39 Best Pregnancy Gifts for First-Time Moms
Updated on April 22, 2022
If you’re looking for the perfect gift for a first-time mom, something homemade can be both stylish and practical. Check out this selection of the best pregnancy gifts for first-time moms.
If you’re not an experienced crafter, creating something fun and unique for someone you love so much may seem impossible. Luckily, we’ve compiled a list of the best pregnancy gifts for first-time moms that are cheap and easy – and will liven up any nursery.
Stunning DIY Gifts for Pregnant Women to Show Your Support
Without further ado, here are the top gifts for pregnant ladies:
1. Personalized Mug – First-Time Mom Gifts
When it comes to creating custom gifts, T-shirts and mugs are the go-to choices, but since T-shirts are pretty much off-limits for pregnant women, this leaves mugs as the only viable choice.
Sure enough, making a personalized printed mug is easy if you know what image to use and if you have a gift shop nearby, but having your mug printer is much better, such as theCricut Mug Press.
Sure enough, there’s no need to print something on a mug if you don’t want to since you can customize it using other means as well, like using the following:
- Nail polish
- Acrylic paints
- Glue and glitter
- Permanent stickers
- Sharpies and markers
As for the actual aesthetics, there’s pretty much no limit as to how you can design your mugs, but if you find yourself to be lacking any kind of idea, check out our list ofbest coffee mug ideasthat you can try for yourself.
They’re all amazing and easy to follow, and the best part is that they are different enough to suit pretty much everybody’s taste.
2. DIY Monogram Onesie – Congrats on Pregnancy Gift
If you like making personalized gifts but think that the custom coffee mug is too focused on the mom, you can try making a personalized gift for the baby, such as a DIY monogram onesie. Visit See Kate Sew to get the details.
3. DIY Bear Pillow – Pregnancy Announcement Gifts
Babies and toddlers love animals and toys. But moms would adore a bear pillow that’s large enough to make her feel comfortable when sitting on the sofa and trying to enjoy TV.
Supplies:
- A very large pillowcase
- Black iron-on vinyl
- Scissors
- Sewing machine
- Iron-on velcro
- Thread
- Batting
4. Baby Goodies – Pregnancy Gift Basket Ideas
Once the baby arrives, there will be many things that the new parents will have to buy, so one of the best DIY gifts that you can come up with is to put together a gift basket filled with several baby essential items.
However, if you don’t have a baby of your own and have no idea what such a gift basket should contain, here are a few neat pointers:
- Pacifiers
- Plush toys
- Bottles
- Diapers
- Shampoo
- Hooded towels
- Onesies
- Body lotion
- Thermometer
Sure enough, you could try your hand making some DIY products as well, such as creams and sweets, but it’s better to play it safe since you never know whether the baby will have any unforeseen allergies.
Whichever the case, a basket with baby essentials will prove to be useful, and unlike a lot of other gift ideas that you may have, this is one of those gifts that will end up being used in a very short time.
5. Sonogram Art – Pregnancy Gifts
Thanks to modern technology, you can learn a lot about a baby before it’s even born, the best example being the sonogram machine.
Well, one way to commemorate the birth of a baby is to take a sonogram and turn it into a piece of art.
And there are plenty of ways you can do so: painting it on canvas, printing it on a baby onesie, or saving it as an artistic picture frame.
These precious moments matter the most, and they are worth making a keepsake out of, especially when you think about how the child will grow up and look at it.
The best part about this gift idea is that sonograms are easy to come by since parents are always eager to share them with their close ones, so they’ll never suspect for a moment that you’ll use them to create such an amazing gift.
We got the idea from Etsy.
6. Pregnancy Journal – Mom-to-Be Gifts
Future moms are always eager to keep track of how pregnancy is going throughout the entire 9-month period, so a very useful gift would be to create a DIY pregnancy journal for them.
