Giving a unique baby shower gift, especially on a budget can be hard to do. Of course, if you get creative, it can be fun and add life to the baby shower. There are lots of creative things you can do with items all new mom's need, such as diapers, wash clothes, socks, and more. Many of these ideas let you choose how much money you are going to spend and allow you to control the budget while still providing an excellent and unique gift. If you want to go all out, see if you can do it with a friend. Then each of you can have fun decorating the gift and you can control the cost by splitting it!
Wash Clothes
Wash clothes are something we all need. Lets face it, before we had kids, we never knew that a baby could use so many in a single day. Now that they are here, we have to do laundry just for them, and it often includes lots of wash clothes. These ideas can be used alone and given or used as decorations on a larger gift. As always you can control how much or how little you spend and still give a great gift!
Wash Cloth Roses
The first item that you can consider making are wash cloth roses. If you make these as decorations you can add them to diaper cakes, diaper wreathes, or you can even use this as a great decoration on a package if you want to add just a touch of creativity or if you don't have the time. These can be given by themselves as a bouquet. For the bouquet project you will need a bunch of silk flowers with very strong stems and a nice vase. You don't have to worry about whether the silk flowers are pretty or not, after all you are going to pull the flowers off and add the wash cloth roses on the stems. For this project you can use either baby wash clothes or thin adult ones. You don't want ones that are too heavy or they won't be able to stay on the stems. If you are decorating with the roses you can use an wash clothes you want to give. Lay your wash clothe flat. Fold in half and then in half again length wise so that you have a narrow, long wash cloth. Roll it on a slight angle to form the rose bud or flower (the bigger the angle the more flowering there will be, but watch it to figure out how you want it to look). Hold the roll in place and roll the bottom edges upward. This will make the last edge of your rose and hold your rose in place. These can be attached to the package or item being decorated or can be attached to the stems of the silk flower bunch by gently inserting the stem into the bottom center of the wash cloth rose. The bunch can be placed in the vase and you can choose to decorate the vase or leave it plain.
Wash Cloth Lollipops
Wash cloth lollipops can also be used to decorate other large items or even to decorate packages. For this project you can use any wash cloth. You are going to simply roll the wash cloth tightly. Once you have a wash cloth roll you will coil it into a lollipop shape. You can secure it with thread, double sided tape, glue dots, or safety pins. I like safety pins for gifts because tape and glue dots can pull the fibers or the wash cloth and sewing it together makes it hard for an unsuspecting mother. Once you lollipop has shape it is now time to add a craft or Popsicle stick. This can be tricky if you are worried about the wash cloth. Double sided tape is one option. I like to wrap my lollipop top and then tape the stick to the wrapper. It isn't easy though. Either way your lollipop wrap can be colored cellophane or even colored saran wrap. Then you can tie a bow or ribbon around the base to finish it off. These can be used to make a lollipop bouquet or to fill a pot or planter.
Wash Cloth Bunnies
These can be filled and given as gifts or used to decorate. They are very cute. You can use any type of washcloth but baby wash clothes with decorative edges can be particularly appealing. For the bunny lay your wash cloth flat and fold diagonally. Then roll it up and bend it into a U. You will need to pick the wash cloth up and hold it two inches from the loose floppy ends. The U will be the back end of the bunny. Gently fold the front end up and use a clear rubber band to place over the front of the bunny. This should leave the ears pointed up and floppy and a clear visible "head". You can decorate it with eyes and a nose, or colored pins for these items. Or leave it and add curling ribbon or a bow. At this point you can add goodies to the "body" of the bunny. This could be candies for the mom or it could be little gifts for the baby to come! Diapers Wash clothes aren't the only really useful thing that can be used to make a creative gift. Diapers can also be used to add fun and interest. Additionally, what mom doesn't need diapers? Even the mom that decides to go with cloth diapers can use disposables in a pinch or on the run! My two favorite diaper creations are the diaper cake, which has gotten really popular in recent times, and the diaper wreath. If you are on a budget the diaper wreath is definitely an inexpensive way to go.
