- A small tree in a specially decorated or labeled pot makes an unusual gift for a baby that she will enjoy for her entire childhood and beyond. Do a little research to make sure that the plant or tree that you purchase will live a long time and is climate-appropriate. While the tree is small it can stay in the pot on a patio or porch, but eventually it will need to be planted in the ground. You could make a permanent label to tie to the tree by painting the baby's name on one side and the species of the tree on the other side of a piece of wood and varnishing it. By the time the tree is big enough to be transplanted, the baby will be older and maybe even big enough to help plant "her" tree. Although she may not appreciate the plant at first, as she grows and sees it grow along with her in the yard, she will think of it as "my tree," and if it bears fruit, it will be "my fruit." .
- A photograph album or scrapbook can be customized as a baby gift. You can designate a page for the baby's birthday each year for 18 years, and decorate the pages or just inscribe the future date and year at the top. You could also add pages for significant events that will occur throughout the child's life, like the first word, first day of school, and graduations. If you already have photos of the new baby you could start the first page and add items that show what was happening in the world when he was born, like clippings of newspaper headlines and pictures of the most popular movies and bands. Design the album or scrapbook as an ongoing memento to be added to as the baby grows older.
- New mothers often receive lots of gifts of clothing for their new baby, but most people give newborn sized clothing. The clothes they get when the baby is born will be too small within a few months, so consider giving bigger sizes. You could purchase a few special outfits that will fit the child at six months, then twelve, then eighteen or more. Choose clothes that are traditional or timeless rather than fashionable as tastes change rapidly.
- An unusual gift for a baby is one that takes into consideration the meaning of her name. Do a little research to see if the baby's name has a specific meaning and if you can find a gift that reflects it. For example, "George" means "farmer," so you could give stuffed farm animals or a toy farm set to baby George. "Rachel" means "lamb," so a stuffed lamb or storybook featuring lambs would reflect this. If you know that the baby was named after a relative, an historical figure, a song lyric, or a famous person you could incorporate that fact into your gift. You could frame a picture of the baby next to a picture of the relative she was named after. If she was named after a song, you could type out the lyrics in an attractive font and put the print-out in a pretty frame, or embroider the special line from the song onto a cushion.
