Need unique baby shower gift ideas

[tinkerdoodle]

Ok, here's the deal... My 1st cousin's wife's baby shower is in 2 weeks. I have been racking my brain forever trying to figure out what to get her. She is registered, but I am that one relative that has to have THE perfect gift, or give THE perfect party esp. to close relatives (all my cousins - 1st, 2nd & even 3rd cousins - and I are all very close). The registry to me is a guideline but nothing stands out to me. I've done a few searches of fun ideas and nothing is close to what I'd consider. I've completely run the gamut of my ideas and believe me, I've done some doozies!

I love to do this for my family, that is not the problem. The problem is I have such a large family of cousins that I've officially run out of fun, unique ideas. I have done this for so long now, that it is expected I will come up with something different each time.

I know it all sounds so silly but I don't want to disappoint her. I KNOW she doesn't expect it but I adore her and want her day to be perfect. She's had a somewhat emotional life - gave up a son for adoption while young (open adoption - she sees him all the time and she's like an aunt to him) , lost her mother to cancer soon after that, She's in the army - has done 2 tours in Iraq -, got orders for a 3rd - but it was delayed indefinitely, was just promoted to Captain, etc..., She's just cute as a button!

Anyway, any fun, unique ideas for a baby shower gift? Something that'll knock everyone's socks off?

I appreciate any and all ideas!

 

[mtemm]

what are some ideas you've had in the past?

 

[tinkerdoodle]

The most recent gift ideas I've done are:

The diaper wreath with every imaginable baby or hobby theme - to hang on the hospital or front door as birth announcement.

A themed pinata filled gift (so far the one I've received the most ooh's & ahh's for -turned out really cool!) You have to cut this one very carefully in order for them to open gift from the top instead of bottom.

The full finished 12x12 scrapbook-

Towel (kitchen, bath, & beach) and diaper cakes of various types (the wedding one you couldn't even tell it was towels - turned out very pretty)- The beach one was neat - was for a beach themed wedding. She actually used it on her cake table at the wedding along side her actual cake.

Sappy videos-

50th birthday scrapbook with each family member's personal thoughts, memories, pictures, -from relatives & friends all over the country.

There have been other ideas too ,but these are ones I've thought of just as I'm typing or have done recently.

The gift itself doesn't always have to have the wow factor - sometimes the presentation does it for you. I obsess a little too much over this, I know! I've just gotten complacent or burned out, I think, and have found it hard to come up with other ideas now. I've given 4 over the top baby or bridal showers for my SIL & closest relative in the last 2 years (I'm not complaining, I loved it!), maybe I AM just burned out.

Thanks for any ideas anyone might have. They don't have to be something that takes forever to make or put together, just something you've received that you know you'll never forget! Any thoughts?

 

[ericamanda01]

For the past couple of friends that have had babies I have made this gift and it was such a hit with the mom's to be.

You get 3 boxes, one smaller than the next. One box had a gift for the baby (usually an outfit or something that was registered for), one had a gift for the mom (I got a massage gift certificate and some bath and body items) and the last had a hand print kit in it. On the outside of each box there was a label, For Mommy, For Baby, Forever. The gifts were very simple, but the mom's love the whole package.

 

[dawnn12]

diaper cake??? the ones i make for family/friends are cute and you can put anything you want on it

 

[MinnieMe87]

For the past couple of friends that have had babies I have made this gift and it was such a hit with the mom's to be.

You get 3 boxes, one smaller than the next. One box had a gift for the baby (usually an outfit or something that was registered for), one had a gift for the mom (I got a massage gift certificate and some bath and body items) and the last had a hand print kit in it. On the outside of each box there was a label, For Mommy, For Baby, Forever. The gifts were very simple, but the mom's love the whole package.

That's a really cute idea!!

 

[laughinplace199]

I would buy a small unfinished bookcase and paint it to coordinate with the baby's room theme/color scheme. Then I would fill it with lots of great books.

Reading with my kids is one of my favorite things to do and I always appreciated getting books as gifts.

 

[starann]

A Laundry basket.......(the wicker kinds from Michaels)
A length of rope
clothes pins
LOTS of clothes

Attach the clothes to the line and fold line into basket (kinds of zig zag, laying clothes on top of each other), this way as they take the one end out of the basket, the clothes come out.

My mom does this for showers and always gets the ohhhhs and ahhhhs from it.

She even tries to go from 0mo to 12 mo, with 2 or 4 outfits in each size, including one for Xmas, Easter, Halloween and so on.

 

[LittleBlue22]

I love getting these types of shoes for babies. Not only are they virtually weightless, they're soft for the baby to wear while napping.

Your location is not mentioned, but I like to get winter buntings as a gift too.

I'll buy medication; Tylenol, teething medicine, diaper rash creme, thermometer, baby wipes, teething tablets.

Also, is there a certain team that the new dad likes? Get a gift that will favor the dad and/or couple- Lakers Bunting perhaps, or a Steelers Christmas stocking.

I like giving unusual gifts as well, not only are they a little unexpected, but they're needed items as well.

 

[Disney Doll]

A Laundry basket.......(the wicker kinds from Michaels)
A length of rope
clothes pins
LOTS of clothes

Attach the clothes to the line and fold line into basket (kinds of zig zag, laying clothes on top of each other), this way as they take the one end out of the basket, the clothes come out.

My mom does this for showers and always gets the ohhhhs and ahhhhs from it.

She even tries to go from 0mo to 12 mo, with 2 or 4 outfits in each size, including one for Xmas, Easter, Halloween and so on.

I've seen this done at showers and it is always a big hit.

