The birth of a baby is generally a festive occasion. It is celebrated with streamers, storks and treats! Of course, presents should not be missing. Nice to receive, but just as nice to give, is a maternity gift basket, a basket full of surprises, one for every maternity day. By putting together the contents of the basket yourself, you give it an original and personal touch. A number of tips can help with this. Depending on the number of maternity days, seven to ten presents are packed in a maternity gift basket. There is a new surprise for every maternity day, which may only be opened on the day in question. If you want to surprise a new world citizen and his parents, there are ready-made packages available for purchase. Nice, but it often comes with a price tag. It is much more original to put together a package yourself. You can alternate purchased gifts with homemade things from, for example, leftover fabric, embroidery thread or wool. You therefore have full control over the costs. Moreover, such a personal and unique gesture from the giver will certainly be appreciated. Some useful tips for putting together a maternity gift basket are:
Don’t just think about the baby, but also surprise mom, dad, brothers or sisters
It is a celebration for the whole family when a baby arrives. It is said that with the arrival of a little one, a father and mother are also born. If there are already children in the family, they will also have to get used to the new brother or sister. Feelings of jealousy are not unthinkable. It is therefore not wrong to let other family members share in the joy of birth. Nothing will be the same as before. It takes some getting used to for everyone.
Ideas to surprise the parents:
- wish book, where all maternity visitors can write something for the little one;
- family tree photo frame with space for photos of the baby, parents and grandparents;
- photo frame for photos babies first year;
- parenting book on baby and child care;
- subscription to magazine for parents;
- a flower voucher to use when the bouquets have finished blooming.
Gifts for brothers/sisters (of course depending on age):
- reading book, for example about “another brother or sister”;
- baby doll with bath and accessories to take care of “the baby” just like mom or dad;
- DVD so that Mom can sit and nurse in peace.
Vary useful gifts with pleasant, purchased ones with homemade ones
Surprise the new parents by working in a very varied way. If necessary, consult with other close family members who also give several gifts to prevent the little one from having four sets of cutlery, for example.
Useful:
- pack of diapers (always handy);
- baby care items, for example: shampoo, body lotion, ointment;
- plate with sippy cup for later;
- the aforementioned cutlery;
- walking strap (so you don’t lose sight of your toddler);
- bibs;
- ice teething ring (for when the teeth come through).
Nice to meet you:
- cuddly toy;
- box activity;
- bath toys;
- stacking blocks;
- sorting cube;
- pulling figures (for when the first steps have been taken);
- sand toys (for the sandbox);
The packaging states for what age the toy is safe and suitable.
Purchased:
Because you have a few months to put together the basket, you don’t have to buy everything at once. If you come across something you like, you take it with you.
Home-made:
You also have time for this. Consider whether you want to work with a theme and what you could make yourself or what you would be better off buying.
Choose a theme that matches all or most of the gifts. That could be in the style of the baby’s room, if that is known
Of course, everyone is free to choose a theme for the gifts or not. Sometimes it’s fun to do this. It may be the parents’ wish to continue with the furnished children’s room. You can also connect with the parents’ living environment. Suppose the expectant father is a farmer. He will probably really like it if you give the presents a farmer’s touch. I will illustrate this with a number of examples.
The farm:
- pair of clogs or boots;
- warm knitted socks;
- overalls in the smallest size;
- cuddly toy cow, horse or lamb (bought or homemade);
- t-shirt + pants with farm embroidery or application;
- farm toys and blocks, for example from the well-known Danish brand;
Supplemented with some useful things.
You could offer the whole thing in a small wheelbarrow.
Navy:
- bath toys;
- mobile with boats, etc.;
- t-shirt + pants with navy embroidery or application;
- bath cape;
- bib;
- baby soap or bath care products;
Supplemented with some useful things.
A large plastic boat can serve as a basket, but a large storage box with marine motifs (possibly by covering it with fabric yourself) could also serve as such.
Fairytales:
- princess dress;
- socks;
- storybook;
- T-shirt with embroidered crown + matching pants;
- castle made from the well-known Danish building blocks.
Supplemented with some useful things.
Everything packed in a treasure chest (for example a wicker trunk). The possibilities are numerous and a little imagination can do wonders.
It is nice to give not only something for immediate use, but also toys or clothes for when the child is a bit older.
It is very tempting to make or buy things for a newborn. Everything looks so sweet and cuddly. If everyone does this, parents will receive an abundance of clothes and toys for the first two to three months. Experience shows that a baby develops very quickly in the first year, not only by growing, but also by everything it masters. No day is the same. Fitted a pack yesterday, today it is too small. The same goes for the toys. A child is naturally curious and wants to learn. See it as a challenge to respond to this…
Take sizes and seasons into account. So no summer suit size 74 if by the time the child can wear it it will be the middle of winter
It is as logical as anything, but it is often not taken into account. Stores often only sell seasonal clothing. If the baby is born in July, it will be approximately size 74 in the winter. So there is no point in giving a size 74 summer suit in July. Avoid disappointments.
Match colors as much as possible
Actually, it goes without saying to show a little fashion sense when it comes to giving a present.
For clothing, provide a complete set so that parents do not have to go out to find something that matches
If you give a very nice dress, but no mayo is included, it may happen that the dress remains in the closet due to the lack of mayo. Before you know it it’s too small.
Do not buy or make clothes in the smallest size
The smallest size is often immediately too small. That’s a shame for both the giver and the receiver;
Choose an original “basket” that will fit all the presents
You can only choose the packaging for all gifts once you know how big it should be. Of course you can take a regular box and wrap or decorate it if necessary. It is more fun to choose something for the packaging that will also be useful to the parents or child later. This could be anything. A wicker suitcase can later serve as a suitcase at the bottom of the stroller (handy for diapers, clothes, etc. when visiting the clinic). A beautiful storage box as packaging can later serve as a memory box for the cards and first photos. A plastic box is useful as a storage place for toys. And so on. The packaging thus becomes a gift in itself.
A nice greeting card makes it complete
The card can possibly tie in with the theme. This way the parents know to whom they owe the gift. This is especially useful for later when they receive a lot of presents.