What is a good baby shower gift?

Baby Showers are a fun way to celebrate a friend or family members journey to parenthood. A relatively new concept this side of the pond, but one that we are truly embracing and making our own.

In fact starting a gift company for me, stemmed from creating baby shower gift baskets for my friends and family over the years. In the past I've created gifts in baby bathtubs, I've handmade hot air balloon baskets, and all other sorts of cute box presentations. I made these gift sets myself as I struggled to find the kind of special gifts I wanted to give, presented in a fun cute way and at my price points.

When buying a baby shower gift, I think its important to understand the parents or mum to be's personal taste and what elements are they likely to enjoy. Some questions to explore would be, Is the gender of the baby known? Do the parents like traditional gender aesthetics? or things a bit more different & trendy? Are they likely to have a lot of baby equipment handed down from relatives and friends? What are they likely to have already be picked up themselves?

Considering these basic questions can help shape you finding the perfect gift idea for a baby. As a gift giver, there are lots of different directions you can go. Here are a few ideas:

Practical clothing like baby grows;

Baby grows get used a lot during the first six months in particular and from experience it often can feel like you never have enough. The three options above give some example of both gender specific and gender neutral prints.

Cute Clothing outfits:

Outfits can also be a very welcome gift to receive. Clothing sets such as the above are great to have for going out and about visiting people, grabbing coffee with friends, or for special occasion. They are the kind of outfits that gets the ooh's and aahh's going ! For this type of baby gift idea think the fancier kind soft pram coats, two piece sets and dresses.

Blankets;

 

  

Blankets, something else that can end up in the wash a lot during the early years! Blankets are a great gift as they have multiple uses, either as a pram or cot cover and can also be a very handy play mat whilst out and about.

Gift Boxes;

                                        

Baby Gift boxes are a hassle free way to present a baby gift. They mean you don't then have to find gift bags and wrapping paper from another store. Plus they can look like you've put a lot of thought in to buying the perfect gift for a baby. This baby girl gift box is a great example of a well thought out gift with clothing and a soft toy for a very good price.

Stuffed Animal Toys;

                               

 

 

Soft toys, a great gift if you are unsure of what clothing to buy. Picking out a soft toy that becomes the littles ones most favourite thing in the entire world, is a really great feeling speaking from experience! Soft rattles, rings and activity toys are also really great. Something that has been really popular in my own extended family, have been small hand held comfort blankets in the shape of bunnies. Bunnies by the Bay do a really nice version which the hyperlink will take you to.

Personally I found as I a first time mum, I was well prepared with the basis clothing items from either things I bought myself or hand me down's received from fellow parents. So I was always really appreciative for the gifts of cute outfits. I loved cute dresses or dungaree sets and I found a great joy in unwrapping things that were both fun and practical at the same time.

Another big baby gift question is, what size should I buy for a baby gift ? The three most popular sizes for gifts are 0-3 months, 3-6 months and 6-9 months. I would suggest if you are want to buy a clothing gift of size 0-3months, look more towards Babygro's or soft knitted simple outfits, as this is all they pretty much wear comfortably at this stage.

From 3-6months onwards babies enter the really cute stage, so you can get more playful with outfits as baby starts to fill out and becomes more sturdy. Sizing a gift 6-12 months is also a really good idea, as often mums can get a lot of presents in the newborn sizes. 

Again from personal experience I was lucky to receive a spread of sizes as baby gifts. I found this great as I then had outfitting to grow into and not just for immediate short term use. I also found I got longer usage from the bigger sizes, which helped as my daughter grew so quickly out of the smaller sizes.

If you happen to be the person tasked with throwing a shower, decoration can be a fun way to create a great baby shower vibe. Balloon's, bunting, signage and paper tableware can all introduce a theme and a sense of celebration. A website I've found useful in the past  for party planning is www.partydelights.ie (no affiliation).

One of the most touching idea's that I've personally come across, was at the baby shower my own friends threw for me. Somehow they got a hold of clothes that I wore when I was baby! Special dainty outfits that my mum kept, and which my friends hung  on bunting string around the room. It looked so lovely and it reminded me how much care mum took in dressing her kids, even as babies.

Hopefully this post will have sparked some ideas for you, in your hunt for baby shower gifts. Please check out our range of baby gift boxes too, you might just find that perfect gift at www.loveandthebird.ie