The ultimate baby hamper guide: make it an extra special gift

Baby gift baskets are an assortment of useful items for newborns and their parents. They are beautifully decorated and can even be personalised.

Newborn baby hampers are one of the most popular gifts for baby showers. For a good reason, it’s a guaranteed home-run. You can be sure at least one thing in it is going to be useful to the baby. Plus it’s a perfect group gift as you can make it as small or as big as you want.

There are so many baby hampers out there, with so many different composition. It can be difficult to choose what to put in yours.

I have gathered here some of the best options I offered to my expecting friends. Hopefully this little guide will help you out!

Don’t have the time or creativity to make your own hamper? Jump straight onto our favourite ready-made baby gift baskets, there are some for every budget.

DIY Baby Hampers: Compose your own

One of the best presents are the ones you put your heart and soul into. So why not just DIY a baby hamper basket? It’s easy! Especially if you’re into crafts.

You can buy the items separately, mix and match them and create unique baby hampers.

Here are some of my favourite items to put into by gift baskets:

The Hamper basket

A cute basket is the element that ties the gifts together and make it aesthetic. You need to have a good idea of how many items you want to put in the hamper to be able to assess the size of basket you need.

There are typical three sizes: small medium and large. Whatever size you choose, make sure the height of the basket is under 20cm otherwise it will overpower the aesthetic and you won’t be able to see the gifts inside.

I’d stick to the traditional wood, willow or wicker for the basket. Woodluv is my favourite brand of willow baskets, they are well finished, use good quality wicker or willow and they already come with a lining and ribbon.

Small baskets

Medium Baskets

Large Baskets

The Decoration

In general I try to get my basket super cute so I don’t need to add too much decoration and I focus on the gift to put in it. But if you feel really creative you can add a lot of lovely personal touches to your basket to make it even more unique.

Personalised lining

You can add a new lining and even embroider the name of the baby on it. You can choose the colour and texture. The downside is that it requires quite a lot of work and customisation to fit it to the basket.

Ribbon

If you choose a wicker or willow basket a little ribbon is the little touch that brigs all the elegance. Since it’s already quite a rustic item you don’t want one of these shinning satin ribbon but a more rough fabric like linen.

Shredded paper

It’s a great tip to fill the empty space in your basket making it look fuller. Perfect trick if your basket is slightly too big for the gifts you bought. I tend to like more minimalist hamper design. But I’ve seen really lovely hampers that were filled of shredded paper to add some contrast and colour to the hamper (especially if the basket is white).

Wooden Heart

It’s a great personalised touch where you can engrave or paint either the name of the baby or a nice quote. I put one on all my hampers. I usually make them personalised but you can also buy them already made.

Cellophane Gift Wrap

I’m not a huge fan of that trend as I’m not a great packer but there are some lovely cellophane wrap with really cute pattern that you can use to finish your hamper.

What to put in it?

You can put whatever you dim useful in your hamper. The only rule is to try to make the colours match so it looks like a unity. I’d advise you to keep it simple, do not mix more than two or three colours (including white).

How many items should you put in your baskets? It’s completely up to you and your budget, however I would always make sure you have at least 3-4 items in it.

I have gathered here the usual items I mix in my baskets. I made sure to offer you options for boys, girls and also unisex.

If it’s not your first time reading our articles, you’ll know I’m a sucker for Peter Rabbit So I’ve also included my favourite Peter Rabbit hamper gifts

Muslin squares

You can never have enough of these. Go for those with a nice print as they give the baby hamper more personality. There are plenty of handmade ones to be found online.

Bodysuits

Just like with muslin squares, the more the better. There are plenty of budget-friendly ones to choose from.

Cotton hats

If it’s a winter baby, a cotton hat will come very handy, especially since babies tend to lose them easily.

Assorted Set

Bathing Products & Accessories

They don’t need to be expensive, just be sure they are good quality.

Socks

Who can’t resist a cute little socks? Maybe you can even knit them!

A Teether

Of all the toys you can choose for a newborn, this is the only one that will actually be used.

A Soft Toy

Great to fill some empty space in your basket.

Ready-made Newborn Baby Hampers

Budget Unisex Baby Hampers

There are plenty of affordable baby hampers to be found online and in stores. Interestingly, they tend to be more practical than those on the more expensive side. Here are some I recommend.

Luxury Baby Hampers

If you’re not on a budget, you can afford to buy a baby hamper that is either filled with more items, or which items are a bit more extravagant. These can also be great shared gifts. Here are some of the unisex baby hampers I like:

I hope I help you make your choice for your baby hamper! What would you choose to put in it? Let me know in the comments and share with us the picture of your own baby hampers!

And if you’re looking for other baby shower gifts or just something to give to a mum-to-be, I’ve got you covered, too!