What to buy for baby’s first Christmas
Are you stuck trying to find a unique, special gift for baby’s first Christmas? Do family and friends keep asking what to buy baby for their first Christmas, but you’re clueless when it comes to gift suggestions? Or are you looking for gift ideas for your grandchildren, nephews or nieces?
I have compiled a list of amazing present ideas for baby’s first Christmas. These presents are all quite unique, a bit more sentimental and, as such, a bit more special than the usual books, toys and games which your little one will be likely to receive. What’s more, all of these gifts are beautifully handmade by small local retailers, rather than offered by the usual high street chain stores!
From 0-6 months baby gifts
At this age, your baby obviously won’t remember an awful lot about their first Christmas, but will love looking back at photos of the special occasion when they grow up. It’s an ideal age to set up some fun photo sessions and have them wearing cute little Christmas outfits. Here’s my ideas for this age group:
Photoshoot props
You could set up your own photoshoots and buy them some cute little crocheted outfits which double up as photo props. I’ve found a great local retailer, who often supplies local photographers – Snuggly Bundles in Wendover – all of her items are made from soft cuddly wool and she has too many cute items to mention, from reindeer hats to pocket hugs/hearts.
Check out her Etsy page – https://www.etsy.com/shop/snugglybundles
Personalised Clothing
Another cute photo idea is to use personalised clothing which has your child’s name on it. Keekco Clothing offer a range of cute little outfits (along with matching adult versions as well) which have their names on them, including ‘baby’s first Christmas’.
The set pictured can be found here a long with various sizes – https://keekcoclothing.co.uk/collections/christmas-pyjamas
Sometimes the simplest things look the best. Very much like this personalised baby set by Kimmy’s Personalised Gifts. A lovely gift for baby’s first Christmas.
The set pictured can be found here a long with various sizes – https://www.kimmyspersonalisedgifts.co.uk/
A Christmas photoshoot with a local photographer
If you have more budget available and would prefer a professional to take those gorgeous snaps of your little cherub, K8’s Photography is currently offering a super-cute Santa shoot with tiny ones and has a huge portfolio of Christmas-themed baby shoots. My favourite cheeky Christmas photo of Kate’s can be found here – she’s one talented lady!
Visit their Facebook Page – https://www.facebook.com/k8sphotography
Website – www.k8sphotography.com
Baby’s first Christmas gift set
Check out my own range of baby’s first Christmas gifts. If you would like to order fully customised dribble bibs, tag blankets and teethers, made of high-quality materials and to an exceptional standard, visit the Christmas section of my website Everything can be made completely to your own specification and all presents look super-cute in your baby’s first Christmas photos. The teethers and tag blankets are a real hit for children in the 0-6 month age group.
A personalised toybox
Is your house already fit to burst with little toys dotted everywhere and are you are struggling for a storage solution for them? Why not consider a personalised storage box, like the ones The Little White Toy Box Shop have to offer?
You can fully customise the design and personalisation for your lovely sturdy and spacious toy box. The box can then be stored in the loft to keep their keepsakes safe when they are older.
Baby’s first Christmas ornament
Add a lovely sentimental gift to your Christmas tree, and one that is becoming increasingly popular is baby’s first Christmas ornament! These are 2 lovely ideas for Christmas ornaments.
From 6-12 months baby gifts
All of the gifts above are suitable for an older baby, however, at this age your child will have started interacting with the world, using their hands to explore and they will likely be crawling (or even taking those first steps…eek!). Even though they won’t remember their first Christmas, they will definitely enjoy the new and exciting things that Christmas brings. They will be more likely to appreciate receiving toys that they can interact with. I’ve found some lovely gift ideas for this age group:
Weaning Gift
Even if your baby is new born, it’s good to be prepared for weaning early. With so many different things you need for that part of their journey having bowls and spoons that are good for the environment. The suction bases keeps them in place and the silicone tips make feeding themselves easier.
Find this Bamboo weaning set here – https://foreverandalwaysandaday.myshopify.com
Christmas eve box / Santa box
Your little one is at the perfect age for exploring a box full of treats and little toys and that’s what makes Santa boxes so popular for this age group. Many suppliers offer personalised boxes with your child’s name on, which you can fill to the brim with teethers, chewy toys, cuddly toys and many other toys which have a variety of textures to chew and play with. My favourite small, local supplier is currently Rachel’s Crafty Eva After. She does a range of personalised goodies for all occasions, so check out her page – https://www.facebook.com/craftyevaafter
Novelty Crayons
Children love getting creative and can start very young! What better (and safer) way to be introduced to art than through the childhood classic, crayons …and not just any crayons, but novelty-shaped crayons. Whether your little one is into unicorns, pirates, dinosaurs or any other theme, there are plenty of companies offering novelty crayons. My favourite is Waddy’s Wax Crayons and I particularly love their unicorn colouring sets, complete with unicorn shaped crayons, stickers and bubbles. They also offer letter-shaped crayons so you could get your child’s name made as a gift.
Check out their profile at https://www.facebook.com/Waddyswaxcrayons
Plaster casting gift experiences
You could get your little one involved in making their own present and keepsake by making an ornament which is plaster cast from their hands or feet! There are so many designs to choose from and each company has their own individual take on it. My current favourite is Mads and Moodle, based in Thame. They have a special Christmas snow globe design which has your child’s hand or foot cast as the centrepiece. It would look lovely in a child’s nursery (or on the mantlepiece if your house has one) and would be an extra special reminder of how tiny they were at one point!
Check out their designs here – http://www.madsandmoodle.com/ or https://www.facebook.com/Madsandmoodle
A cuddly keepsake
By the time your little one will have reached 6 months, they will have already outgrown so many of those special treasured little outfits. You’ll probably have started to think about whether to loft them or pass them on to others (or even your next little one). I offer a beautiful keepsake service for all of those outfits which you want to make sacred and hold dear for your baby. If you have clothes that you want to keep forever and which have a significant meaning to you, this service is for you! I will make those treasured clothing items into an extra special keepsake… a new favourite toy or comforter for your little one. You can check out my range of designs here. I guarantee that this will become your child’s new favourite cuddly and it will also have significant meaning for you! Your baby’s first Christmas keepsake can be in the style of any animal you choose, so please contact me if you would like to discuss your perfect present and you can’t see the design you are looking for on my website.
What to do if you aren’t sure…
Still not sure what to request from your family and friends as there are too many choices? Consider setting up an online wish list (and include requests for gift vouchers), so that people can select a gift from your choices and tick it off your wish list. That way, your child won’t receive any random unwanted or duplicate gifts and you will make things much easier on the people buying for your family!
Please remember to support small, local businesses where possible this Christmas, as they are the ones who have been worst hit by the pandemic. The benefit to you is that you can find gifts which are truly bespoke and sentimental, and which are handmade with love! I hope you and your family have a lovely Christmas planned this year, surrounded by those you love.
If I can help you by creating an extra-special keepsake or by creating baby’s first Christmas bundle, please get in touch before my order books close on 21st November for Christmas Keepsakes. Payment plans available for those who are struggling and would prefer to spread the cost.