Ideas for New Baby Gift Box Please

Ms_Chocaholic

Hi

My DS and his partner are expecting my first grandchild (granddaughter) in the summer and I'm wanting to put together a gift box for them (a wicker basket type one). I've bought them lots of stuff for the baby already, vests, bibs, babygroes, clothes, socks (although not very moneysaving, I couldn't help myself ) but want to do a gift box that I can give them both once the baby is born.

Apart from a bottle of champagne I've no idea what to put in it, what to line it with so any help would be much appreciated. I'd prefer a home made one rather than a bought one tho.

I'm hopeless with crafty-type things and don't want it to look as if it's been "thrown together" so any help on what to line the basket with to hold things in place, what to cover it with etc etc would be much appreciated.

Many thanks for your help.
Ms C x

MRS_TO_BE_2

There are some ideas on a thread here http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=451242&highlight=baby+hamper

Personally some smellies to pamper mum and some beers for Dad. Also worth you signing up for boots parenting club etc to maximise freebies.

c0c0nuts

Hi Ms Chocaholic!

I had my first baby last August and my MIL made up a fantastic basket for us-as she lives over 100 miles away she kept bringing bags of things with her every time she came to visit but she got a lovely wicker basket from Morrisons and lined it with some Gingham material she got off the local market (very cost efficient!) and fixed it using a staple gun.
Instead of buying pre cut muslin squares she bought a large piece of it again off the market and made up smaller ones herself which she folded and used to stop the contents moving about. As she'd put some items in for me as well as my little one she'd bundled items together with ribbon. Very simple yet effective. She also customised a relatively plain waffle blanket with some crafty motifs.
Part of the package was a little pampering set for me-some Radox bubble bath and some Boots Spa odds n ends-which were very much appreciated-everyone forgets about the Mother!
Personally out of everything we had bought us the one thing no-one got was a piggy bank for all the silver and pound coins we gathered on our first few outings (it was like trick or treat!) and we could have done with a few nice soft fluffy towells for little ones bathtime.

sylphraven

CONGRATULATIONS!!!! You have entered the wonderful world of cuddling a baby/child, playing with them, spoiling them & then giving them back at the end of the day!

I would have loved some personalised vouchers such as "1 undisturbed soak in the bath", "1 night out" (obviously you'd be offering to baby sit for them), "1 free, top to bottom house clean", "1 roast dinner with all the trimmings".

Something like this will really help them out when they need a bit of pampering, destressing, rest & generally a helping hand with their first lil'un.

she_grinch

For Mum
A wonderfully soft and squishy housecoat for when she is sitting giving nightfeeds.
A calming cd of chill out music to listen to.
Hot chocolate sachets for nightfeeds.
A book of babysitting vouchers for when she is ready to have a social life again!

For Baby
A shawl.
A Baby Milestone book
Calming baby bath
A comforter toy (to be cherished forever!)

Also disposable cameras are good so Mum and Dad can take all important snaps of Baby over the next few weeks.

rainmac

A basket is a lovely idea.

How about adding a baby record book so the m&d can keep a track of baby's first year? Like this one. Can often get freebie postage codes on MSE for the Book People too.

mary43

My grandson was born last June and son's partner had been collecting baby clothes, and I'd been sending her loads so when he was born I did a little scrapbook for him all about boys, poems in it, star sign, stuff like that and I wrote him a letter welcoming him to the weird and wonderful world of 'adults'. His Mum was so pleased with it all so I'm doing one every year for him.
We also got a birth certificate holder

Nicifer_noonoo

I'm due to give birth in three days, and the vouchers sylphraven has described would be the best thing anyone has ever given to me, haha...these are all things I'm missing already, and my little chap isn't even here yet!!

rainmac

Similar to what mary43 has said above, I am going to give a book for a Christening present (but can easily be done for a birth) with things in like name meaning, star sign info, price of basic food stuffs on day child was born, No.1 single in charts, No.1 film, average price of a house...something to look at in future years.

You could leave pages for parents to add hand/foot prints, first baby pic etc.

I've bought a plain white handmade album type book, going to personalise the front with child's name etc.

HTH

kb36

....a newspaper from the day they were born, broadsheet, tabloid or both. We were given a French one too as partner is from across the channel. Nice keepsake and already my kids enjoy looking back!

rainmac

Saw this on the freebie board...
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=926097

HTH