Want to bring the most aww-inducing gift of your next baby shower? Make a DIY Diaper Wreath, all from stuff you can buy at the dollar store. This craft looks impressive, but is really simple to make, and best of all, every item on the wreath is useful for baby. I posted the full instructions for this cute craft over at MyPrintly, so go check it out! [DIY Baby Shower Diaper Wreath]

I got every single item for this baby shower wreath at the dollar store!

Project Materials:

• A baby photo collage
• A 12” or 14” wire wreath form, $1
• 10-12 new baby diapers, $3 (3 packs at the dollar store)
• Assorted new baby accessories (such as pacifiers, washcloths, rattles, etc.), $5-10
• Pipe cleaners, $1
• Curling ribbon, on hand or $1
• Scissors
• Clear tape

Total cost: $10 and up

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I attended my first coed baby shower this week (for my brother & his wife – yay for a new nephew!), and I was in charge of bringing an activity for the party. I wanted to provide a fun and creative baby shower activity that would result in a gorgeous gift for the baby, so I set up a DIY Quilt Block station and had family and friends each draw a special quilt block that would later be sewn into a quilt.

This labor of love was so much fun, and turned out great (and wasn’t too hard to sew together), so I wrote up instructions in case you want to try it too! Find all my instructions, tips, and tricks over at my column on eBay: [how to make a baby shower quilt]

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If you want to make cute Easter cupcakes this year but don’t think you have the time or the skills, think again! These adorable sheep cupcakes by Justine at The Typical Mom are super quick and easy to put together. They would also be cute to serve at baby showers, or a farm-themed birthday party. [how to make sheep cupcakes]

Project estimates:

• Cupcakes, on hand or $1 and up
• Frosting, on hand or $1 and up
• Marshmallows, on hand or $1
• Candy eyes, about $2 and up
• Pink candies, $1 and up

Total: about $3 and up

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This hair bow organizer is a pretty way to keep little girl’s hair bows neatly organized. It makes a great gift, too!

I found the wooden bow at Goodwill for just $1, but I have seen similar items in the unfinished wood section at most craft stores.  The secret to getting a glittery finish without glitter shedding everywhere is to use glitter paint! You get all the sparkle and shine of glitter without the mess.

Project estimate:

• Wood Bow, $1
• Glitter Paint, on hand
• Ribbon, on hand
• Tulle, on hand or $1

Total $1 and up

Step one: Paint the bow with a base color, then begin painting layers of glitter paint. I used DecoArt’s glitter paint, but you can make your own if you prefer. The best way to get an even, glittery finish is to apply several light layers of paint, letting each layer dry before applying the next one.

Step two: Cut a piece of ribbon to the desired length. Trim the ends and seal them by heat setting them or with fabric glue, like I did. Glue the ribbon to the back of the bow.

Step three: Cut strips of tulle and glue them to the back of the bow. I added 15 ribbons of tulle to create a full tutu-like effect.

I nailed a sawtooth hanger to the back to make the bow hanger easy for my gift recipient to hang.  I’ll be giving this bow organizer as part of a baby shower gift.  It will decorate the package like a bow, but also doubles as part of the gift!  All the mom-to-be has to do is clip her little one’s hair bows to the ribbon.  If you wanted to personalize this gift even more, you could add the little girl’s name to the ribbon.  Have fun crafting and creating!

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When Jennifer at Hostess with the Mostess needed a table runner for a popsicle-themed baby shower, she came up with the fun and colorful idea of using popsicle sticks as table decor!  Watercolor paints give the sticks a playful, funky look, and it’s a project that is also kid-friendly.  I love how she made the runner in sections so that it was easy to transport – anyone who has ever decorated for a party outside of their own home ought to appreciate that detail!  And when the party is over, it will take just minutes to disassemble the runner so that you can re-use the sticks in future projects!  [how to make a watercolor popsicle stick table runner]

Project estimate:

• Popsicle sticks, on hand or $1
• Watercolor paints, on hand or $1 and up
• Tape, on hand

Total:  Free and up!

