Creative baby gift ideas

February 19, 2008 3:28 PM

Looking for creative baby gift ideas.

My former Peace Corps sitemate recently had a baby boy. I’ve been meaning to send a gift, but I’d like to give something more unique than a bunch of baby clothes from Target. Does anyone have any ideas for personal and thoughtful baby gifts? If you are a parent, what was the best baby gift you received? I generally give useful things like gift certificates or diapers, but in this case, they have what they need. I aim to give them something they want.

Oh, and I’m all for making something crafty, but I can’t quilt or knit.

posted by emd3737 to grab bag (17 comments total)

Try local craft fairs for a really unique quilt and then ask the seller if they will add the baby's name. Just back sure it is washable.

Or how about a gift certificate to one of the photo sites that will them upload pictures, make a book and mail to family members.
posted by metahawk at 3:33 PM on February 19

Not too original, but how about the "Future Peace Corps Volunteer" onesie seen here.
posted by NoraCharles at 3:38 PM on February 19

There are about eight zillion clever onesies (my favorite is For Sale By Owner) - here's a previous thread on where to buy cool baby clothes and one on suggestions for DIY baby clothes.

A friend of mine had a baby recently and I wanted to get her a hilarious onesie, but couldn't figure out exactly what to get and didn't know if she'd have the same sense of baby humor as me. I ended up getting her a few packs of plain onesies, some iron-on letters, and fabric markers so she could make her own. She loved it; this might be a fun idea if the parents are crafty.

If you do buy clothes, get them in a larger size - new parents tend to get tons of cute clothes for newborns but not much that would fit a 6-month-old.
posted by Metroid Baby at 3:50 PM on February 19

I hear you - we turned 35 this year and are in a baby boom of sorts. I like Global Sistergoods - it was started by a former Peace Corps member and sells crafts made from women from several African countries as well as a few other places. Their key purpose is to pay the women good wages and spread information about the difficult living and work conditions faced by women all of the world. (Not just lip service - for each item, they are very specific about where the profits go.) They have baby clothes and dolls I think.
posted by dreamphone at 3:52 PM on February 19

Etsy! Etsy! Etsy! This is my new secret resourcs for great baby gifts! This is like an ebay for handmade goods and I've had fabulous transactions with them. Do a search for baby and shop away! Great items, great prices, different and the crafters will wrap them and ship them direct for you. So easy!! Do a search for the store Bloomworks. She does great vintage-like bibs and burpcloths. Sweet fabrics and everyone I've sent them to has just raved! I have several for my son and they are awesome! The site can be a little confusing at first, especially the checkout but it will make sense and the crafters are glad to answer any questions and help you out. Happy Shopping!!
posted by pearlybob at 3:53 PM on February 19 [1 favorite]

A surprisingly useful gift I received was a hygrometer with a remote sensor. In the cold dry winter months (US East Coast) it sure made me more comfortable knowing the exact humidity in my bedroom and the baby's room, so that I could jack up the humidifier as needed. It's not very personal, but it was very thoughtful. Your mileage may vary based on the local weather.
posted by ellenaim at 3:59 PM on February 19

What about several of your favorite books from when you were a kid?
posted by belladonna at 4:28 PM on February 19

Something that could be cute and decorative now, but educational and fun later - a gift that would grow with the kid a bit is always nice.
posted by DarlingBri at 4:48 PM on February 19

My fallback: Personalized stools from Cubbyhole Toys.
posted by GaelFC at 6:56 PM on February 19

For the record, at my grandparents' house each of my cousins and I had puzzle stools similar to the ones linked to by GaelFC, and I always loooovedd mine. I never tired of playing with it, and it's also useful!
posted by radioamy at 7:02 PM on February 19

I gave one of these to a friend who recently had a baby. She's always loved the band Tool and was psyched to get a CD of Tool-song lullabies. They have quite a few bands, including the Beetles, Coldplay and Radiohead. I thought this was a really great, unique gift.
posted by crunchtopmuffin at 8:31 PM on February 19 [2 favorites]

What I like to do when a friend has a baby is to start a scrapbook for them. On the first few pages, paste the top news stories on the day the baby was born, the winning lottery numbers, the Top 10 songs on the Billboard chart, top movies at the box office that week, things like that. The parents can add their own stuff to the book as time goes on, but when the baby is 18 he might get a kick out of seeing what the world was like when he was born.
posted by Oriole Adams at 11:32 PM on February 19

Thanks for all of the wonderful ideas, everyone!
posted by emd3737 at 6:07 AM on February 20

Kulture Vulture in the French Quarter has some cool baby clothes. Like "KISS ME I ROCK" and "BOYS DON'T CRY"

The website isn't comprehensive - you might have to call them
posted by tiburon at 8:02 AM on February 20

Willheron.com

Mahardrygoods.com
posted by chickaboo at 11:49 AM on February 20

My son still marvels at how he still has a few stuffed animals from around the time he was born. (He's 12 now.)
posted by not_on_display at 3:54 PM on February 20

You could make a bouquet out of baby clothes. Video instructions at Martha Stewart
Here are instructions on how to make a smaller one out of just baby socks.
bouquet out of baby socks
posted by BoscosMom at 5:59 PM on February 20