Baby Shower Gift Ideas

The first type of baby shower gifts are the more practical and immediate items that the parents-to-be can use as soon as their baby is born:

Picture Frames - There's no better way to remember the baby shower or your friends first day with her baby by remembering the event through pictures.
Clothing - Sleepers, Receiving Blankets, Undershirts, Onesies, diapers. socks and hats. Make sure they are easy to change since too many buttons or snaps may be difficult for new parents to take on and off the baby. Buy cute clothes to go home from the hospital in and Waterproof Lap Pads.

Health/Grooming Products - Baby Powder, Lotion, Baby Wipes, Desitin, Q-Tips, Hydrogen Peroxide (for the umbilical cord), baby safety pins, nail file, scissors, first aid kit, baby soaps and wash cloths, Baby Thermometer, Diaper Bag.

Feeding - Bibs, bottles, bottle holders, baby formula (if not breast feeding), breast pump (if going to be used), Nipples, Bottle Brush set (get multiple brushes of the same kind since they will go through them pretty fast), Tipper Cup, Feeding Spoon, Baby Burp Towels, Baby Dishes (plastic), and bathrobe.
In the Bath Products - Towels with cute hoods, wash cloths, baby lotion, shampoo, soap, baby brush, bath toys (make sure they are age appropriate).

In the Crib/Bassinet Items - Crib Fitted Sheets (a few orders of them), Comforter, Bumper Pads (not recommended by all doctors and nurses due to the increase of SIDS), Mobile, Crib trim, Waterproof Crib Pads, blanket to swaddle the infant.

For the Baby Room - Stuffed Animals, Cute pictures for the wall, Gift Certificate for a Muralist to come out, dresser, changing table, Cute Initials of the baby on some type of ceramic item (i.e., toy blocks with his/her initials), Picture frame, Nursery Lamp, Furniture, Boppy, Bouncey Seats and Piggy bank.
Toy Time - Teething toys, colorful play matt, black and white play matt, Musical Toys and Plush/Stuffed Animals always go over well at a baby shower!

Learning Time - Baby Bach Video, Baby Einstein CD's (or really any learning CD's for the infant), classical music CD's, Disney movies, Books for the Parents, baby books, Lamaze soft books and story books.

For the Parents - Pamper the parents-to-be with a gift certificate to a spa, book store, record store, or a nice gift such as baby hand and foot imprinting plaster, Baby Bjorn or other baby carrier Coupons for babysitting.

Diapers, Diapers, Diapers - A great gift that seems to always running out for the mommy-to-be is to have everyone bring a few packages of diapers. New mommies never have enough in the house so getting diapers is a perfect baby shower gift.

Useful Laundry Basket Idea - Instead of spending the money on a gift bag that is likely to get thrown away, use a laundry basket, line it with a baby blanket and put the gift inside and cover with tissue paper or another blanket. Then the basket can be used for the extra laundry that will be added or for toy storage.

Baby Shower Baby Books - Have each baby shower guest bring a baby book for the new parents. Have each guest pre-write a sentiment or advice to the new parent's on the first page of each book which is a great memento to cherish for the baby growing up and the parents.

Fleece Baby Blanket - A great and inexpensive baby shower gift is a fleece baby blanket. You make these by taking two pieces of fleece and putting them together, then cutting 3 inch slits every 1 inch all the way around the blanket and tie knots to keep the pieces together. Then just roll the blanket up and tie it with a ribbon.

Keepsake Box - Use a hat box and draw/paint/add personal touches to the box. Fill the box with onesies, clothes, pacifiers, bottles, wipes, diapers, etc. You can also include a pack of alphabet stickers for the baby's name and birthdate, weight and height on the box with the stickers once he/she is born. This is a great idea as it can be used to collect personal items for the baby, placing them in one box that you can eventually pass on to the child!
Baby Shower Clothes Line Gift - Buy a bunch of clothes (onesies, bibs, sleepers, caps, booties, receiving blanket, washcloths, lap pads, even small items like binkies if they are in a cardboard holder) and pin them with clothes pins to a clothes line. Buy a large hat box (easy to find and cheap at Marshall's or Ross Clothing). Lay out the clothes line in the hat box going around and around. When it comes time to open the baby shower gifts, have someone (can be mommy-to-be) pull the string and walk across the room so all the gift items are hanging.