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Spring and summer merchandise is starting to appear on the shelves at the dollar store, which includes one of my favorite things to pick up every year: paper lanterns! They’re a great foundation for a cheap decor piece that makes a big statement. There are just so many ways you can decorate them! I am in love with this idea from Mandy at Fabric Paper Glue, which uses fabric and small baskets to turn lanterns into mini hot air balloons. They are so whimsical! She made them for a hot air balloon themed baby shower, and they would also look cute in a nursery or child’s bedroom. I also think that they would be a nice addition to a reading nook! [how to make paper lantern hot air balloons]

Project estimate:

• Paper lantern, $1
• Fabric, on hand or $1 and up
• Berry basket or other small basket, on hand or $1
• Twine, on hand or $1

Total: $1 and up

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Becoming a mother has been one of the craziest, and most important things that has ever happened to me. Today I’m sharing an essay about the most difficult moment of my first son’s birth for ABC News and the UN Foundation’s Million Moms Challenge. Here’s a sneak peek at the essay:

But the worst moments of my pregnancy were when I was close to giving birth. I was in the “pushing” stage. There was a monitor attached to my son’s scalp so they could make sure his heart kept beating during the labor process. As I would push, his heartbeat would stop. As soon as the doctor noticed that the baby’s heart kept stopping, she told me that they had no other recommendation but to rush me to surgery and give me a c-section. The umbilical cord was wrapped around my son’s neck.

Go to Million Moms Challenge to read my essay, and to share your own birth stories. You can enter to win an exclusive Million Moms Challenge Gift Pack, which includes an all expenses paid trip to a conference on mothers hosted by the UN Foundation in DC (Jan/Feb 2012), an iPad2, a custom-made Million Moms Challenge pendant and $50 donation in your name to Global Giving.

Read my essay

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Faux food gifts are a fun idea that’s been floating around out there for a while.  You’ve probably seen diaper cakes or sock cupcakes, but here’s a new twist!  Jolene from Creative Dollar used an assortment of baby essentials to create “sushi”, which she presented all wrapped up on a plate.  Hers was a baby girl gift and included hair bows; for boys, you could use more socks or other small soft goods instead.  Sushi-loving moms-to-be will love this creative presentation!  [how to make a sushi baby shower gift]

Project estimate:

• Onesies, $1 and up
• Washcloths, $1 and up
• Fish toy, $1 and up
• Baby socks, $1 and up
• Plate, $1 and up
• Black plastic table cloth, $1
• Rubber bands, on hand
• Scotch tape, on hand
• Chopsticks, on hand or $1

Total:  $6 and up

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The placemat has to be one of the most useful items you can find at the dollar store, and this project proves it! Make a baby carrier with a placemat! Leslie from Love-Knowledge baby sewed an Onbuhimo, which is a Japanese style baby carrier similar to a Mei Tai, out of a placemat and matching table runner. You’ll need to go outside the dollar store to get some heavy-duty rings (you don’t want to chance inferior rings when you are wearing your baby!), but otherwise this project shouldn’t cost too much. [get the placemat baby sling tutorial here]

You probably won’t find a suitable table runner at the dollar store, but you can usually get a decent deal on them at the big box stores, or a thrift store. If you can’t find a table runner, you can make long tubes of stash fabric that should work for straps. Be sure to follow all the sewing reinforcement instructions on the tutorial!

Project Estimate:

• Heavy-duty placemat, $1
• Coordinating table runner or a yard or so of stash fabric, $1 and up
• Two sling rings, $4.49 (including shipping, at Sling Rings)
• 1/2 yard of accent fabric, on hand
• Sewing stuff, on hand

Total: $5.50 and up

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Project Estimate:

• empty formula can, on hand
• fabric or scrapbook paper to cover it, $1 or on hand
• scrap of ribbon, on hand

Total:  FREE and up!

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