Late Baby Gifts
If there were a prize for Best Cousin of the Year, I can guarantee I would not be in the running. My cousin’s little baby is a year old, and I still have not sent a gift. When you’re sending a gift late, it’s a pretty safe bet that the family has more toys and blankets and accessories than they know what to do with. So since Martin and I cannot start tearing down walls in our temporary home in the suburbs the way we did only a few days after moving to Berlin, I figured I’d better get my hands busy with something until our next construction project can begin.
A homemade gift seems like just the ticket for a working mom. I picked up some fabric, onsies, and yellow fabric paint. Then I made my best attempt at drawing a giraffe stencil and sewing a lined bag. A couple hours later, our baby gift was ready to go:
What do you think? (The juicy details of how to make your own stencils will be on their way, so don’t you worry!) Any other ideas for us late gift givers… or on-time ones? We’ve never done the baby gift thing before, so any tips from things you’ve given to things you’ve gotten could be real life savers. We have a feeling we’re going to be doing this an awful lot in the coming years.
p.s. Thanks to Christy’s shots of her smiling little girl at A Lil’ Welsh Rarebit. They were enough to get my mind whirling for this project!









May 1st, 2009 at 7:10 am
Those are adorable! I love them. And better late than never, huh :)
May 1st, 2009 at 7:29 am
When in doubt I think clothes and books make excellent gifts for little people. And buying larger sizes that newborns can grow into is especially good, as long as you keep the season in mind. Those tiny newborn clothes are adorable, but unless you have a very small baby (as in under 6lbs) they only wear them for a few weeks.
And at all costs, avoid stuffed animals as generic gifts. They take up a lot of space for not much in the way of entertainment value. We have dozens and dozens and dozens of the things. I’m sure other people would disagree, but I cringe when my kids receive yet another stuffed toy.
May 1st, 2009 at 7:31 am
So cute. I can’t wait to see the tutorial! :)
May 1st, 2009 at 7:39 am
How clever you are. Don’t worry about being late, I like the late gifts almost better than the ones that come on time. It extends things.
And you are SO FAST! Can’t wait for the tips on stencils!
~a
May 1st, 2009 at 9:20 am
Very cute, Katie!!! Did you paint them on? My sister does a home *screen printing* technique using freezer paper and fabric paint. It’s really cool!
May 1st, 2009 at 3:04 pm
I agree with Annie – late gifts are GREAT for parents because they’re so unexpected. I guarantee you the mom doesn’t realize you haven’t given a gift! It’s the last thing on her mind. And these are just adorable, and perfect timing. My baby will be living in these things this summer. And those stencils are just too cute. Can not wait to see HOW you did them! You are so crafty!
And thank you so much for linking up to my little ms. foo – she’s just a doll, isn’t she? She hopes to meet you in person next year! How fabulous would that be!
May 1st, 2009 at 9:20 pm
Better late then never! They are adorable! I love making pathwork flannel blankets for little ones. I should have a couple up on my page if you want to see them.
May 2nd, 2009 at 5:33 pm
Hi Katie :) I’m sure you’re cousin will appreciate them, no matter when you give them to her! They’re adorable, by the way!
May 4th, 2009 at 1:01 am
Very cute! I think homemade gifts are the best kind, no matter when they’re given.
May 4th, 2009 at 11:39 am
Thanks for the awesome tips about future baby gifts. Amber, your thoughts on stuffed animals sounds so true. I won’t forget that one!
Katie
May 4th, 2009 at 6:43 pm
Those are adorable!
I think that a hand-designed photo album (so all busy mom has to do is put in some of her favorite photos) make good gifts,