Baby showers are meant to be a fun social event where the soon-to-be mother has one last chance to hang out with her friends and have a good time before baby arrives.
Gifts are often seen as a big part of a baby shower, and whether it’s because the parents have other children, or simply because they have already done their baby shopping, sometimes extra baby related gifts are unwanted.
Some parents may already have everything they already need, or they may feel guilty for asking for more gifts, depending on their situation. So how can you have a baby shower that’s fun for everyone but without traditional gifts?
Unique Baby Shower Giftless Ideas
Food shower – Ask everyone to bring a casserole to freeze. Keep in mind, you need a big freezer available if you decide to go this route!
Diapers not gifts – Most other baby items can be reused. If you have cloth diapers, you’re all set, but if you planned to use disposable diapers, ask that everyone bring them along as gifts. Ask for larger sizes, as babies will grow out of newborn ones fairly fast.
Certificates – Ask for certificates to each person’s favorite gift shop, instead of items you may already have. This way the guests can choose where you shop, but you decide on what you buy.
Donations – Have a baby shower with a raffle and donate all proceeds to your chosen charity.
Time capsule – Have a special ceremony where you bury a time capsule to be dug up at baby’s 1st, 5th or 10th birthday. Ask each guest to bring along a special item to include in the capsule.
Baby Quilt Squares – Do you or another family member have a passion for sewing? Get every guest to bring along a square of material (or several, depending how big you want the quilt to be) which can be used to make a special and unique gift for your baby.
Gold Coin Piggy Bank – Fill baby’s first piggy bank and entertain your guests too. Ask them each to donate a gold coin to baby’s piggy bank and one lucky person will win a prize.
Don’t Want A Baby Shower?
A high tea – Have an afternoon tea with friends, cupcakes, coffee and all.
A blessingway – Now becoming more popular, this is a small ceremony which centres around preparing the mother for birth and pampering her.
Susannah is a certified Birth Doula through Childbirth International and the founder of Trimester Talk. With a background in journalism and digital strategy, she combines evidence-based research with real-world knowledge to create accessible content about pregnancy and parenting. She’s a mother of two and stepmother of two more, all of them now teenagers.
Unique baby shower gifts! Got an idea now on what to give for my sister. Thanks!
Such a lovely gifts. I have a month ago from Ginger Kids during the birthday of my niece. I bought some bibs, baby thermometer and baby backseat mirror. Check it out!