Are you going to present a baby shower soon? Or have you recently been invited to one and you are not certain what to do? If so, you will be expected to give a present to the baby to help welcome him or her into the world. That is fine, but a great deal of individuals, particularly single men, wonder what it is exactly that a baby so desperately needs.

If you fall into that category or if you would like to take a scatter-gun approach to giving a present in the hope that something will be of use, then you could think about procuring the baby a baby gift basket. You see, a baby gift basket contains a lot of small objects or big items or a mixture of the two. Whatever you can come up with or afford in fact.

There are two ways of procuring a baby gift basket. You can either purchase one ready-made or you can purchase a basket and pick-and-mix the contents yourself. So, let us suppose that you are going to avoid duplication and pack your own basket.

First the basket. A traditional wicker basket like the ones they show on toffee tins, in which a maid is carrying eggs is pretty, but also pretty costly. You could obtain a plastic version, but perhaps the box that the gifts are in is not as significant as the gifts themselves. You could make your own by lining and wrapping a suitably-sized box and finishing it with a bow.

The contents. What do babies need? Or are you going to put some items in there for the parents as well? If you are going to add a few objects for the parents as well, I will leave that up to you as you know them better than I do, I should imagine.

What can you get for the baby then? Something instructive is a must; something to occupy the baby's attention, perhaps like a mobile or a fancy abacus to string across the pram. How about music? Brahm's Lullaby is fantastic, with or without voices, in German or in English, but get it sung by a choir or a solo, but professionally-trained singer - not Lady Gaga.

When selecting music remember that by the time the baby can understand the words, the CD will have been lost, scratched or worn out. Go for peaceful music, classical is best in this instance.

Other objects that always come in useful are bibs, teething rings, baby beakers and a small plate or dish. I do not think it is a good thing to do to get shampoos and soaps, it is better to let mum buy them or you might be blamed for allergic reactions and dandruff. However, talcum powder is a pretty safe bet, but do not purchase anything strongly perfumed.

Personalized bedding is a good idea. If you purchase a cot blanket, strive to get one the same size as the cot for safety reasons. A nice touch is to have the baby's monogram or initials embroidered on it. That does not work well for clothing, because kids grow out of them, but it is fantastic for quilts and pillow cases.

Purchase the bedding and ask (or pay) someone to do the embroidery for you. The child will grow out of the cot, but the blanket can then be used as a comforter. Embroidered pillow cases have a similarly long life.

Some individuals give sweets and biscuits, but personally I am not in favour of helping someone to rot their teeth, encouraging a sweet tooth or overweight babies. A decent bottle of wine though is another matter, but you will need to take advice on whether it will be at its peak in twenty years time. Good Port is a safe bet. Spirits do not mature in a bottle.

Author SIG

Owen Jones, the writer of this article, writes on several subjects, but is now involved with the Satin Baby Blankets. If you would like to know more, please visit our website at Woollen Blankets.

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