Have a unique or clever idea idea for a baby shower gift? Make sure it’s not on this list of gifts not to give at a baby shower first! Avoid these 9 gifts and you’ll make the mama-to-be very happy!
DISCLAIMER: I’ve been getting a lot of mean comments on this post telling me how cynical or awful this post is. Guys, chill. Yes, I think some of these gifts are lame, but all gifts are good when they come from the heart.
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If you’ve had a baby shower, I guarantee this has happened to you.
You’re sitting in front of your guests opening presents when you open one that’s just awful. You fake a smile and pretend it’s the cutest thing in the world while mentally making a note to return it or donate it as soon as the party is over. You graciously thank the gift-giver and set the present with the rest, happy to move on to the next one.
Am I right?
For some reason, there’s always one or two people who just don’t know how to give gifts at a baby shower. It might be your elderly neighbor, your childless friend from high school, or your aunt who you’ve only met a few times, but there’s one at every baby shower, and sometimes, it can make you feel pretty awkward.
Today I’ve written a post filled with gifts NOT to give at a baby shower, and hopefully it will spread around enough that some of these common (and unwanted) gift ideas will stop being given to pregnant moms. Please. Just stop.
Here are some gifts not to give at a baby shower:
1. Quilts. Unless you’re a grandma or great-grandma, please don’t sew the baby a quilt or other handmade blanket. New moms get so many blankets (receiving blankets, swaddle blankets, stroller blankets) and honestly, babies don’t even use quilts until they’re over a year old. Nobody has room to store a bunch of quilts until then. And nobody wants to save a quilt from someone they barely know to use later in their lives. So just stop with the quilts.
2. Decorations or art for the nursery. New moms usually have a very specific idea in mind for how they want to decorate their baby’s nursery. And it’s usually already done by the time they have a baby shower (especially for first-time moms!). I guarantee that whatever decor or art you gift them probably won’t match, and they’ll probably end up getting rid of it. The rare exception is if you found it on their baby registry. Otherwise, no.
3. Anything homemade. You might’ve seen a cute homemade drool bib or a no-sew bow or even a pair of baby booties you could crochet. But people don’t throw baby showers to get handmade gifts. They throw baby showers to get gifts from their registries. And just because they have baby mittens on their registry doesn’t mean you should make them baby mittens. Just buy them. They registered for those for a reason.
4. A music box. You might be thinking “Who would give a baby a music box?” but I can assure you, it’s happened. A music box is not a practical gift for a baby and it will just take up shelf or closet space. Babies don’t need music boxes, they need diapers. Be sensible.
5. Clothes that are bigger than 12 months. Gifting clothes can be a tricky one, but I’ll just say don’t give the new mama any baby clothes that are for babies older than a year. She’ll forget about them! This has happened to me more than once, and while yes, it’s a good idea to give the new mom clothes for a size other than newborn or 0-3 months, they’ll get put in a box or on a shelf and then they won’t be found until the baby (or toddler, by then) has already outgrown them. Try to stick to 0-3 months or 3-6 months.
6. Something they won’t use for years. In an effort to get something helpful that nobody else will get you and your baby, some people go so far as to get them things for the future, like a strider bike or pull-ups. Again, people don’t have unlimited storage for these things, so please don’t get them things that won’t be helpful or needed for years.
7. Stuffed animals. Stuffed animals are the worst. Babies honestly don’t need them at all (they can’t even cuddle with them until they’re older) and even then they only need one or two. But somehow, we always end up with like 1,000 stuffed animals per kid. We’re basically drowning in them. Please don’t gift stuffed animals. No more teddy bears, puppies, or kitties. NO MORE.
8. Toddler toys. You know how every year on the anniversary of their birth, people celebrate birthdays and they’re given gifts? Well THAT is the appropriate time for a child to receive toddler toys, not at the mom’s baby shower when the baby isn’t even born yet. If they won’t use it within 6-9 months of the shower, it’s not a good gift.
9. Anything used. It’s thoughtful and kind to give a new mama a gently-used high chair or Bumbo seat that your baby didn’t destroy, but save that for another day. Don’t gift her something that’s been used. Go buy some pacifiers or a pack of diapers, and give her the high chair after the party’s over. Be classy, guys. Be classy.
I know this post of gifts not to give at a baby shower might be a little harsh and hard to hear (the truth hurts), but it’s time someone spoke up for mamas-to-be!
If you really are having a hard time trying to decide what to get someone for their baby shower, just get them something off of their registry (Amazon Baby Registry is my favorite!). They put it together for a reason (it’s full of things they actually want!), and they’ll be thrilled when they see your gift!
Happy gifting, friends!
Amber Corkin says
This is a great list! I wholeheartedly agree! I will add… I was surprised how many people gifted clothing that would be out of season when my baby was actually going to be wearing them. Like 3-6 month summer clothes when it would be the middle of the winter at that time for my baby!
Chelsea Johnson says
Yes, that’s something that’s often not thought about, too! Good point!
Laura Montgomery says
Love this! I have multiple friends who are having babies in the next few months and had planned on making them all quilts- thank you for setting me straight! Now maybe I’ll just start making quilts for my girls’ “big girl beds”.
Chelsea Johnson says
Haha yeah, we didn’t keep any of the blankets or quilts people gifted us unless they were from grandparents or they were swaddles that we wanted! You could always ask your friends if they’d like to have a handmade quilt! Everyone is different!
Lilly says
That list is just brilliant. I have had my baby shower just 3 weeks ago and I can’t complain.. People who didn’t really have an idea just got gift cards and gift cards are always on point I think… Like just go and buy what you need… 😉
Chelsea Johnson says
Yes, gift cards are always good. I know some people don’t think they’re very personal, but I always welcome them!
