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    Home » Gift Ideas

    Gifts for Babies & Toddlers; Things to Make & Buy

    Updated: Dec 3, 2022 by Melissa Mortenson · This post may contain affiliate links · This blog generates income via ads · Leave a Comment

    When it comes to gift giving, I love to give a handmade gift when I can. Sometimes that’s not always possible, but I always try to be thoughtful with my gift ideas. If you’re looking for gift ideas for babies and toddlers, we have a list of soft, snuggly, and oh-so-cute things to make and to buy!

    stuffed cat on baby blanket

    I had so much fun putting together this gift guide for you! My kids are all grown now, and I forgot how fun shopping for things for babies and toddlers is. There is some CUTE stuff out there!

    Table of Contents
    • About our Baby & Toddler Gift Guides
    • 25+ Gifts to Make or Buy for Toddlers & Babies

    I’ve spent the last few weeks browsing online and interviewing my friends and family members with babies and toddlers to give you a gift guide with some really fun ideas!

    About our Baby & Toddler Gift Guides

    As with all our other gift guides, the list is broken down by things to make and things to buy. You choose whichever method fits you best this season!

    I’ve included a few baby quilts on the list; if you’d like an even more comprehensive list, be sure to check out our list of 25 Free Baby Quilt Patterns.

    25+ Gifts to Make or Buy for Toddlers & Babies

    Gifts to Make for Babies & Toddlers

    If you're looking for a gift idea for the littlest ones on your list, look no further! We've rounded up a list of oh-so-cute gifts for babies and toddlers.

    The list is broken down into Things to Make and Things to Buy.

    1

    Giant Hunter's Star Baby Quilt Pattern

    I feel like a quilt is always a welcome gift. Even if you are gifting it to a toddler or older baby. They love snuggly soft quilts just as much (if not more) than their younger counterparts.

    This Hunter's Star quilt is fast to piece since it features large quilt blocks.

    2

    Baby Doll Self-Binding Blanket Pattern

    Stitch up a cute blanket for their favorite baby doll! This one is sewn from flannel and is self-binding.

    3

    How to Make a Flannel and Minky Baby Blanket

    These blankets are very quick to make. All you need is a yard of flannel and a yard of minky fabric. There's even a YouTube video to help you along the way.

    4

    Quilted Toy Storage Bag

    Photo Credit: www.polkadotchair.com
    5

    Fabric House Village

    Photo Credit: Etsy

    This pattern, designed by Amy Chappel, is so cute for pretend play! She has examples of the village sewn in colorful fabrics and in Christmas fabrics too!

    6

    Child Sized Backpack PDF Pattern - Etsy

    Photo Credit: etsy

    Another great sewing pattern by Amy, this toddler backpack is just the right size to carry their treasures when they go on adventures.

    7

    Ruby Lou Mini Purse Pattern PDF

    Photo Credit: shop.polkadotchair.com

    I designed this bag pattern to be easy for little hands to carry. It does not have a closure and is easy for them to get in and out of. It also has a small pocket on the front to hold their favorite little toy.

    8

    Quilt as You Go Baby Bib

    If fabric scraps are overtaking your sewing space, turn them into this cute quilt as you go baby bib.

    9

    18" Doll Sleeping Bag Sewing Pattern

    This sleeping bag is so much fun to gift a child who loves their doll. It's designed to fit an 18" doll but would also work for a lot of baby dolls.

    10

    Soft 'n Snuggly Sensory Baby Quilt

    This blanket is great because it is SO SOFT! It's also great to use longer cuts of fabric left over from other projects. My blanket features chenille, Minky, and terry fabrics.

    11

    EASY Reading Pillow Pattern

    It's never to early to instill a love of books. One of my all-time favorite gifts! If you're making it for a small child, leave off the carrying handle.

    12

    Cute & Simple Kids Library Bag Pattern

    This bag was designed to be used as a library bag but would be equally cute as a church or preschool tote bag.

    13

    Easy Peasy Baby Burp Cloth Sewing Pattern

    You can never have enough burp cloths! These are cute AND stylish!

    14

    Easy Scrappy Strips Baby Quilt Tutorial

    This baby quilt is sewn from strips of fabric, so there are no corners to match. This makes it a great project for a beginning quilter.