 

[TinkerbellFan1962]

I don't post much here but being a Mother of twins I have rec'd some neat gifts when my boys were born.

1. Sitting fees paid for at a photo studio (Sears) - if the baby is in a good mood and they are out she can stop in and have pictures taken.

2. What ever gift you give wrap them in receiving blankets, it is like getting an extra gift from the wrapping.

3. The other gift I rec'd was a subscription to a baby magazine, (mine was a twins magazine)

From what you wrote I am sure what ever you do it will be great.

 

[Kimberle]

This is really cute if you know the baby is a girl.


Get a big basket, and fill it with shoes. Any type, any size (for a 2yr down). You'll be amazed at what you can find in clearance. The bigger the variety, the better. Tie a note "a girl can never have to many shoes" to the handle.

 

[NHdisneylover]

The laundry bastket idea is adorable and always gets a reaction. That said--if you really want to be unique you may want to avoid it. It has been done at every shower I have been to in the last couple of years. Last spring I was at a shower that had three version of it!
I think the books/bookshelf and shoes ideas are really good as well (and I personally have not seen those done).
Another idea is to read aloud a favourite picture book and have a small gift to go with each page. Read aloud from the book and take each gift out of a basket for the mom to be as you get to the correct page. For example, you could use Goodnight Moon and take the gifts out as you read waht is in the room and return them to the basket as you read the goodnight parts. Below would be some ideas for gifts for each part of the book:


In the great green room
there was a telephone toy telephone rattle
And a red balloon Red ball, or outfit with a red balloon on it
And a picture of--

The cow jumping over the moon Nursery Rhyme book with the Cow over the moon on the cover

and there were three little bears, sitting on chairs storybook of Goldie Locks and the Three Bears

and two little kittens two stuffed kittensand a pair of mittensbaby mittens

and a little toy house little people playhouseand a young mousestuffed Mickey Mouse

and a comb and a brush baby comb and brush setand bowl full of mushbox of rice cereal and a bowl/spoon set

and a quiet old lady who was whispering "hush" framed photo of grandmother--just be sure grandma wil not offended at being called "old"

Goodnight room

goodnight moon

goodnight cow jumping over the moon

goodnight light and the red balloon

goodnight bears goodnight chairs

goodnight kittens goodnight mittens

goodnight clocks and goodnight socks

goodnight little house and goodnight mouse

goodnight comb and goodnight brush

goodnight nobody goodnight mush

and goodnight to the old lady whispering "hush"

goodnight stars, goodnight air Cover everything in the basket up with a star baby blanket which ahs stars on it--tuck it all in

goodnight noises everywhere.

 

[ericamanda01]

That's a really cute idea!!

Thanks, each mom that I have given it to has kept the boxes and uses them according to the label. The Forever Box some of the mothers have used for pictures and other things. One mother is making a memory box for her daughter's 18th birthday.

 

[mom2travel]

I've done the bookcase thing where I bought a white bookcase and the children who would be the 1st and 2nd cousins of the new baby put handprints on it (painted the hands and pressed) - could be inside or outside. Then each child (or his/her parent) picked out a book they loved, wrote a note/signed and put it on the shelf.
That works with a toy box too.

 

[Orangeandwild]

How about something unique for the Mom and Dad to be and a small toy for the baby.

A night out gift certif to a local restaurant and movie and an IOU for free babysitting for the night or a Visa gift card to pay the sitter for that night

 

[Mom-to-2-Princesses]

A gift I really liked getting was a Tower of Toys -- just like it sounds it was toys for different developmental stages of their life. It was fun, and practical. Think big for the bottom (a rocking horse, mini kitchen, etc), and then tower it up!

I also like recognizing the mom with a gift -- I always try to do something for her. Even though it is fun getting all the cute baby stuff, it's nice to get something for yourself as well.

Is it too corny to get matching PJs for the whole family? I know that tends to be a big thing people do at Christmas.

I like to quilt so I usually make a baby quilt. Last shower (two weeks ago) I made a quilt, a matching mini-blanket with ribbons, and then found an outfit that matched. It was so cute!

Have fun!

 

[wendy46001]

My DB and SIL are expecting their first
so in addition to the shower...we are giving baby
a cheer for the right team gift pack(Bro is a big sports guy)

So we are planning an outfit from his favorite baseball, football (college and NFL), basketball and hockey team...we find out next week if we are buy all these in pink or blue....

 

[Pixie Dust for Me!]

My favorite gift was called Patty Cakes (though I don't know if they are still around or not). What it was was a gift certificate to have my sons hand and foot print taken and then made into keepsake so that I could always remember how small my son once was.

Actually, I just googled it and found that they are still around. Here's the website: http://www.patty-cakes.com/

Most all of the other "baby" things are now gone since my son is 11...but I still have the patty cakes hanging on my wall in my bedroom!

Karen

 

[muffyn]

The most recent gift ideas I've done are:

A themed pinata filled gift (so far the one I've received the most ooh's & ahh's for -turned out really cool!) You have to cut this one very carefully in order for them to open gift from the top instead of bottom.

?

can you explain this?
for some reason I can't get the concept.
thanks!

since this is a diz board, something I am doing for an upcoming baby shower. is of course giving 'baby's 1st mickey ears! (plus baby eeyore)

& the 1st baby was really the dad's pet pug. I got a dog shirt that says "thing one" and am taking a picture of the dog with the shirt on (with a swatch of blue hair) and having a picture put into a key chain. then the baby outfit is "thing 2" and am enclosing a book " the cat in the hat"

I have not been to a baby shower in years! but I have never been clever in gifts, just gave diapers , which are much appreciated. I also could use some good ideas.