1. Gift baskets

First obtain a laundry basket or a craft basket, the size is dependent on the number of items that you wish to place in the basket. Fill the basket with baby laundry detergent, your favorite pre wash, stain remover, wipes to go, and some fabric softener and place in the basket.

If you are a group wishing to give that personalized baby shower basket, in addition to the items mentioned above you can add get baby outfits, baby toys and stuffed toys. You can arrange all these small items with tissue paper in the laundry basket, which will serve as your gift basket.

A further idea is to get every member of the group contributing to the gift basket to provide a small gift card with a special personal message and a small gift item which could be an essential or something to pamper the parents to be. A good idea is to include a few gift vouchers.

2. Diaper Cakes

Since the number of diapers needed determine the size of the diaper. For multi-tier diaper cakes the general guideline is to use twice as many diapers on the bottom tier as the previous tier.

Diapers should be rolled into cylinders and use rubber bands to keep the cylinders in shape. It is best to make the tiers bottom up and stick the diaper cylinders together using velcro strips. Once you have assembled the tier using the desired number of diapers, complete the tier by using some fancy ribbon wrapped round the tier.

Normally the top tie contains a special item such as a keepsake or baby toy. In addition, the top diaper tier can be further decorated by attaching suitable stuffed toys.

3. Crochet gifts

Baby shower gifts could include baby hats, baby layettes, baby booties, baby rompers, baby blankets and baby bibs.

Other ideas could include specialist baby item bags such as diaper bags, bottle bags and baby hygiene bags.

4. Cross stitch gifts

Either obtain a cross stitch kit or download a cross stitch pattern comprising the desired design. The completed project can be mounted in a frame or used to personalize a blanket or item of clothing. Smaller designs can be glued to cards or onto albums offering that special one of a kind gift.

When using your cross stitch project to personalise a blanket or indeed any item of the babys clothing, having stitched your project onto the item you wish to personalise, you may consider adding some form of fancy border to both highlight the design and also hide the join of the cross stitch aida cloth to the baby item.

5. Embroidery gifts

If you are feeling more adventurous, use iron-on transfers of the images you want as follows. Set the iron temperature to high. Lay down the item you wish to embroider and place the transfer face down where you would like it to be. Make sure to leave enough room so you can attach the hoop. Tape or hold the pattern firmly in place and glide the iron over the design. You need to do it only two or three times, pressing hard so a light trace of the design will appear. Don't make it too dark because you do not want it to show after you have embroidered it, finally then peel off the transfer.

Attach the hoop around the design, so that the fabric is tight like a drum. Find your starting point and bring the needle up through the bottom of the design and out the top. Bring the needle back down. Continue the process until you have stitched the entire design, switching thread colors as desired.

When you finish, turn the piece over, snip the thread, tie it in a knot at the base of the fabric and snip excess. Iron the finished embroidered item so it is crisp.