    15

    How to make a kids BBQ Apron

    If your kids love to "help" in the kitchen, stitch them up their own little apron!

    16

    Ruffle Edge Doll Quilt Tutorial

    A baby quilt for a baby doll!

    17

    Pillowcase Dress Pattern & Size Chart

    Pillowcase dresses are simple to make and are perfect for summer weather. This tutorial features pillowcase dresses in a variety of sizes.

    18

    Simple Patchwork Color Blocked Baby Quilt Tutorial

    Save yourself some time while piecing a quilt top by using precuts. This patchwork quilt is made using two 5" precut stacks (sometimes called charm packs). Just alternate the plain and print fabrics.

    Things to Buy as Gifts for Babies & Toddlers

    If you don't have time to make something or want to add something "extra" to a homemade gift, here are a few suggestions.

    I don't have babies anymore, so I asked my nieces what their kids loved; all of these gifts come with "two thumbs" up from their kids!

    19

    Bitty Baby | 15-inch Baby Dolls

    Photo Credit: polkadotchair.com

    These dolls have been around for a long time (my 27-year-old had one as a toddler). According to all my nieces, they are just as popular as they used to be!

    20

    Pretend Baby Food

    Photo Credit: rstyle.me

    So cute and perfect for pretend play.

    21

    Any Jelly Cat Stuffed Animal

    Photo Credit: polkadotchair.com

    My nieces LOVE Jelly Cats. If you're not familiar with them, they are a line of super soft and flopping stuffed animals. They come in all kids of cute characters. You've seen them here on my site for years, as I use them frequently for props in my photos. We love Jelly Cats! The zebra toy here is shown, but we also have the bunnies, cats & an ostrich!

    22

    Small Wooden Baby Stacking Rings + Reviews | Crate & Kids

    Photo Credit: rstyle.me

    These rings are a classic for a reason. This set is fun for small hands to play with and looks beautiful on a shelf.

    23

    Metal Shopping Cart

    Photo Credit: rstyle.me

    Another classic toy! I have twins, and we actually had to buy two pretend grocery carts because they fought over them all the time. Toddlers love to push things and put things in baskets, so perfect combo right?

    If you don't want a metal cart there are also very beautiful wood carts for sale as well.

    24

    Wooden Food Set

    Photo Credit: rstyle.me

    My kids had this exact set growing up, I can't believe they still sell this, actually, I can, it's a great toy. Gift them something to push around in that basket!

    25

    Night Before Christmas Story Book

    Photo Credit: Amazon

    If you're looking at this list at Christmastime, consider gifting a book they can read each Holiday season! Growing up the Night Before Christmas was a favorite of mine and my kids.

    26

    Wood Figures

    Photo Credit: rstyle.me

    These little peg dolls are so cute!!

    27

    Imaginary Doctor Bag Playset

    Photo Credit: rstyle.me

    Another great gift to encourage imaginative play.

    You May Also Like:

    • Free Sewing Tutorial: Toddler Backpack Pattern
    • 25+ Things to Make & Buy for Kids as Gifts
    • Gifts to Make or Buy for Mom
    • DIY Gifts for Dad

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    About Author

    Melissa Mortenson

    Melissa Mortenson is a blogger, designer, and content creator. She is the Polka Dot Chair blog founder and has been sharing fresh and creative ideas with readers since 2008. She is the author of “Project Teen, Handmade Gifts your Teen will Actually Love.” Her work and designs have been featured on HuffPost, TODAY, Pioneer Woman, HGTV, BuzzFeed, Better Homes & Gardens, and many other established publications. Her first fabric line, “Derby Style,” debuted in January 2015 through Riley Blake Designs.  Additional fabric collections have followed it in subsequent years. A mom of 3, she considers herself lucky to be living in Kentucky.

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    Hello! It’s nice to meet you.

    I’m Melissa. I like to design things, like fabric, printables, and projects.

    I’m also a Mom and a Maker. I am like most of you, just trying to do my best every day. Some days I succeed, many days I fail.  I find joy in creating, if you do too, then I hope that you find something here bring a little “happy” to your life.  Find out more about me here.

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