If you want an example of how you can start, we wrote an article onhow to create a custom journaland color it uniquely, and you can use it as an inspiration to create a custom pregnancy journal.
Regular store-bought journals have built-in bookmarks, and you can use them as milestones to divide the journal into important segments, such as the various pregnancy trimesters.
You can also add all kinds of DIY stickers andDIY bookmarks to make the journal feel even more fun and personal, and the mom-to-be will appreciate having someplace where she can write down her feelings and how the pregnancy is going.
The best part about these pregnancy journals is that many bookstoresalready have them, so you can use those and tweak them up a bit so that the future mom will always remember that it was from you.
7. Beginner’s Baby Quilts – Mother-to-Be Gifts
If you liked the idea of making a hooded baby towel and would like another similar suggestion, we recommend that you try crafting a DIY beginner’s baby quilt like the one made by the people atThe DIY Mommy.
This project is a bit easier than the hooded towel, so if you’re not all that confident in your tailoring skills, then this project should be right up your alley.
Supplies:
- Baby quilt sized fabric panel
- Coordinating fabric for the reverse side
- Coordinating fabric for quilt binding
- Baby quilt sized piece of cotton (polyester quilt batting will also work)
- Fabric adhesive spray
- Pins
8. DIY Stretch Mark Cream – Pregnant Mom Gifts
One of the things that future moms dread before, during, and well after they give birth is the appearance of stretch marks, especially if they have twins, triplets, etc.
That’s precisely why those of you that have a pageant for crafting homemade cosmetics can go ahead and give them a helping hand and create a DIY stretch mark cream.
Thee are plenty of recipes that you can follow, such as the one fromMomtastic.
Supplies:
- Lavender essential oil
- Cocoa butter
- Shea butter
- Vitamin E oil
- Coconut oil
Sure enough, a simple jar of stretch mark cream may not seem like enough for some, so those of you with a bit of extra time can go ahead and include it in a much larger gift basket filled with all kinds of DIY goodies, such as soal, essential oils, and more.
9. Pregnancy Gift Basket to Stop Cravings
Gift baskets as a whole are a versatile type of gift since they’re one big gift that’s comprised of several smaller gifts, so they’re perfect for people that are known to be picky.
One of the disadvantages of being pregnant is the random and sudden cravings, and one way to cure them is to always have a supply of goodies within arm’s length.
That’s precisely why we decided that the next entry in our list should be a gift basket filled with pretty much any type of snack imaginable, including:
- Biscuits
- Muffins
- Nachos
- Cookies
- Gummies
- Beef jerky
- Chocolate
- Potato chips
Many of the items listed can be made at home, although no one will judge you if you buy all of them from the store and put them all together in a basket.
However, if you want to make a great impression, it’s best to do a little snooping around to find out what the future mom likes to snack, so there’s a better chance of filling the basket with things that she’ll like.
10. Growth Chart – Best Gifts for Pregnant Women
Once the baby is born, one of the most precious memories that a parent can make with it is seeing it grow every single day, and if you’re not the type that likes using your wall as a ruler, you could try creating something like this growth chart.
Supplies:
- Large wooden board
- Sanding machine
- White paint
- Carpenter’s pencil
- Colored acrylic paints
- Paintbrush
Once you’ve sanded the piece of wood to remove any sharp or rough edges, you cover it in a coat of white paint, let it dry, make the measurement marks, and then go wild with an acrylic paint design of your choice.
The folks atSpot of Tea Designs did an amazing job detailing how they created DIY growth charts, and we also liked that they created them in several different designs.
It’s a great addition to any child’s nursery, it works for both baby boys and girls, and if you mark both the left and the right sides, you can make it work for twins or siblings so they can see who’s growing the fastest.
Not only that, but it’s also useful, and it’s also portable, so even if you move or have to redecorate the room, the chart will still be there.
11. Personalized Hooded Baby Towel – Gifts for Expecting Parents
Another amazing gift that you can try making if you’re looking to be as creative as possible is to use your sewing skills to create a hooded baby towel.
