How to Choose the Perfect Gift for the New Baby Girl

It's always a delight to know a new baby girl has been born into the family, and it's always an impulse to buy something nice for her and the new parents. It can get pretty tricky when buying stuff for the new baby girl - how can you be sure which gifts would be appreciated more? There's also the nagging feeling about walking into the baby shower with the exact same gift as another guest! Needless to say, original baby gift ideas are pretty hard to come by.

Thankfully, you can give gift baskets instead of single gift items. Gift baskets are combinations of closely-related gift items placed in a suitable container, usually a basket. You can prepare and give gift baskets for all occasions, and the arrival of a new baby girl is a pretty good occasion. A well-prepared gift basket for the little girl and her parents would be greatly appreciated, and it's a novel way of saying how much you care for the new family.

Pink is the most popular color for baby girls, so make sure you make the color a central theme of your gift basket. You can also use other feminine colors, like yellow, or neutral colors, like purple, green, and white. Also remember that pastel shades are always better than strong ones, since they convey a feeling of calm and quiet - something you'd like the baby's new room to be. If you've seen what the baby's room looks like, you can also get a better idea of what kind of stuff would go well with the interior design.

The most common things to fill baby girl gift baskets are, of course, baby items. Now every baby needs diapers, and preparing a little "diaper tower" gift basket can be a wonderful idea. Not only will you be sure that the items will be well-used, but you'll be saving the new parents some money down the line, too. You can also throw in some colorful new bibs, pins, toys, and other baby items to spruce up the gift basket.

Toys are also great items to give to a new baby girl - any self-respecting nursery for a little girl should be lined with stuffed toys. Stuffed toys also make for good company in the crib, and even in the bed as the little girl grows up. Three stuffed animals, one larger than the other two, or a collection of tiny ones are good combinations. Just make sure the animals are related to each other - you might want to give a "farm" or "pony" or "puppy show" theme to the gift basket this way.

Babies spend most of their day asleep, so it's also a good idea to fill your gift basket with items the little girl can use while sleeping. Some comfy body suits and other sleepwear, mittens, caps, and some dolls for company would fit in a "sleepy" gift basket well, in addition to some bottles, mobiles, and maybe a musical toy to help lull her to sleep.

Another good idea for a gift basket theme is "bath time." It might take a while for babies to get used to bath time, and some baby bath items like washcloths, shampoo, towels, and rubber ducky can make her like getting squeaky clean. To make things a little different, fill the basket with "travel-sized" versions of these items - it's a friendly gesture and suggestion to the parents to take the little girl out every now and then.

When picking out a container for your gift items, remember that baby girl gift baskets aren't limited to the traditional wicker basket. You can pick other containers that may go better with your gift basket's theme, like baby bathtubs, hampers, or little perambulators (in case she likes to play mommy as she grows older). These containers can be considered a part of the gift collection itself, since they're pretty useful.

One way to make the gift basket more appealing to the little girl's parents is to include something for them, as well. They'll very much appreciate a good bottle of wine or apple cider, and maybe even some gourmet food items that the mother can munch on to keep up her strength - after all, taking care of a baby is hard work!

The dad will probably also need a little help taking care of his new daughter. Men are by nature bad at changing diapers, so giving him a few books about caring for his little girl will definitely make things easier for him - and, of course, for the mom, too.

Gift baskets are always best when prepared with your own hands, but admittedly not all of us have that "creative streak." If this sounds like you, then maybe you can visit a gift basket shop instead. Gift basket shops almost always have pre-made gift baskets for all occasions on their store shelves, and baby girl gift baskets are pretty popular. You can simply pick one that suits the new baby girl and her parents.

To make even a store-bought gift basket special, you can ask the gift basket shop to personalize it. Some of the better shops have personalizing services, often knitting the baby girl's name onto dolls, stuffed letters, or sleepwear. They can also customize gift baskets for you - all you need is to give them your ideas on what kinds of items to fill the basket with, and they'll come up with some pretty on-target suggestions for you.

If by any chance you can't make it to the baby shower, some of the better shops can also deliver the baskets to the couple's doorstep. Ask them to make the delivery during the baby shower itself - they'll need the date and time - and you'll be making a pleasant impact on the party even when you're not around.

The beauty about preparing your gift basket is that by presenting more than one gift item in a pretty basket, you don't add to its "Ah!" factor, but multiply it. And when the other guests ask where you got it, you can shrug and say, "I made it." And everyone, especially the parents, will love you for it.