How about a custom diaper cake (indedible cake made out of diapers and useful items for the new family!). I make these...and they can be customized with personalized onesies and lap tees (you pick the message...ie: "So Much Love for Hailey.", "I'm Daddy's Girl", etc.)
Check out my website....I do quick work but my work is AMAZING. Each cake is unique and distinctive....just like the child being celebrated! I ship anywhere, too!! A memorable gift, for sure
My sister ordered me a bear from mybirthdaybear.com
it has my sons name and birth date embriodered on the foot - it is an Aussie website though so you would have to find someone that does it where you are
a friend got my sons name embroidered on a nice white bath towel - personal and orginal i thought although i loved every single gift my son was given
I have a standard baby gift that I buy and it is a hit at every shower I attend. It isn't the cheapest...but it is fun! I buy LOTS (6-10 pair depending on the cost) of baby shoes in several different sizes (0, 1, 2, 3). Tennis shoes, dress shoes, sandals, boots, slippers, boat shoes and fun, unique shoes, etc. You can get them at Walmart, Target, kids clothing stores and sometimes brand new at thrift stores still in the box. Since I do this often, I will buy shoes I see on sale and store them away until the next shower I have to attend.
Next, I take them all out of the boxes. I fill a large basket with tissue paper or filling. Note here...Walmart has a great small laundry basket for $2 in wicker or $3 for color. I line up all the different shoes around the edge and in the middle facing the same direction. Many times I buy a pack or two of socks and put a sock in each of the tennis shoes or dress shoes and scatter the extra pairs around the rest of the basket. You can add a small rattle or since it is a girl, add hair bows too. I buy tulle (the fabric wedding veils are made of...again, Walmart sells it by the yard and in colors, although I always use white) and wrap the whole basket in it, allowing a big puff on the top. Add a pink (or blue) bow...and you have a great gift.
The reason this is such a great gift is that most people DON'T buy shoes. You may get one pair at all your showers. If you start putting shoes on babies when they are little, they will get used to them and not try to take them off later. I have given this gift many times and now people who know I am coming to their shower ask if they are going to get a shoe basket because they really want one.
This is something a bit more expensive, but definitely unique. Purchase a "My First Stock" certificate for the child. You can find info at
www.oneshare.com.
Good luck!
I have given the following gifts for a baby:
~A beautifully illustrated story book for Mom and Dad to share with him/her. (I still have the first book that was given to me and I cherish it)
~Go to the US mint website and order a Silver proof set or other coin (a collectible, and something neat to mark the year of their birth)
~a real sheepskin (the baby can play on it and when the parents travel they can take a piece of home for him/her).
Lastly, I like to make a package including one thing for baby, a set of pamper products (Burt's Bees has some nice items for mom and moms-to-be, and you can throw in a baby starter kit), and home center (i.e. Lowes or Home Depot) gift card for dad (they usually get left out, and can probably use the money for the nursery or baby-proofing).
I hope this helps.
You should go for a nursing bracelet. They are pretty, and they have these numbers to represent the time, she moves a little charm to the time she last fed, so she can keep up with it. I know that it sounds lame to someone who has never had a baby, but you actually get so sleep deprived by day three or so that you can't remember the last time the baby was fed. If she is breastfeeding, it is extra helpful as she can switch it from wrist to wrist to help remember which side she started feeding on last time which can help prevent mastitis! They run about$30, and although they don't get the best reaction at first unless she has a kid already, it will be a gift that she will brag about to her friends as soon as she realizes how useful it is (when the baby is about a week old!).
Is their this first child? Because I can tell you of all the gifts i received at my baby shower I most appreciated the diapers! At first I thought what a cheesy gift. Then when I had to buy some I totally appreciated them, They are expensive and necessary. Get him a manly diaper bag (they do exist) and stuff it full of diapers, some bibs (I love my daddy, if you think I'm cute you should see my dad, etc...) Also For a nice daughter gift most jewelry stores sell these pearl necklaces that you add a pearl every year. You could buy the first and they could continue the tradition. It's not as expensive as it sounds. Congrats to your friend!
here is an idea go to walmart and get a pink basket put a picture of the child's parents in a nice picture frame have it engraved with there wedding date then take another picture of them with the baby and put the childs birthday or you can make a time line of the family, Such as when they met, got married major milestones in there lives together that all lead up tp the arrival of there bundel of joy
How about one of those blankets that are embroidered with the babies name, weight, birthdate, time etc. or offer to babysit a certain number of times so Mom and Dad can get out of the house and have some alone time.
A baby book is a nice idea.Cloth diapers for use as burping pads,picture frames or photo albums.You could get a gift certificate for bay's 1st picture at a studio,etc...Good luck.I hope I helped.
A frame with the babys initials, a basket full of good childrens books, copy the birth announcement on a silver tray ( if the announcement is engraved) a porringer with intials in it, a nice small clock, a special doll or stuffed animal.........
Ya know what? This sounds strange but it is unique. Buy something for the parents, a massage at a spa, dinner etc. A lot of times they forget about the mom and dad. As for the baby gift though...hmmm. For my shower i got tons of clothes, blankets, burp cloths, towels, lotion, powder, diapers, etc...so stay clear of all of those popular gifts. Some ideas that not everyone thinks of that i had to buy after my shower were, cold releif set (it comes with tylonal, bogger sucker, diahrea meds, teething gel, vicks rub for children, thermometer etc) It comes in handy once the child gets a cold and that way the mom and dad dont have to run to the store to buy all those things in the middle of the night. Some other ideas would be a baby bath tub, a rubber duck for bath (on the bottom of duck it says if the bath is too hot or too cold)-they comes in handy....a stroller, baby television monitor, hair brush and hair barettes set, baby shoes, or put a big basket of lil' things together such as teething rings, bottles, pacifiers, etc. Good luck. Also, they make baby carriers (pouch u carry baby around in). You could have a special blanket made with the baby's name and parents name, date of birth etc. Baby books are good gifts, nice diaper bags, baby hampers, diaper genie (to put soiled diapers in) Finger nail clipper set. I dont know there are a bunch of ideas. Those were just some i thought of.
how about a sm gold bracelet you can even engrave it w/birthdate, & such.
You could go to a craft store and get stuff for them to make a baby scrapbook. Get stickers, paper, etc. Or you could make them a "coupon book" with things like "One Free Night of Babysitting" Dorky I know, but fun. Buy them a photo session at a good local photographer so they'll have great pictures of their new family. Books! Buy the baby their first little "library!" Hope these ideas help or give you some other ideas! Good luck!
try a savings bond... or if you're looking for something more creative, make a cement stepping stone (you can buy a kit at Hobby Lobby or any craft store) with the baby's name and the day she was born with her measurements. You can put colored stones in it and design it how you want.
A basket with a camera and photo album/ picture frame etc. so they can capture their baby on film..
A Savings Bond for the baby's future or.......
A home made coupon book of Free babysitting!!! (joke)
If she's getting a swing (most do) get her a battery charger and D rechargable batteries. Then get her a pack of regular D batteries for when the others are charging.
Otherwise if theres a great restaurant that offers delivery, get her a gc. They also have these big make a bunch of casserole places, if she has a big freezer, go do that and make her a bunch of frozen meals.
Or a maid or someone to mow lawn,pull weeds, etc. I hated that stuff when home with baby -then again I hate it now.
Order a blanket with the date and time and her name and stuff on it. It is something that will be cherished AND useful!
Blessings and congrats to your friend!