Your Baby Shower Gift Basket

Your labor of love gift basket

Gift baskets are very popular today and indeed are a wonderful idea that can either be purchased made-to-order or ready-made. Or, you can make one yourself by putting together all baby items that you like for the baby. Here's how you can do it:

1. Know first the size of the basket that you will use. A very large basket may be difficult to fill, so a medium sized is recommended. Usually, craft stores sell baskets of different sizes, shapes and colors. Shredded tissue paper and raffia make great fillers to be layered at the basket's bottom, alongside with baby towels and blankets.

2. For the trunk, you can fill it with baby's keepsake book, monogrammed items, receiving blankets, heirloom items, a picture frame and an inspirational book all about mom and baby. You can also place a little inspirational note containing all your wishes for the baby. This will add a more personal touch to your gift.

3. If you do have a large basket, you can easily fill it up by choosing bigger items as well, such as crib comforters, stuffed bunny or teddy, pillows or crib bumpers.

4. Consider having a theme. You can load the basket with everything pink for a baby girl or everything blue for a baby boy, or everything having a "pooh" or a dinosaur design. A bedtime theme basket filled with story books, music CD, blankets, pillows, pajama, musical crib mobile and a teddy bear can be a wonderful idea. Be creative and let your imagination soar.

5. Take into consideration the baby's gender, what really the baby needs. For a first baby, there will be many things that he will need. Having to look at a baby registry if the mom to be has one, can help a lot, since you will know what the baby really needs.  If there is none, you could always ask the mom what else she needs for the baby.

6. Another way of being creative is instead of using a basket, a baby tub, a diaper bag, a small laundry basket or a trunk can also be used.

7. For a tub, you can fill it with baby bathing accessories, such as soaps, towels, bubble bath, powder, baby shampoo, lotion and bath rubber toys.