Supplies:
- An oversized bath towel
- A hand towel (same color as the bath towel)
- Thread (same color as the towels)
- Some ribbon
- A rotary cutter and a mat
- A sewing machine
Long story short, you’ll be turning the hand towel into a hood, and then you’ll be sowing it to the larger bath towel.
We would recommend that you wait a bit to find out the gender of the baby. This is so that you can get the colors right, especially if you plan on using the traditional warmer colors for girls (e.g., pink, yellow, orange, etc.) and colder colors for boys (e.g., blue or green).
More so, we recommend that you try using the fluffiest towels that you can find since we are talking about the delicate skin of a baby here.
Visit Instructables for full instructions.
12. Lacy Baby Blanket – Pregnant Couple Gifts
If you don’t like being limited by the fabrics and prints that you can find online, but you love the idea of gifting a DIY quilt or a blanket, you could try knitting it yourself using whatever colors and patterns you like.
Just look at this lacy baby blanket fromLacy Crochet; it looks fluffy, the knitting is gorgeous, and with many types of yarn available, there’s no limit as to how it can turn out.
Supplies:
- The pattern
- Yarn of your choosing
- A Boye crochet hook
The final result should be a blanket that’s about 36 x 28 inches, which is more than enough to cover the entire baby even well after it starts growing.
13. Moon-Shaped Cradle – Gift for Pregnant Wife
If your wife is expecting a baby and you’re pretty good with carpentry, one way you can put your skill to good use is to go ahead and create something similar to the moon-shaped cradle showcased above.
Supplies:
- Wood boards
- Screws
- Table saw
- Sander
- Jigsaw
- Drill
Processing the wooden boards will take a while, and it can get messy, so we recommend that you try making it in your garage, tool shed, or even outside, especially if you’re planning to paint it or if you want to add a layer of lacquer at the end.
The folks atThe Owner Builder Network covered the entire process of making this moon-shaped bed. It’s cozy and will look great if the rest of the room is filled with space-themed objects such as stars or planets.
14. Baby Leg Warmers – Pregnant Wife Gifts
If you’ve ever held a baby in your arms, you probably already know that they are pretty much helpless and that they need to be kept warm at all times, and they need all kinds of special clothing, including baby leg warmers.
Unfortunately, baby legwarmers (like all baby clothing) are very expensive, and since babies grow very fast, you’ll need to keep buying new ones every 2 or 3 months.
That’s precisely what gave us the idea to include this next entry on our list: a pair of DIY baby leg warmers that you can make at only a fraction of the cost with materials you probably already have at hand.
Supplies:
- Adult cotton socks
- Sewing scissors
- Thread
- Sewing needle
Go to Jen Loves Kev for the complete instructions.
15. Baby Mittens – Gift for Pregnant Friend
A baby’s legs aren’t the only ones that need to be kept warm, especially since babies are always curious and constantly reaching out to touch various objects.
Because of that, we thought that another appropriate gift for a pregnant friend is to make several pairs of DIY baby mittens.
Supplies:
- One fat quarter for main fabric pieces
- One fat quarter for lining
- 2 x 4-inch pieces of elastic (smaller babies will require a smaller elastic)
- Scissors
- Sewing thread
Unlike the leg warmers, these mittens are created from scratch using regular fabric instead of repurposing adult socks, but the best part is that they are incredibly easy to make (you’ll need less than 30 minutes to make a pair).
Because you can be done in such a short amount of time, we encourage you to make several pairs 9about 3 or 4), with each pair having a larger elastic than the other to accommodate the baby’s growth.
As for design and fabric patterns, you can use pretty much anything you want, from regular plain colors to patterned fabrics with small animals, dinosaurs, flowers, etc.
Head over to Made to be a Momma for more details.