Carol says
Some of these suggestions are good. Too many blankets yes! But it’s too bad people don’t appreciate the thought and love that goes into knitted booties etc. My mom knitted a sweater for my son when he was 3-4 years old which I didn’t think was that attractive but Nic always wanted to wear it because his Gramma made it for him. Moms should be more appreciative and sentimental and teach this to their children. I’m sure their kids will grow up demanding expensive name brand clothing also. By the way, I have my father’s quilted baby blanket (thow size) that my grandmother made and I use it at night in the winter. It gives me a lot of comfort and I feel close to him since he passed.
Chelsea Johnson says
It just depends on the person. Thanks for sharing, Carol!
Marie says
I am in the first trimester and haven’t told our families yet. My best friend surprised me with a gift she has been holding onto for years… and it’s decor for the nursery. Soooo sentimental and sweet. But it makes me sad because I was so excited to dream about and decorate my first baby’s room. The gift sets a theme and colors, and I feel so torn about this 🙁 With all the anxiety of being pregnant, this task of decorating was a haven for me- a blank canvas and place for me to pour out my creativity and love.
Chelsea Johnson says
I’m so sorry! An important thing to remember is that every item in the nursery doesn’t have to match! If it’s something you want to display, it can be different from the rest of the theme. If it’s a bigger item like a blanket or giant piece of artwork, you can still include it without making it the centerpiece!
MF says
Thank you for this post. I 100% agree with you, and I can tell the “harsh” aspect is just your sense of humour!
People need to stop with the whole “it’s my money, I’ll spend it how I want or else you get no gift” mentality. I would rather no gift than something I do not need and that I have to spend time trying to donate or return. That’s basically just giving me a burden. It’s like the giver is more concerned with making themselves feel good than the receiver. I truly would prefer to not get any gifts at all than to get a zillion blankets I don’t have space for. I have a small apartment and there is no storage space left whatsoever. Having to live among boxes of “to return” items with a new baby is not ideal. It doesn’t mean one isn’t grateful for the thought behind the gift. In fact this can be part of the problem—we feel bad getting rid of things that were gifts because we know the giver meant well ultimately. So please don’t put that burden on people. If there’s a registry, that means that couple would really prefer to receive those items and will be infinitely more grateful for them than for anything else. If there is no registry, maybe talk to them about their needs to get a sense of things—or give them a gift card or a cheque. That is, if you want to make them happy more so than wanting to make yourself happy.
Chelsea Johnson says
Thanks for sharing, MF! I appreciate that you actually understood that I was kind of joking!!!
Kelly says
Hello, I’m glad I came across this post. I agree!
I received a quilt from an elderly friend. However, she asked me before hand what color and style. I was pleased she asked. It is a thoughtful gift. More so when the person actually takes your opinion in consideration.
I made a mistake of purchasing an item for a much older age. I could tell the mom was not too happy about it. I wrongly assumed it was a lot smaller. So, definitely not making the mistake again. From now on, I stick to 0-3 and 3-6 months.
As for stuffed animals, I’ve only gifted a cuddle me kind llama to my best friend. I knew she wanted it. Otherwise, I only gift small wooden animal shakers from Green Tones. More age appropriate for a baby.
Again, thank you for the post!
Chelsea Johnson says
Thanks for your input, Kelly!!!
Michelle says
I’m only 15 weeks and I already have two people making me handmade blankets. One lady I work with and someone I’ve never met who works with my MIL. I’m already dreading how many more I will open at the baby shower. How do I send this article to my people without sending it….asking for a friend! Ha
Chelsea Johnson says
Just make sure when you register for things, you include that in big letters on your baby shower invites!! Good luck!
Swelk says
Amen! Someone had to say it! We specifically put on our shower invitations to refer to our registry for items we were in NEED of. It was amazing how many people still chose to bring items THEY like or THOUGHT we would need. Needless to say, we had to return/exchange many items. The registry is there for a reason. Stick to it or just bring a congratulations card.
Chelsea Johnson says
Thank you for wholeheartedly agreeing and understanding where I’m coming from! I’ve gotten a lot of hate on this post for people saying I’m ungrateful for gifts! That’s not it at all!
Anna says
Hahaha oh man… I actually make homemade stuff.. but like things I actually like myself and I’ve heard people rave about them.. like bonnets that I knit and actually sell.. or handmade knitted wool blankets that aren’t scratchy.. amd baby pants that are from the best soft material and not baggy like pants that come with store bought sets.. lol but I do agree that you get too many blankets gifted to you.. most are like that polyester stuff that makes babies sweat.. I’m picky about my blankets.. and stuffed toys? Please.. I have way too much and my kids don’t ever play with them! I did have my cousin make me the cutest cross stitch picture for my baby with name and birthday and weight on it and cute precious moments style girl.. I love it!! My cousin felt so insecure about giving it to me thinking I might not even want it! I was like nooo I’m excited for it! She put it in the cute white frame and it’s just adorable! And classy! So my point is.. some homemade stuff is better than store bought.. but you need to know thw mama’s style before gifting homemade things I guess.
Mary says
Your post is perfect, exactly what I was looking for. I was amazed to look online for “gifts NOT to get baby” & haves dozens of websites pop up for “bad but funny gifts.” Everything was a joke. Yours was the only 1 with good, real advice. I can’t imagine anyone not liking this post (unless that gave 1 of these gifts already. Lol) I feel much better now about buying a baby gift. Thank you!!!
Chelsea Johnson says
Thanks, Mary! Glad I could help out!
Maria says
Thank you, this post really helped as I was planning to buy the baby shower gift which is coming up in March. Thanks a lot
Chelsea Johnson says
You’re welcome! When in doubt, get something off the registry!