Some of our favorite baby gifts have been those handmade baby gifts from thoughtful friends and relatives, especially the ones we never expected. Yes, a handmade baby blanket from a star knitter is always a treat, but even if you’re not a crafting pro, you can put together a DIY baby gift that’s handmade with love.
Check our carefully curated list for everything from practical ideas, to those handmade baby gifts that become keepsakes.
See our entire list of the best baby gifts of 2021
The best practical baby gifts
The best personalized baby gifts
The best handmade baby gifts
The best funny baby gifts
The best baby gifts for dads
The best feminist baby gifts
The best baby gifts under $10
10 unique baby gift ideas
Our guide is brought to you in part by Chicco, who makes the kinds of practical, affordable baby gifts
we’ve always included in our guides.
All gifts have been editorially determined by our staff. Just the stuff we love! We’ve included gifts from a range of stores, but as always, we urge you to consider independent retailers and support small businesses. This post contains affiliate links, which means we may receive a small commission from certain purchases to help support the work we do at no additional cost to you.
Our Favorite Handmade Baby Gifts You Can DIY:
11 Ideas for Any Skill Level
Handmade word art
French-knit words tutorial | DIY at Love Crafts
Whatever you’re good at — painting, collage, printing stuff off the internet (ha), you can find a special handmade baby gift idea. We like this fairly easy handmade word art tutorial from Christine Leech of Sew Yeah UK that you can make in about 3 hours.
A smaller one might also be nice framed in a shadow box, too. So many ideas!
DIY baby medicine cabinet
Minimalist Enameled First Aid Box | $51.25, Amazon
For a cool twist on a baby gift basket, make your own ultimate first-aid “cabinet” to help keep new parents prepared. To get you started, consider some of our favorite baby first aid items from Amazon or your local pharmacy:
Frida Baby rectal thermometer | Mayron’s Goods Diaper Cream | Infant Tylenol | Safety 1st Baby Nail Trimmer
Frida Baby Snot Sucker Nasal Aspirator | Colic Calm Gripe Water | Baby Cotton Swabs
A handmade baby bib
Handmade baby bib from old shirts | DIY at A Little Tipsy
Terrific step-by-step tutorial for making a bib out of an old tee or men’s button-up shirt. So cool!
Homemade lactation cookies
Homemade lactation cookies | Recipe at How Sweet Eats
Handmade baby gifts don’t just have to be for the baby, right? These are for Mom too. With a recipe developed by cookbook author Jessica Merchant, these dark chocolate-oatmeal lactation cookies actually look delicious. Just make sure to label them clearly, ahem.
Related: 16 awesome first Mother’s Day gifts for new moms
Handmade taggie sensory toy
Handmade taggie doll | DIY at Handmade Charlotte
So easy and adorable, and such a unique alternative to a traditional doll. If you have fabric scraps, ribbons and stuffing, you’re all set.
A handmade baby softbook
Handmade baby adoption book tutorial | DIY at A Beautiful Mess
This hand-stitched soft book was made for Elsie’s own daughter, and it’s an incredibly meaningful gift for an adoptive family to send to their child while they wait to bring them home. It can be adapted with or without photos for any child at all — or just find inspiration in the adorable felt cover design. What a lovingly handmade baby gift!
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About our sponsor
You probably know Chicco as the maker of top-rated car seats, strollers and high chairs that parents love getting as baby gifts, but they also happen to make some wonderful baby feeding essentials designed for the ultimate combo of safety, function and style. That includes their brilliantly designed new Chicco Duo Hybrid Baby Bottles.
What’s hybrid about it? It blends the convenience, durability and lightweight design of a plastic bottle, with best of a glass bottle — no odor, medical grade, dishwasher safe, and above all, no chemicals to leach into breast milk or formula.
Oh, and it’s so affordable, you can even add one onto another baby gift, to help you combine something personal or handmade with a solid registry essential.
Shop the whole line of Chicco Duo Baby Bottles. in various colors, sizes, and multi-packs at Buy Buy Baby.
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Handmade needlepoint or cross stitch art
Rainbow book cross stitch pattern | $2.50/instant download, The Stitch Patterns
There are lots of cross stitch patterns on Etsy, but this makes for a beautiful handmade baby gift that goes with any nursery decor.
A modern DIY diaper cake
Modern diaper cake tutorial | DIY at Simply Real Moms
We’ve been skeptical about diaper cakes in the past because, TBH, they can be a little…extra. But this gorgeous, simple tutorial from Simply Real Moms is so fantastic! Her video helps a lot.
And those baby All-Stars on top are a pretty cool baby gift when the diapers are done. (A nice nod to our new VP, too!)
Related: 7 edgy-cool diaper cake ideas making us rethink our stance on diaper cakes
A handmade pillow or blanket for the nursery
Complete knit baby blanket kit | $67, Wool & The Gang
Yes, a handmade baby blanket may be the most traditional idea of all, but the pattern doesn’t have to be.
Download one of the free blanket patterns from Wool & The Gang, or grab a ready-made kit. It’s sure to be a keepsake forever.
Handmade heart pillow | DIY at Design Love Fest
Not a knitter or crochet maven? Try this super easy (really!) handmade baby gift, whether it offers a little support on a glider or rocker, or will have a happy home in a toddler bed in a few years.
A handmade origami mobile
DIY origami crane mobile tutorial | 1 Dog Woof
This clever photo-mobile hack transforms into a stunning handmade baby mobile that soars when a breeze comes through the window.
A handmade pampering gift for the new mom. Don’t forget her!
Handmade lavender bath salts | Tutorial: Wholefully
Not all handmade baby gifts have to be for the baby! We recommend these essential oils which let you make all kinds of incredible handmade gifts that can relax anyone in the house.
Also see our ideas for handmade mason jar spa gift ideas and handmade mason jar food gift ideas
that can easily be adapted for a perfect shower gift.
Thanks to our sponsor Chicco, who makes the kinds of practical, affordable baby gifts we’ve always included in our guides. All gifts in our guide have been editorially determined by our staff — just the stuff we love! We’ve included gifts from a range of stores, but as always, we urge you to consider independent retailers and support small businesses.
This guide contains affiliate links, which means we may receive a small commission from certain purchases to help support the work we do, at no additional cost to you.
