45+ DIY Baby Shower Gift Ideas

Last Updated on July 7, 2021

If you’ve been following along in this DIY Baby Shower Series, we started with 60+ free baby shower printables and we’ve also covered DIY baby shower favors & prizes. Today’s topic is DIY baby shower gift ideas! These are all either free tutorials or come with free patterns. Either way, the only expense to you will be in materials. I tried to pick DIYs that didn’t look too complicated, because often we’re not given a whole lot of notice for a baby shower!

I’ve been having lots of fun putting these posts together and I hope you are enjoying them too! I’m still at an age where lots of my friends are having babies, so I’ve got a few more showers to plan before I’m off the hook.

A homemade baby gift is a really sweet way of letting a friend know that you’ve been thinking about them and that you care about them. Creating something from scratch takes time and thought and it is usually met with tears of appreciation. (Pregnancy hormones probably contribute a little to the weepiness, but feel free to take the credit anyway! Lol)

Here are my best picks for some adorable tutorials for diy baby shower gifts.

What Can Be Gifted to a Newborn Baby?

The short answer? Anything.

Because you’re actually giving the gift to the mom, not the baby. Mom can decide whether or not to use your gift, and either way the gift will be valued and appreciated.

New babies, (and first-time moms) need a number of items to get by comfortably in the first year. Some things like strollers and cribs can’t be homemade. But there are so many categories of baby gear that can be handmade! Things like linens, burp cloths, clothes, shoes, diaper bags, some toys, quilts, room decor and even cloth diapers!

If you’re also wondering what the average amount to spend on a baby shower gift is, well that also varies. Creating a homemade gift is a great way to cut down on the cost if money is an issue. Personally, I would view $30 to be a good ballpark to aim for. I would consider $40-$50 very generous.

The Best Homemade Baby Gifts

A homemade baby gift IS THE BEST GIFT in my humble opinion. 🙂 

1. Teethers

Babies can start teething basically any time after their born. So it’s never too early to have a couple teethers on hand. You can make the lovely wooden kind or use silicon beads to make a necklace for mom!

‘Bunny Ears’ wooden ring teether – with free pattern

Wooden beads teether – with tutorial

Wood & Silicone teethers – with tutorial

Silicone Bead teething necklace – with tutorial

Fabric teething necklace 

Wood Beads & Crochet Goldfish Rattle Teether – with free pattern

2. Lovies

I think any type of soft ‘thing’ that a child carries around with them until it is threadbare is considered a lovey. My son has a blankie that is practically transparent at this point. We have to make a dedicated plan for laundering the thing otherwise an epic meltdown will ensue when he realizes it’s in the wash. Anyway, I digress. These are super cute:

Crochet Koala – with free pattern

Adorable Sloth Lovey – with free sewing pattern

Bunny Lovey – with tutorial

If you prefer to simply buy a gift rather than make one, check out this post of 18 gift ideas for new moms!

3. Rattles & Toys

There are literally a bajillion patterns and tutorials for toys out there. These are just a handful that I thought were cute and appropriate for a diy baby shower gift.

Soft Blocks – with sewing tutorial

Crochet Butterfly Rattle – with free pattern

Dinosaur Taggie Stuffie – with free pattern

Modern Wooden Rings Rattle – with tutorial

Plush Raccoon Stuffie – with free pattern (This site also has patterns for a mouse, corgi and deer!)

Felt Squirrel – free pattern & tutorial

4. Travel Change Pads

This is definitely one of those things you don’t realize you need until it’s too late and you’re facing a gross change table in a public washroom and nothing to cover it with. New moms will really appreciate a sleek travel diaper change pad. They make it possible to change a diaper virtually anywhere. Because inevitably a diaper blowout will occur in the most inconvenient places.

DIY Change Pad with Caddy – with tutorial

Baby Change Mat – with tutorial

Roll-up Change Mat – with tutorial

Diaper Change Pad & Clutch – with tutorial

5. Clothes & Wearables

Again, there are so many more patterns out there than these few. If you do a quick search for ‘crochet baby booties’ you will have to sift through thousands of results. Unfortunately the nature of the internet means that not every pretty picture links to a proper website with a pattern. But all of these do, I checked em all! And now I kind of want to make all the baby leggings. So stinkin cute!!

Fleece Hat with Teddy Bear Ears – with pattern & instructions

Ruffle Diaper Covers – with free pattern & instructions (These are sooo adorable!)

Knit Baby Cardigan – with tutorial

Crochet Baby Moccasins – with tutorial

Baby Leggings – with free pattern (do these come in grown-up sizes?!)

No Scratch Baby Mitts 

Baby Beanie Hat – with free pattern

Crochet Baby Booties – with free pattern

6. DIY Baby Bibs

Mama can’t have too many bibs! The bandana bibs are especially good for drooly babies who need constant coverage. I really lucked out in the drool department, my boys were not blessed with an abundance of saliva. But I’ve seen some kids that are a constant running faucet! So a selection of bibs is a solid choice for a DIY baby gift.

Bandana Bib – with tutorial

Crossover Bib – with free pattern

Catch-all Bib – with free pattern

Basic Bib – with tutorial

7. Useful Baby Gifts

Blankets, towels and sheets. All the essentials for baby-hood. It’s nice to make something that you know the recipient will find both useful and beautiful. These baby basics are the perfect category in homemade baby gift ideas!

Easy Crochet Baby Blanket – with free pattern (I wrote it!)

Perfect Baby Burp Cloth – with free pattern

Change Pad Cover – with tutorial

Stretchy Car Seat Cover – with tutorial

Crib Sheet – with tutorial

Shopping Cart Cover – with free pattern & tutorial

Hooded Towel – with tutorial

Car Seat Blanket – with tutorial

30-min Minkie Blanket – with tutorial

7. No-Sew DIY Baby Gifts aka Baby Toiletries

I didn’t know what else to call these other than toiletries. Haha! Am I having a serious mom-brain moment where I can’t think of the correct term?! Oh well. Make all three of these as a set for an awesome diy baby shower gift!

Baby Powder – with tutorial

Bottom Balm – with tutorial

Bubble Bath – with tutorial

8. Unique Baby Shower Gift Ideas

These are the kinds of things that you tell yourself you’ll make for your own kids then you never get around to it. So do a new mom a favour and gift her with something she’ll really treasure. 🙂 

Wooden Growth Chart – with instructions

Milestone Blanket – with tutorial

Nursery Door Latch Cover – with tutorial

Pacifier Clips – with tutorial

Feather Baby Mobile – with tutorial

What are some DIY baby gifts that you’ve made for a baby shower? I’d love to add more homemade baby gift ideas to this list, so tell me in the comments!

Happy Crafting!