Oh Baby!

I love me a good baby shower! I have planned a few and I just love them. As I have so many baby showers that I am going to this month, it is baby city here! I have gotten a few emails from friends asking what I am making, which is a secret or at least until I can get the piece for my sewing machine that broke.... grrrrrr! However, here is some inspiration on gifts or shower ideas that might be helpful. One thing that I love to do is make is a diaper cake. I know you have seen them in blog land or on Martha Stewart.

This diaper cake I made for my sister's last baby:

I use size 1 diapers, roll them up and tie them with ribbon. I decorated this one with different balls that when you open them in water they turn into rags that I found at the Dollar Store. I also do bibs, receiving blankets, hats, bottles, sample soaps, anything that is super cheap really.

Now if you are hosting a baby shower, here is a super fun and personal idea that I did for my sister's 2nd baby (she only has 3 kids and I wasn't invited to do the first one, sheesh!) I planned this party out the second we found out she was having a girl. I did a tea party in the garden as it was in August and it was gorgeous out. I decorated the tables with quilts and did fresh flowers in little terracotta pots. I sent out the invitations about a month in advance as I sent each guest a square of fabric. On the invitation I told everyone to do something personal on the square that would last forever as I put each square together and made a big quilt that hung in the nursery. Now for the life of me I can't find a picture, but then again it was a few years ago. It was such a fun and personal gift that I got to give and with both the grandma's, great grandma, cousins, and various relatives all together on one quilt, it was precious.

Another fun idea is to do a "Time of Day" Themed party. On each invitation, send out a time of day that the person is to buy a gift for, and you can also put on there "11:00 am Feeding" or "Noon Nap" (then you don't get lots of gifts around feeding or sleeping.)

Another gift idea I did for my sister-in law was I took a baby bath, a pair of jammies, and some diapers and I rolled the diapers inside the jammies in the arms and legs and stuffed the rest of the jammies and hats for its tummy. Then I added some rags and soaps around the "baby" and wrapped it in a towel. The head I just rolled up some diapers and put a hat on it. The only thing about this gift is if they don't have a good sense of humor it might freak them out a little as it does look real at first glance. But I thought it was super fun and had all kinds of things inside this little package. (Here is a picture of it all wrapped up.)

I guess I just took that old adage of "Presentation is Everything" just a little too far. I have always had a fascination for making my gift stand out a bit. Hope this has solved a few of the "Baby Present Blocks" so many of us have when we are sent an invitation. If you have a fun and unique idea, share it! I love new inspiration!