How to Make a Baby Arrival Door Piece

A poster on your front door helps welcome a new baby.

When someone has a baby, one of the most exciting parts is bringing the baby home for the first time. If you have a friend or family member who has just had a baby, make the arrival home more memorable by creating a welcoming poster or wreath and hanging it on the front door of the home before the parents and their baby arrive. The parents might be inclined to keep this special memento and show it to their child when she's old enough to appreciate it.

Things You'll Need

• Poster board
• Markers
• Stickers
• Photos
• Tape
• Streamers
• Balloons
• Wire
• Masking tape
• Or
• Wreath frame
• Fabric
• Decorative baby items
• Hot-melt glue
• Safety pins

Instructions

Welcome Poster

1. Choose a colorful piece of poster board that suits the baby's gender. If the baby is female, choose a hot pink or fluorescent purple. If the baby is male, opt for bright blue or yellow.

2. Write a large message, such as "Welcome home," and the baby's name across the piece of poster board. Write the message with colorful markers and in letters that are large enough for the parents to read as soon as they pull into the driveway. Include other details such as the baby's date of birth and weight at birth.

3. Add decorative elements to the poster board, such as stickers containing baby topics. These stickers are readily available at gift and card stores and feature items such as strollers, baby bottles and baby shoes. To give the poster board a customized appearance, tape photos of the baby's parents on each side of the welcome message.

4. Make the poster even more eye-catching and festive by hanging colorful ribbons from its bottom and taping helium-filled balloons to its top. When selecting the ribbons and balloons, ensure their colors will suit the color of the poster board.

5. Poke two holes in the top of the poster board and pass a length of wire through. Pass either end of the wire through the door knocker and tie it. If the door doesn't have a knocker, hang the poster with masking tape.

Welcome Wreath

1. Weave colorful ribbon and strips of pastel-colored fabric through the wreath frame to give it some bulk. Keep the colors of the ribbon and fabric consistent with the gender of the baby; pink is ideal for girls, while blue is suitable for boys. Or use colors the parents used to decorate the baby's nursery.

2. Attach baby-related items to the wreath with hot glue or safety pins. These items can include replica baby shoes, a small baby bottle and a bib. Attach wooden or plastic alphabet blocks that spell out "Welcome Home" and the baby's name, and then glue the blocks around the wreath to offer a welcoming message.

3. Pass a length of wire through the wreath. Pass either end of the wire through the door knocker and tie it. If the door doesn't have a knocker, use picture-frame hangers that come with removable, damage-free adhesive strips.

Tips & Warnings

• At the bottom of the poster, have friends and family members, especially those who worked on the poster, sign their names in permanent marker.

• You can purchase a blank wreath frame at a craft store. Wreath frames are available in a variety of sizes; select one that will fit on the front door of the home.