Christmas is fast approaching, which means it’s time to sort out those last minute gifts you’ve been putting off. Babies can be very difficult to buy for, whether it’s your own little offspring or a family member or friend’s infant. Of course you want to celebrate their first Christmas, but do you really want to waste money on something that they’ll have grown out of in a couple months?
This is especially the case with clothes – babies love to have a growth spurt just as you’ve bought them a nice new pair of cute shoes – and yet we all can’t resist dressing up our infants. The trick is to buy keepsakes or to keep clothing practical. Here are some garment ideas to consider this Christmas.
Initialled clothing
Let’s start with the keepsakes. Initialled clothing is one of the most adorable gifts you can get– a great way of adding a personal touch when buying for someone else’s baby. This process of putting a name or initials on clothes is called monogramming and can be applied to any piece of attire. Monogramed blankets are a particularly good keepsake idea.
Prepare for hot and cold
It’s important to keep babies layered up in the winter. A new coat or fleece can be a great practical gift around this time of the year. Even more useful can be clothing for the heat if you or your family member has plans to take the baby abroad early next year. Most parents will not have prepared for the heat around this time of the year, so this can make a nice intuitive gift. Obviously if the baby has no plans to go away, don’t worry investing money into summerwear, as the infant will probably have grown out of it by the time Spring is over.
Onesies
The idea of onesies came from baby clothes. Their easy zip-up function makes them great winter wear for easily getting them in and out of for nappy changes. Now that adults are wearing them (onesies, not nappies!), they’re more popular and more diverse than ever. If you really want to push the boat out, you could get matching onesies for all family members.
Caps and hats
An accessory commonly forgotten about that babies need in all weathers is caps and hats. Babies – especially newborns – have very vulnerable heads due to bones still forming and a lack of hair. In the winter it’s important to keep their little heads warm. Bobble hats and stretchable hats can be especially useful, as they’re likely to get more use than a fixed size hat. For babies going on holiday to sunny locations, caps are a great way to keep babies heads from getting burnt, whilst providing shade on their faces.
Other useful accessories can be gloves and scarves that can often be bought in conjunction with hats. If you’re good with a needle and thread, you may even be able to knit your own for extra personal twist.