Blankets: The Best Homemade Baby Shower Gift Ever
Linus from Peanuts by Charles Schultz wasn't the only kid to ever carry a baby blanket about wherever he could. This writer carried "Banky" about until her teens. Banky is the only baby item I can still remember with any clarity. And Banky was a homemade baby shower gift to my mother made of the whitest, softest material on the face of the earth (so it seemed to me). I was given a lot of toys as a baby and given a lot of homemade baby shower gifts (as the photos show), but the only one that I remember fondly is Banky.
Easy To Make
Banky was crocheted, but you can made homemade baby blankets from knitting or sewing together a patchwork baby blanket (like a mini-patchwork quilt). With baby blankets, one size fits all and you really don't need to worry about a pattern. Rectangles are the easiest shape to make. So, if the mother held back on the pregnancy news, you will have enough time to make a blanket for an extra-special homemade baby shower gift.
Long Lasting
It takes a long, long time to outgrow a baby blanket. Babies get attached to something so comforting. Don't be surprised if your homemade baby shower gift winds up being as old and beloved as Banky. When I outgrew being covered by Banky, my stiffed animals got tucked in next to me with Banky. That way I still had Banky with me at night, but also is a useful position of keeping my stuffed dog warm.
My Mom finally convinced me in my teen years that it was time to let Banky go to another child in our distant family and help that child grow as Banky had helped me. I learned that I was the third baby given to Banky's care. Banky has comforted no less than five babies since I last heard. How many homemade baby shower gifts can be used five times!
A Special Touch
When you choose to make a homemade baby shower gift instead of buying one, you are putting a little of yourself into the gift. Perhaps some of your personal scent permanently clings to it, of vibrations, or even a magical touch. When you are making the blanket, think about how much the baby is wanted and loved and knit or crochet your best wishes into the stictches. I like to think that's how Banky was made by my mysterious relative that I never met, but had a profound impact on my life by making Banky.
