Moms, I need your help! (aka: Eeek! Everyone's having babies!!)

[cinnamon teal]

I feel like everyone I know is getting pregnant and having babies! Well, everyone except for me. So I need your help. All you moms out there, what new baby gifts do you use/appreciate the most? I can knit, crochet, sew a little and I'm open to learning new crafts, so hit me with whatever you've got.

Thanks!

[pixidance]

In my opinion, you can never have too many blankets!  Newborn blankets are great, and so are lap blankets for mom when she's snuggling the baby on the couch

[TroubleT]

Burp towls or tag blankets would be my suggestion.

I've just gone through the same thing (Everyone is having babies!) at work. Oy...

[shewolf]

Blankies, puke rags, clothes that are bigger than newborn. If you can come up with a nightgown-sack that's bigger than 12 month, those are GREAT too!

[metria]

I received a baby washcloth wreathe at my baby shower.  She basically shaped a wire clothes hanger into an O and tied a ton of baby washcloths to it.  Then she decorated it with pretty ribbon and bows and attached pacifiers.  I use one of those washcloths every day to wipe up my baby's face and hands.  That's probably the most original and most frequently used gift I received!

[Gumption]

I have to politely disagree with other posters about blankets.  I definitely had too many!  I even "bundled" my baby into baby burritos the first 4 months, so I did need some blankets, but not nearly as many as were given.  All quilts were put up on walls as decoration.

 I would've liked to have a "keepsake box" to keep things like her going-home outfit, congratulation cards, and (my favorite) gossip magazines from the week she was born.

 I really needed onesies and sleep-sacks.  Also, photo albums or scrapbooks already "decorated" and just ready for photos would've been nice. 

And beer.  Beer is nice.

-Gumption.

[b2j2fitz]

Well, I'm a Mom and a crafter...so for myself I made a large diaper bag and a small diaper bag.  Two sheeting receiving blankets because they are much cooler to cover myself with while nursing baby during the summer months.  I made the itty bitty dress from

http://www.madebyrae.blogspot.com

Obviously I'm having a girl. I've made burp cloths using prefolded diapers, and also layering up flannel and sewing them together.  You said you crochet though, so my answer to your question would be this.  I love crocheted baby clothes.  A co-worker of mine had a baby in March and a friend of mine was trying out a new baby dress crochet pattern.  (btw, I do not crochet!) So, I purchased the finished product from her and gave it to my co-worker for her baby gift.  She absolutely adored and used it as the going home dress from the hospital.  That same friend just finished a little dress for me and I'll be using it for the same thing.  So, while there are definitely some useful things you could do for your friends, (burp cloths, diaper bags, etc), when it's a 2nd, 3rd, 4th etc...child, sometimes they seem to prefer a nice, unique heirloom type of gift.  It sounds like you have the skills to produce something such as that.  I'm a sewer, so I stick to diaper bags, burp cloths, some blankets...although I would say also that you do get a TON of those!   I usually do receiving blankets to match the burp cloths...that way there's a reason for them!  Hope this all made sense!  Sorry...for the rambling.  I'm due any day and so ready!!!

[rainylakechick]

I'm not a mom, but my cousin told me she can never have enough pacifiers!  They fall on the ground and in poopy diapers so often (not to mention lost!), that she has a basket of 'binkies' for her daughter.  Those can't be crafted... but they might be useful for decorations!

Of course, not all babies like pacifiers.  So it might be a waste of money! 

[ONE HAPPY MOMMA]

So many of my friends are expecting, too.  I am going to try sewing and crocheting bibs, crocheting baby toys (with tight stitches) and inserting little bells for a rattling effect and perhaps a few warmer, double-layered receiving blankets for those expecting during the colder winter months.  There are some very cute crocheted animal bibs and baby toys now added to the lionbrand.com website.  Clothes that are larger than newborn are an added plus, I especially loved a cardigan sweater in light pink and cream for my baby girl since girls clothing is a lot of pink.  My friend really loved the fact I made her son some crocheted beanie caps and sewed him pants from Petchy's 10-minute  trouser tutorial.  I would think a car seat blanket would be lovely if it is cold where you live also.  (The blanket would have a hole where the carseat buckles in the middle.)  Happy crafting! HTH.

[cupcakemama06]

Gifts I have made (and received) that were enjoyed were
I have made all of these gifts and have included to the ones I could find one for. With the exception of the washcloth gnome however I haven't actually used any of them. I made the gifts THEN found the tutorial. Go figure. I included the notes after each tutorial to explain anything I didn't differently.
taggie blankets.

wash clothes.


Wash clothes gnomes GREAT for teething http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=46393.0

Also great with fleece though not a teething toy then.

Hooded Bath Towels.

http://www.purlbee.com/cozy-hooded-baby-towel/

I added a layer of flannel to make it extra soft and absorbent.

Bag to hold small things in the diaper bag or to use as a small diaper bag for church nurseries or just running to the grocery store.

http://www.purlbee.com/easy-drawstring-bag/

Receiving Blankets

http://www.purlbee.com/swaddling-blankets/

I use one yard of each fabric and make it a 36 square inch blanket. You can use their measurements if you want a bigger blanket. I also will use one cotton and one flannel fabric it makes it more versatile year round. In the cold months you swaddle the baby with the flannel side in and during the warmer months we put the cotton side int.

Burp cloths

http://paperdollygirl.wordpress.com/2008/09/17/baby-gift-burp-cloths/

I use two different flannel fabrics instead of a flannel and cotton one. This allows you to skip the reinforcing strip.