But if you’re not an experienced crafter, creating something fun and unique for someone you love so much can seem like an impossible task. Luckily, we’ve compiled a list of DIY pregnancy gifts that are cheap and easy – and will liven up any nursery.
16. Easy Baby Bloomers – Announcing Pregnancy Gifts
If you really want the mom-to-be to oooh and ahhh over your gift, make a pair of these incredibly adorable baby bloomers. They are made with a bright geometric fabric, and sewn to look like harem-style pants. Make your way over to Lovely Indeed to check out the sewing tutorial.
17. Silicone Teething Necklace – Gifts for Announcing Pregnancy
Teething necklaces have become very popular lately, and with good reason – they are at the perfect height for baby to chew on the beads. And they look cute, so mom gets a stylish new statement necklace too. Head over to Gugu Guide to check out the full how-to.
18. Crocheted Koala Lovey – Gifts for Pregnancy Announcement
If you like to crochet, then this might be the perfect DIY pregnancy gift for you to create. Using only one skein of yarn (along with a few scraps) you can make one of these adorable koala lovies for baby to cherish and cuddle with. Check out the pattern at Make and Do Crew.
19. Crocheted Booties – Pregnancy Congratulations Gift
Baby footwear is always a hit, probably because they are just so adorably small… and these crocheted baby booties are no exception. The red and creme color scheme can be adjusted to the recipient’s preferences. Head on over to Hopeful Honey to get the pattern.
20. Handmade Baby Blanket – Congratulations Gift for Pregnancy
You can never have too many baby blankets, so a handmade one in a favorite color is always well-received. This simple one is done using a simple crochet pattern, and it won’t take long to make. Check out the simple crochet pattern over at Leelee Knits.
21. Stretchy Carseat Cover – Pregnancy Announcement Gift Ideas
Help make mom’s life a bit easier with this lovely stretchy carseat cover. The fabric will block off most of the light so that baby can get a good nap in while riding around in the car or out for a stroll. Head on over to See Kate Sew to check out the sewing tutorial.
22. Printable Floral Monogram Art – Gift to Announce Pregnancy
Make mom-to-be smile during her pregnancy when she walks into the nursery and sees one of these beautiful floral monogram prints framed on the wall. Best of all, they’re free – so all you’ll need to buy is the frame. Download every letter at Burlap and Blue.
23. DIY Crinkle Toy – Pregnancy Gifts for Mom
Baby is sure to love this pretty crinkle toy, and mom is sure to appreciate it’s classic appeal and sensory interest for their little one. It’s super easy to make, using only a wooden ring and some fabric. Get the full sewing tutorial over at See Kate Sew.
24. Sashiko Quilt Tutorial – Congratulations Pregnancy Gift
Give mom-to-be a beautiful quilt for her new nursery. This lovely piece has a pretty scallop pattern, and you can choose any color combination to suit the recipient’s taste. Make your way over to Atilio to check out the instructions, and be sure to use Google Translate if you don’t speak Swedish.
25. Baby Booty Sewing Tutorial – Friend Pregnancy Gift
These cute baby booties reportedly do not fall off thanks to their adjustable straps, so they’ll keep baby’s feet warm all day.All you’ll need is some fabric, plastic snaps and basic sewing skills. Head on over to Handmade In The Heartland to check out the details.
26. Pedicure In A Jar – Pregnancy Gift Ideas
Pregnancy can wreak havoc on mom’s feet, so why not pamper her with somethingjust for her? This decadent Pedicure in a Jar is the perfect gift for tired, swollen feet. Simply grab a few basic ingredients and head on over to Suburban Simplicity to check out the instructions.
27. Hello World Onesie – Congratulations on Pregnancy Gifts
Give the mom-to-be a onesie that all the other moms will go gaga over. This impossibly cute “hello world” design is simple to add to a basic onesie with a Cricut machine… head on over to See Kate Sew to find out how to make this fun gift yourself.
