Five Practical Baby Gifts that New Parents Will Appreciate

Looking for a gift for a new baby? Here are 5 practical gift ideas that will be appreciated by the new parents.

Baby clothes in larger sizes

Clothing is always a great gift to give a new baby. The tiny newborn or 3 - 6 month sizes look adorable and are hard to resist, but consider buying baby clothes in 12 months size or larger. Babies grow fast and may end up wearing that sweet little newborn outfit only once or twice. The parents will thank you when six to twelve months down the road they don't have to go out and buy as much new clothing since you were thoughtful enough to buy a bigger size.

It can be hard to figure out what size to buy when you opt for larger baby clothes. You wouldn't want to buy a summer outfit that fits the baby in the middle of winter. Think about buying sleepers or onesies. They can be used any time of year. If you buy an outfit, a one piece short sleeve coverall makes a good choice. Another good choice would be short sleeve t-shirts and lightweight pants. In warmer weather a baby wouldn't get too hot and if it's cooler, a sweater or sweatshirt can be added for extra warmth.

Disposable Diapers

Babies go through lots of disposable diapers, so you can't go wrong if you buy a package or two as a gift. Consider making a diaper cake out of disposable diapers and your gift will not only be useful, but it will be adorable as well.

If you've never seen a diaper cake, check out the video How to Make a Diaper Cake. It gives easy to follow detailed instructions on how to make this unique baby gift.

Gift cards

Many parents register at stores like Babies "R" Us and Target long before the little one arrives. If you are overwhelmed by their list of baby items or want them to choose a gift themselves, consider a gift card. Most parents won't receive everything on their registry list, so a gift card will come in handy. They can always put it aside to use later for larger clothing and more disposable diapers.

Money

A lot of people think that money is too impersonal to give as a gift. Let's face it. Money comes in handy, especially for new parents.

Besides diapers, there are lots of little things that new parents need to buy on a regular basis for their baby and they'll be glad to have the extra cash. If they've received more gifts than they know what to do with, they can open up a savings account for their baby. College costs are rising every year and if parents are smart, they'll start saving early.

Savings Bonds

Purchase a savings bond for the baby. Savings bonds cost half the amount of the face value of the bond. In other words, a $50.00 savings bond will cost you $25.00. Interest rates on savings bonds are not very high, so it will take quite a few years for the bond to be worth the face value. By that time, the baby will be old enough to help decide how to use the money.

Some people have been known to cash in their savings bonds when they go to college. The money definitely comes in handy and if they've received savings bonds as gifts over the years, they might have a tidy sum coming to them.

For more information on savings bonds go to: http://www.treasurydirect.gov/

These are just a few practical gift ideas for new babies. New parents will appreciate these 5 baby gift ideas more than you realize.