DIY Baby Shower Gift

Photo: Rachel Cunningham

Baby showers are special events for everyone from the mom-to-be to the guests. So, picking that perfect gift can be difficult. You want to buy the new mom something she can actually use, but also something with a special meaning.

Nothing has more meaning than something you make yourself! Lots of new moms register for certain baby essentials they know they're going to use—baby shampoo, lotion, wipes, diaper cream, pacifiers, and other small odds and ends. You don't want to give each of these things individually, but what about putting them together to make a fabulous gift?

Forget the diaper cakes, instead make a baby essentials jar! This gift is thoughtful, practical, and will for sure be memorable.

Photo: Rachel Cunningham

I reused a large pretzel jar to put the gifts in, but you could also use a glass jar that the mom-to-be could reuse in her home. I soaked off the jar's label and removed any excess glue. Once the jar was cleaned and dry, I attached a chalkboard sticker and wrote "New Baby Essentials" on it.

I put some gift confetti n the bottom of the jar. Then I started loading the gift items into the jar. ​I chose some of the baby essentials from the registry, plus added a few of my own.

Photo: Rachel Cunningham

Of course I couldn't just slap the pretzel jar lid on the gift, so I needed to do something special with the lid.

I found an amazingly cute rubber ducky fabric pattern, and I instantly knew it would be perfect to cover the jar lid. I traced the outline of a plate into the underside of the fabric. I cut out the circular pattern in the fabric and then glued the fabric to the lid of the jar. This completely hides the not-so-cute lid.

I then placed a rubber band around the neck of the jar, over the fabric to give it a gathered look. This will also keep the fabric in place when you tie a ribbon around it. After tying the ribbon, I had a beautiful baby shower gift!

Photo: Rachel Cunningham

By making this gift myself, it gives it more of a personal touch than just a gift-wrapped box. Also, the jar and lid can be reused for holding bath toys, blocks, or other baby-related items later.