28. Easy Swaddle Blanket – Gift for Pregnancy Announcement
Swaddle blankets make excellent pregnancy gifts… parents can never have too many of them. This one is made out of a pretty printed knit fabric. Head on over to Coral and Co. to find out all the details about how to make this cute swaddle blanket.
29. Elephant Booties – Funny Pregnancy Gifts
As previously mentioned, any type of baby shoes or booties are always a hit at baby showers. So add an elephant to a pair of booties, and the mom-to-be is sure to be thrilled. These aren’t all that difficult to make, provided you have some previous crochet experience. Get the how-to here.
30. DIY Ruffle Bib – Gifts to Announce Pregnancy
Every baby needs lots and lots of bibs – eating is a messy endeavor. This fun ruffle bib makes a perfect pregnancy gift, with its contrasting patterns and colors. Make your way over to Mary Martha Mama to check out the full photo tutorial and to read tips and tricks.
31. Cloud Mobile – New Pregnancy Gift
These adorable clouds have happy little faces embroidered on them, and combined together, they make a super fun little mobile to hang over thecrib in the nursery. Make your way over to Miss Daisy Patterns to find out all the details about this fun project.
32. Baby Shower Balloon Print – Congratulations on Pregnancy Gift
Hosting a baby shower for a friend? You might consider this adorable idea… use this print to have people add their fingerprints and names, and then turn them into little balloons with a fine tip pen. Head over to FRK Hansen to check it out.
33. Monthly Update Sign – First-Time Pregnancy Gifts
This monthly update sign makes the perfect pregnancy gift, giving mommy-to-be a way to keep track of baby’s age. Make one with baby’s name and the other with a chalkboard finish to fill in the age. Head over to Look Between The Lines to find out more.
34. DIY Boppy Cover – Pregnancy Gift for Wife
The Boppy is one of the most popular nursing pillows on the market, but it can have a somewhat generic look. So why not make a custom cover for the mom-to-be? That way she’ll have something that reflects her personality. Head over to Little Red Window to read more.
35. DIY Baby Gym – Pregnancy Gifts for First-Time Parents
This lovely little baby gym will give mom a chance to catch her breath while baby plays with these adorable little hanging shapes. All you’ll need is some wood and yarn. Make your way over to Atilio to check out the full tutorial and see more images.
36. Leather Moccasins – Amazing Pregnancy Gifts
Here we have one last pair of shoes – an incredibly adorable little pair of leather moccasins with blue shoelaces. You could also use vegan leather if you prefer. Make your way over to Wiebke + Lara to find out all the details about this project.
37. Colorful Baby Blanket – First Pregnancy Gifts
If you’re a fan of more colorful, contemporary baby items, perhaps this would be the perfect pregnancy gift for you to make for all of your mom-to-be friends. This one only requires basic knitting skills, too. Check out the tutorial over at The Sweeter Side of Mommyhood.
38. Changing Pad Cover – Congratulations on Your Pregnancy Gifts
Add some flair to a changing pad by creating a new cover from a curtain panel. The key to this project is to pick a curtain with a larger scale pattern and colors that match the nursery. Head on over to A New Bloom to check out all the details of this project.
39. Matching Beanies – Best Pregnancy Gifts for Wife
What’s cuter than a matching set of beanie hats for mom and baby? This pattern requires intermediate knitting knowledge, thanks to the cabling – but what a perfect pregnancy gift. Make your way over to All About Ami for more details.
Closing Thoughts
Moms are going to love any type of gift that lets them know they are going to be great moms. But there’s nothing more special than something made using nothing more than your hands, skill, and time.
That’s why we urge you to keep these suggestions at hand and make the necessary preparations ahead of time; it’ll make your shopping experience faster and easier (not to mention less stressful).
All in all, we hope that our list helps you decide what kind of gift you’ll be making, and we hope that you’ll obtain even better results than the authors did with the crafts that we’ve showcased here.