Discovery Fridays: Baby Gifts

Christmastime is steadily approaching! Christmas is one of my favorite times of the year as it is a time of giving.  I love giving!  However, oftentimes as I walk through the store I am very much turned away by all of the plastic and impersonal gifts.  They just don't mean anything.  This is where my love for creating comes in.  I LOVE making gifts! Some of the hardest people to make gifts for are babies, in my opinion.  In reality they shouldn't be - if you gave them a cardboard box filled with paper they'd probably be very content! But I like to make things that are just a little more creative. :)  So here are some ideas to entertain the littles or help the parents out! I hope you enjoy them! And if you have other ideas, I would love to see them! :)  Happy creating!

If you are a Mom, older sister, or baby sitter...or if you are just someone who is around kids a lot...you have probably seen a baby methodically sitting with a diaper wipe container quite contentedly pulling the diaper wipes out. This is actually a great coordination skill, but it wastes the wipes, and it can be a source of irritation for a Momma.  So why not provide a baby with a diaper wipe container filled with his own fabric scraps! You can make those scraps complex, or just squares of fabric... Either way, that baby will enjoy pulling the fabric out of that wipes container!

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Fabric blocks are another great idea.  You can make them simply with fabric and cotton stuffing, or you can put bells and crinkly paper inside to make noise, or you can appliqué to the outside. Use your imagination! The baby will love them no matter what - especially if you use bright colors! This is a great use for fabric scraps.

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You know those ring stacking toys?  The plastic ones? Babies love them (at least in my experience) and they are also great for coordination and size identification.  But the plastic ones just leave me feeling like something is missing.  So why not make your own?  There are several tutorials out on the web which are very easy...and oftentimes you can even make them with fabric scraps!

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Babies and Moms, alike, are often fans of soft, cuddly blankets. My favorite material for baby blankets is minky.  It's sooo soft and cuddly.  My little boy has a small one with minky & flannel and it is my go-to blanket, especially when we are out and about, as it is relatively small.  It is warm (a must for our location) and soft. So why not make a small blanket that will provide for some cuddletimes between Mommy and Baby?

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Hooded towels for bathtime is a "must" in my book.  But the little ones are soon outgrown and are often made of thin fabric.  And the big ones are ridiculously expensive.  However, you can easily make some for about $6 by using a regular towel and a hand towel! Genius, cute, useful, and inexpensive! :)

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There are many, many other ideas out there, but I hope you enjoy these selected few! More gift ideas coming in the upcoming weeks! And please share your ideas if you have any, as well. :)