Quick! I need a frugal baby shower gift!

[LuxLiving]

Quick! I need a frugal baby shower gift! Do you guys have any suggestions? I'd post a $ limit but I want to hear all of your ideas even ones I'm not able to use THIS time.

Shower is uhhhmmm...tomorrow! Gee thanks for the early notice so there's plenty of time to shop. NOT!! 1 day????? omgoodness. This borders on the tacky side to me! Tempted not to go, but tis an extended family event. SIGH! I didn't even know the little girl was preggers.

I used to stockpile babygifts w/coupon deals, rebates, samples but it's been so long since anyone I knew had a baby that I'm clean out of ideas and nothing here to use.

Go. Give me your best ideas!! PLEASE?

[Ima saver]

Well, I go to the dollar store and buy 4 outfits for under $20. I vary the sizes, like 6 months, 1 year, 18 months, because babies grow so fast. They have some cute outfits! If I have notice, I stockpile diapers, but i tend to spend a lot more.!

[melissalt]

Since you didn't know she was expecting, you may not know her well enough for this, but one of the gifts I received at my baby shower a million years ago was a calendar with 'babysitting' dates marked on it. For example, one day had a one hour block so I could just take a long, hot shower without having to worry about the baby (a luxury that I still remember); another was two hours of free time for me to read or whatever. I'm sure you get the idea. I didn't have to leave my new baby with her, she just came to my house and watched the baby while I showered, etc. It was the best gift I received. I have given the same thing at a few baby showers.

This is probably not too helpful, but maybe it will spark some other ideas.

[pearlieq]

At least in my area Penney's always seems to have cute baby clothes on sale. Diapers are always practical. Baby toys are usually pretty inexpensive too. You could make up a whole basket for under $20.

Coupons are another great thing, depending on how close you are with the new mom. A certificate for babysitting or for a few freezer meals after she delivers would be helpful.

[PrincessPerky]

You mean you can't knit a baby blanket or throw together a quilt in a day? heh.

I usually have some leftovers to 'regift' but but you said you didn't...

How about a frame you make intoa baby one? make a 'matt' on the coputer with a line for the babys name, date of birth, and weight, length to be filled in later (search stores online to see what they say, then make it on your favorite print place, I think HP has templates of many sorts free, cause they want you to use more ink) leave a space for a picture or two of course.

or make a 'scrapbook page, again leave space for a picture to be filled in later, if she is the type to scrapbook, give her a binder and several templates....or just the material if she really likes that sort of thing...I don't...Ill take the template any day!

If you have a small scrap of white cloth you can make a tiny diaper out of it...and nowadays cloth doesn't have pins so you can use glue (to simulate velcro) put iseveral on a couple candy bars or hersheys kisses, tell her she will need them shortly after the kid is here! heh, preferably a 'take 5' or kisses...

if you have a chance to go to a store at all, a 'diaper cake' is cutesy, use diapers tied for base layer, then less daipers tied for secon (tie in a circle hmm guess you might need to see one to know what it looks like and how to make it....) well if you have, attatching some dollar store teethers is cute or baby spoons, or clothing/blankets/cute animal...(IMO, and this is totaly NOT PC, avoid the pacifiers and bottles...I never used em and found them annoying to see on a gift......even if you are pretty sure she will use them, you wont go wrong leaving them off....again justIMO)

picture of a daiper cakes

simple style:
http://www.diapercakedesigns.com/

alternate style:
http://www.kelsbabycakes.com/Our_Diaper_Cakes.html

but I wouldn't buy theirs! and when it says 'cake board' it means cardboard cut int he right size....(least that is the frugal translation.

I have heard you can make cupcakes, but have not seen a picture yet.

My favorite gift for when the baby came was food! I really didn't have energy to cook, and DH only knows so many meals......not sure how you can transfer that to shower gift..maybe GC to a take out place? hopefully bought on discount, or something...

[pearlieq]

The diaper cake is a brilliant idea! I had forgotten about those.

They're inexpensive but have a great "wow!" factor.

Here's illustrated instructions: http://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Diaper-Cake

[PrincessPerky]

oops cross edit, her link is better than mine are

[LuxLiving]

Most frugal? STAYING HOME. It was going to be 120 miles round trip (upping the mileage on my truck, plus costs of gas) -- so an all day doo-hickey-ma-jobber plus it was going to cost me dollars for the gift. Deciding to stay home? Priceless!

Thanks ya'll for the ideas!!

[crazyliblady]

When my boss was having a baby a few years ago, the rest of the staff and I (all women) were pretty close to poor due to student loans and other debts. So we got together and decided to put together a basket of various items, like rattles, teething rings, diapers, and other small and inexpensive things from her registry at Target. We also included a Target gift card so she could buy whatever else she wanted. We put everything in a woven wicker basket and put a bow on it. She really loved it.

[mbhunter]

If the parents-to-be trust you, how about offering them a night out without the child at some future date? Being able to get away without the baby is worth an awful lot. Cost to you: an evening with the child, plus some gas if you need to get out there. Otherwise: nothing!

[GoodBuyGirl]

How about a gift certificate for pizza or something. New moms are always too tired to cook.