Handmade New Baby Love

Welcome to the world...

Anne Sanders
28 June 2012

Without doubt the most gorgeous thing I have seen lately is a photo of my newborn niece.  My sister and her husband are two of the loveliest people (apologies to my brother-in-law if you read this - I'm sure you're less than thrilled about being called lovely) you could ever hope to meet, now they've added a sweet little girl to their home.  Buying a gift for them will be a challenge, as so many people will be keen to wish them well.  This got me thinking about unique hand crafted gifts for newborns.  Surely there are numerous tutorials for creative "welcome baby" presents out there... Indeed there are!

First up are some infant sleep gowns from Running With Scissors.  These gorgeous baby sleep sacks have two of the best features I love in newborn sleepwear, the fold over mitten sleeves and the opening at the bottom for easy nappy changes.  I also love the "kimono style" neckline.



Next up a sweet little peasant dress from Sew Much Ado.  Great for summer (new parents love clothes they can store away for a few months until their baby has outgrown their entire newborn wardrobe). The elastic neck makes this one easy to get on and off.



Now something for a new little dude.  These adorable little man shoes (you will soon begin to notice I have a bit of a thing for baby shoes) are from Shwin and Shwin.  I always thought baby shoes would be fiddly and difficult to make but the Shwin and Shwin tutorials are very clear and easy to follow.



I'm yet to attempt the craft of crochet but I've been told that once you get going it can be quite quick and satisfying.  This cosy looking Moogly Blog blanket is called the Blackberry Salad Stripe Blanket.  The tutorial even includes a close-up video of the "bubble" stitch.  This may well be my first ever crochet project! (or maybe just a smaller doll blanket version).



I have to admit I was totally won over by the model in this one.  The bib is cute, and no doubt very functional, but just have a look at those eyes!!  The aptly named "bapron" or cross between bib and apron was created by Jess at Craftiness is not Optional.



A friend recently introduced me to Melly & Me, she made an adorable alien for her boy from the book Sewn Toy Tales.  This cute little Oopsie Octopus tutorial by Melly & Me is freely available on the Moda Bake Shop site.  It is a great introduction to the world of soft toy making and includes some useful tricks of the trade.



Some of the best baby gifts I ever received were blankets.  Great for throwing over the baby in a capsule car seat or just snuggling up on the couch.  Co-ordinating blankets with outfits is fun and so easy with these matching little knit hats from Make it and Love it.



My sister actually asked if I could make her some bunting.  Seeing photos of her nursery, I wasn't sure traditional flag type bunting would work so I was keen to find something a little different.  Finnish child clothing pattern experts Ottobre Design have a few free patterns and tutorials available on their website.  These Soft Letters have a delightfully Scandinavian feel.   Thankfully my new niece's name only has 4 letters!



Following the theme of nursery decor, I thought I would include a mobile of some description.  There are an amazing number of DIY mobile ideas out there, I chose this one from Sugar-Crumbs for the versatility of the design.  You can change the colours and even the shape of the cut-outs to suit any nursery colours or theme.



Finally if I were feeling seriously adventurous, I would consider replacing the nappy bag my sister ordered from the US, but sadly lost in transit.  The Hip Mamma Diaper Bag from  A Mingled Yarn would be pretty impressive as a handmade gift.  Time-consuming definitely, but the tutorial is very well written, it might almost be achievable!



To my sister who is no doubt reading this, a huge congratulations!... and given my track record with posting gifts, you can look out for your store-bought present in about six months time!