New Baby Gift Ideas That Parents Actually Use

We make cards, pin badges and prints in the UK. We don't sell prams, sleepsuits or silver spoons, so this is a plain guide with the card at the end.

New parents get eleven sleepsuits in newborn size and nothing in six to nine months. They also get no sleep and very little food.

The gifts that land fall into three groups: practical for later, a keepsake for always, or food for right now.

Finish it with a card

Whatever you take round, the card is the thing that ends up in the memory box.

Illustration of two large pints of stout next to a tiny baby stout with text "Two's a couple, three's a family". Two's A Couple, Three's A Family (Guinness Congrats On The New Baby Card) £3.87 Only The Best Dads Get Promoted To Grandad (Friends Themed Cards) Only The Best Dads Get Promoted To Grandad (Friends Themed Cards) £3.87 Future Dad Fuel (Dad To Be New Baby Card) Future Dad Fuel (Dad To Be New Baby Card) £3.87 A square pregnancy announcement greeting card for a brother featuring a baby scan photo illustration and uncle text. Only The Best Brothers Get Promoted To Uncle (Pregnancy Announcement Card) £3.87 A square white greeting card reading 'Only the best sisters get promoted to aunty' with a cute illustration of a baby scan. Only The Best Sisters Get Promoted To Aunty (Pregnancy Announcement Card) £3.87 Only The Best Mums Get Promoted To Nanny pregnancy announcement card featuring a baby scan illustration. Only The Best Mums Get Promoted To Nanny (Pregnancy Announcement Card) £3.87

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Practical gifts they'll actually use

  • Clothes in six to twelve months, not newborn. Everyone buys newborn and the baby is out of it in weeks.
  • Muslins, bibs and bath towels - unglamorous, endlessly needed, always welcome.
  • A nappy bin refill pack or a bulk box of nappies in size two or three.
  • A good baby carrier or a voucher towards one, if you know they haven't bought it.

Keepsakes

  • A print with the baby's name and birth date for the nursery wall.
  • A hardback book with a message written inside the cover and dated.
  • A handprint or footprint kit, which costs little and gets used within the first month.
  • Something for the parents to keep: a card they'll still have when the baby is twenty.

Gifts for right now

  • A meal. A real one, in a dish, left on the doorstep with a text rather than a doorbell.
  • A supermarket delivery slot booked and paid for.
  • Coffee, biscuits and painkillers in a box - the 3am survival pack.
  • An hour of your time: hold the baby, load the dishwasher, don't stay long.

What to avoid

  • More newborn clothes, unless you can see they're short.
  • Anything requiring hand washing or ironing.
  • Noisy toys. You will be remembered, but not fondly.
  • Dropping in unannounced. The visit is not the gift.

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How to write it so it lands

  • Buy six to twelve months, not newborn.
  • Food is a gift.
  • Doorstep and go.

Where to shop next

Frequently asked questions

What is the best gift for a new baby?

Clothes in six to twelve months, practical basics like muslins and nappies, a keepsake print or book, or a hot meal for the parents.

How much should I spend on a new baby gift?

£15 to £25 for a colleague or friend, £30 to £50 for close family. A meal costs less and is often worth more.

What should you not buy a new baby?

More newborn-size clothes, hand-wash-only items, noisy toys, and anything that needs assembling.

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