how is it possible that shoes that titchy can fit an actual human pair of feet? Teeny baby shoes, onesies and dungarees are good options for a basket.
- Cookies – Not for baby, obviously! But mom will be very impressed with some sweet treats. Simple iced cookies in a round shape can be made to look very professional when you add some designs in the icing or stamp words with alphabet stamps.
- A selection – of some of the cute handmade things from this list
2. Gift Card
If you don’t know what to get, gift cards/vouchers make easy homemade baby gifts. It feels a bit more personal than cash and you can jazz it up a bit. Give them a gift card in a pretty handmade gift card holder so they can spend it how they want.
3. Milestone Book
Create a memory book for mom and dad to add information on the milestones that their baby reaches. Like when they say mama and dada for the first time (ahhhhh!) or when they can stand without help. This time can fly by so it will be a lovely keepsake to look back on in years to come for both child and parents.
4. Birth Information Print
Create a sweet print that will look gorgeous in the baby’s nursery. Make a note of all the information from the baby’s birth such as name, length, weight, time and date of birth, name of hospital, and town of birth. You could even add the name of mom and dad and the jobs they were doing at the time their baby was born.
5. Newspaper Print
This is a great idea for a first birthday. Give them a newspaper print with information from their year of birth. This print includes lots of information from the year they were born, including news, movies, music, famous birthdays etc. Or if you have been organised and bought a real newspaper on the day of the baby’s birth you could have the front cover of that newspaper framed.
6. Set of Nursery Prints
Give the baby a set of nursery prints in either the theme or colour of their room. Anything personalised is always a bit more special than generic prints.
7. Box of Milestone Props
Great for families that love to take photos! A box of props will help them record their milestones (e.g., ‘after my first crawl’, ‘I slept through the night’ etc.) in a super fun way. Something lovely to look back on in years to come and share with family. And it will be sure to get you all giggling!
8. Personalised Onesie
What if I told you that you don’t have to be a great sewer to make a personalised onesie? Or that you don’t need to even sew at all? Well, it’s true. Buy applique designs and iron them onto a plain baby grow. They make super easy homemade baby gifts.
9. Tin of First Words/Flashcards
For a cute and educational gift, make some laminated cards with the first words. Add them to a tin. Simple but thoughtful. You can get small, laminated pouches, the size of a credit card, that is perfect for this project. For an added extra surprise gift, why not include a gift card in the tin for the parents to spend as they wish?
10. Personalised Baby Poem
New parents will be touched with a personalised poem about their sweet baby bean. Don’t worry, you don’t have to be the next Yeats! You can select one of these ready-made poems and personalise them yourself with your own details. All you need to do is add your own names and pop in a nice frame. Simple.
11. Set Up a Savings Account
If you are close to the new baby/parents, a lovely gesture would be to set up a savings account for the baby. Lucky kid! You could keep it in your name and just let them know when you’ve added to it. Or you could keep it as a surprise and let them know how much is in it when they turn 18 (or whatever age you think appropriate). Write them a lovely letter with the details or pop the info on a handmade card.
12. Calendar
A wonderful first birthday gift is a personalised photo calendar. Include photos taken at each month of the baby’s first year and correspond this to the month of the calendar. As each month goes by they will be able to see their newborn changing into a 1-year-old. Too cute!
13. Create a Time Capsule
Create a time capsule for them to open on a specific date. Perhaps when they are 16, 18 or 21. Write little notes of advice, add some photos and some information on what was happening in the world at that time. What a cool piece of history you will be creating and what a lovely surprise for the child to open when they are an adult!
14. Open When Letters
If you want to get something for mom (or dad!) why not get them some “open when letters” to provide a bit of emotional support when times get tough? “Open when letters” are a set of envelopes that the recipient opens when something happens. E.g., for a new mom it could be ‘when the baby won’t stop crying’, or ‘when you feel lonely’ or ‘when you feel like being a mom is just too hard’. It’s a simple idea that can make a huge difference to how someone is feeling.
15. A Book
Ask relatives/friends to sign a book instead of a card. Either a kid’s book that they can enjoy now or something that they will appreciate when they are a bit older. It will be a lovely keepsake to look back on in years to come.
16. A Book of Letters
Create a book of letters for the baby. Perhaps when they reach certain milestones of childhood. Write about memories from your own childhood. Or tell them about things that you look forward to experiencing with them. This would be a lovely gift from a grandparent to a grandchild.
17. Music of The Year
Give them a poster that includes top tunes from the year they were born. A hit for a music-mad family! It’s a great idea for a first birthday as it can go in their nursery now and be enjoyed for years to come. Just print and add to a nice frame.
18. Piggy Bank
Make a cute piggy bank for the child to use for years to come. You could give them a head start and pop some cash in, or you could write a little note that you have opened a saving account in their name. If you’re crafty you could make it from scratch. An easier option is to buy a ready-made piggy bank base and paint it with their name on the side.
19. Get Them An Experience
Give them an experience that parents can enjoy too. Like a baby massage class or baby yoga. Make a handmade voucher with the details on it.
20. A Family Map
Does the baby have an interesting family geographical history? Create a print with maps of all their places of birth. A fascinating one for all the family.
21. Make a Scrapbook
Put together a scrapbook of the baby’s first year. This is a wonderful idea for a first birthday. Make the book from scratch or use a blank scrapbook as a base. Another idea is to rescue a children’s book from a thrift store that is falling apart and use that as your cover. Include bits in the scrapbook-like snippets from the news, memories, photographs, letters, cards etc.
22. Give Them Money
Set them up for a prosperous life with cash. But it’s not what you’re thinking! Add coins that are in circulation on their birth year to a box frame. Bonus points if you can get new coins with the actual year on the coin. Personalise the frame with their name, date of birth and a message.
23. A Baby Photo Shoot
If you know your way around a camera, why not give the gift of a photoshoot? You could spend a few hours with them taking lots of shots either at home or in some nature spots. Get the best ones framed in a multi-frame or have a photo book made.
24. Set of Handmade Vouchers
What do most new parents want (and need!) most? A bit of time to themselves and a helping hand can make a world of difference. Give new parents the gift of time. Make them a cute voucher book with an offer to babysit, do some household chores, or go food shopping for them. You will be their favourite person.
25. Cash
We’ve talked about gift cards, but can you give cash as a gift for a new baby? It’s all in the presentation. If you want to give cash, pop it in a cute handmade paper wallet, or in a little pair of sweet baby shoes (real or paper).
26. Don’t Forget The Card
Add a handmade card to your gift. If you’re low on time you can just print off a printable card and pop it in an envelope. But if you have a bit more time why not make a cute baby nappy (diaper) card? Oh my gosh!
Giving a handmade gift is a lovely idea to welcome a new baby, or to give at a milestone birthday such as a first birthday. You can certainly get crafty, but as we have shown, there are lots of ways you can make easy homemade baby gifts in a jiffy. Whether you like the idea of creating a hamper of various bits, or a sweet scrapbook of memories, these will be cherished gifts by both baby and parents. Leave the boring gift on the shelf and make something that’s truly personal and unique.
