6 Practical Tips Before Buying Baby Shower Gifts

Before you shop for a baby shower gift, make sure that you know the gender of the baby, ask if there is gift registry, know what practical gifts you can give, find out about mom and dad’s favorites, know how much you are willing to spend, and be aware of the possibility of duplicate gifts to help make your shopping easier and your gift more delightful.

Shopping for baby shower gifts is fun and exciting, but can be really confusing, especially if you are not a parent yet. Just before you head out for some shopping, consider the following tips to make your shopping experience a lot easier and your gift more delightful for the host:


Know the gender of the baby

Before heading to the shop or browsing the net for baby shower gift ideas, you need to know the gender of the baby about to be born. The baby shower invitation and the theme usually provide the answer to this. If the invitation is rather neutral, do not hesitate to ask the host so you will not find it hard to shop around for baby gifts.

Ask if there is gift registry

Some parents create baby shower gift registries to help their guests make their shopping easier and to help them get what they need for their expected baby. If not stated in the invitation, ask the host if the parents have registered in a shop to help you get started.

Know what practical gifts you can give

Disposable diapers, baby clothes, and other useful gifts can never go wrong. Have a list of practical gifts in your mind before you start your shopping. You can surf the web and chat with other parents to gather helpful ideas. Do not leave out common practical ideas like gift cards and savings bonds.

Find out about mom and dad’s favorites

Guests for baby showers are mostly close friends and relatives of the couple, so you might just have a hint of what the parents favorites are. Parents will love getting what they want for their much anticipated little angel. They might plan to dress their baby boy like daddy or have their baby girl wear mommy’s favorite color. Personalized gift items, such as clothes, towels, blankets, and caps might just do the trick.

Know how much you are willing to spend

Before you fall in love with the gift ideas you have, you have to consider how much you are willing to spend on the gift. It does not mean, however, that if you have a smaller budget, you can only afford to give cheap gifts. In fact, the best gift is a labor of love. You can always make your own creative gift. Paint a lady bug in red, black, and white, for example. Not only will it make a really memorable gift, but also a useful present that will help exercise the baby’s brain.

Be aware of the possibility of duplicate gifts

Finally, you need to be aware of the possibility that you could be giving the same gift as another guest. Stay away from over-the-counter items, as well as display items, to help you avoid this often embarrassing incident. Head on to the racks and find unique gifts that are adorable and practical. You can also find websites that offer unique and useful baby presents.

Before you go shopping for baby shower presents, always keep in mind that babies are special gifts themselves. With the joy they bring, they deserve gifts as special as they are to welcome them into this wonderful world.

photo: 40324amita

6 Easy Steps to Make a Baby Shower Gift Basket

photo: photo bucket

Here are six easy steps to consider when making a baby shower gift basket: choose a nice basket, embellish the basket, have a theme for the package, include a gift for the new mom, be mindful of the things to avoid, and make some final additions.

If you have no time to prepare a your own gift basket, you can simply go to a baby shower gift shop and purchase one right away. Making your own is sure to be more meaningful and special, not to mention easier on your budget by creating it yourself. It can be even more fun too. If you want to try, here is a list of steps to make a gift basket for the next baby shower you go to:

♥Choose a nice basket

Initially, you need to choose a basket. It can be a wicker basket or any gift container alternative such as tin cans or pails, diaper bags, bathtubs or even bassinets. Just make sure the containers will perfectly match your theme preference. When choosing a basket, see to it that the new mom can use it for various purposes, like holding baby diapers and other necessities.

♥Embellish the basket

Decorate your basket with various kinds of flowers like tulips, lilies, and carnations. You need to refrigerate them until such time as you are ready to take your package to the mom-to-be and her new baby. In certain situations, it might be unnecessary to use fresh flowers. If that is the case for you, you can use something else as your decoration, like ribbons around the basket handle, to add a nice look.

♥Have a theme for the package

Gather all the items you wish to place inside the basket. It will be easier for you to prepare those cute treasures if you have a theme picked out for your gift. Here are a few theme suggestions for your consideration:

* Diaper theme basket–Fill the basket with diapers, pins, baby ointment, wipes, powder and a diaper bag.
* Feeding theme basket–You can have a basket filled with baby cups, feeding spoons, a bottle warmer, bottle nipples, teething rings, bottles, and even mom’s nursing products.
* Nursery theme basket–This is a basket loaded with baby blankets, a brush and comb, nail clippers, and other crib accessories.
* Bath theme basket–This will include baby shampoo, soap, powder, a robe, towels, and tub toys inside a bath tub as the gift basket.

♥Include a gift for the new mom

A hospital theme basket is an ideal gift for any new mom. This can contain items that the mommy will need at the hospital, such as a toothbrush, toothpaste, bath and skin care products, a nursing mother’s needs, and slippers. You can also give her a basket filled with her favorite things, such as her choice of parenting magazines, perfume, DVDs and CDs with her favorite music.

♥Be mindful of the things to avoid

It is wise not to include newborn baby clothes. For one, it is a common gift, and the mother-to-be will be overloaded with newborn clothing her child may never wear. In addition, expensive clothing is indeed a no-no. Babies will not get to wear them for long since they grow so fast.

♥Make some final additions

Adding ribbons and bows to your package will make your gift basket more spectacular. Wrap the basket with clear or colored transparent cellophane. You can also skip wrapping the basket and just let the contents cascade freely.