As parents we hold onto old baby clothes because we can’t bring ourselves to part with them, after all they hold so many wonderful memories. But think about it, when did you last look through those bags? And what can be done with them instead of them being stored away. What if, you had them made into a Baby Clothes Keepsake instead.
Have you got old baby clothes in storage?
When we enter a new year usually, we think about different ways we can live healthier, how we can make our lives better by the way of setting new year’s resolutions. Some we stick to and some we don’t get past January (we’ve all been there).
One goal you may have thought about is to finally get round to sorting through those baby clothes you’ve tucked away for safe keeping but the idea of just getting rid of them sets your heart going, because you’ve kept them as they are a little reminder of how small your baby was. You’ll be pleased to know that there is a way of keeping those moments that have frozen in time and allow you to fulfil your goal, and that is to have a selection of those sentimental baby clothes made into a keepsake.
How many old baby clothes should you keep?
This would ultimately come down to how much space you have.
Keeping boxes and boxes of clothes stored in you loft or cupboard just may not be practical anymore. Unfortunately if baby clothes aren’t stored correctly over time they can deteriorate and those memories could be ruined.
I’m not suggesting you get rid of them but maybe enjoy a walk down memory lane and think about what you have packed away. Can you remember them actually wearing it or has it become just another outfit.
There are going to be those truly sentimental items of clothing, the first outfit you ever dressed them in, the first outfit they come home wearing and even that outfit that was brought for them by their now late grandparents. These are the outfits you need to keep; these are the outfits that would be perfect to upcycle into a baby clothes keepsake.
Here are 7 ideas for turning baby clothes into Keepsakes.
1. Memory box
You may choose to keep a selection of outfits in a memory box whether if be the aforementioned items or one outfit from each size. The memory box would also allow you to store smaller trinkets and keepsakes such as their hospital band, first lock of hair from a haircut or maybe their baby teeth if you wanted.
I have recently found an article which gives you some great tips of how to store those precious items. How to Store and Preserve Baby Clothes and Keepsakes (thespruce.com)
2. Shadow box Frame
It might be that you only want to preserve one key outfit, such as a sleepsuit and baby hat for example. A great little DIY way to display them is to get a shadow box frame and put it up on the wall of your little ones bedroom or on a shelf.
If you love the idea of a frame but have a number of items then don’t worry this can also been an option. You can have the clothes prepared and cut into hearts shapes and arranged beautifully in a white wooden frame.
3. Clothes for dolls
Something I’ve seen a lot of recently is parents giving some of the baby clothes to their little ones to dress their dolls in. Your little one might love hearing about the memories tied up in those clothes and love the idea of dressing their babies in them too.
Word of warning though, that beautiful sleepsuit you lovingly dressed your child in might not necessarily look as cute as you imagined. Check out this mums recent realisation - Cute idea non the less.
The next 4 ideas are a great way to repurpose a few more of those old baby clothes and are a very popular choice.
4 .Bunting made from baby clothes
Bunting is a lovely way to add colour and co-ordination to a child’s bedroom, but having it made from those sentimental baby clothes makes it even more personal. You can choose to have it personalised with their name or left plain so you can see more of the details from the clothes.
5. Keepsake Bear or other animal Having those sentimental baby clothes turned into a keepsake bear is one of the most popular designs we I create. Using at least 5 different items of clothing you choose a design that holds some special meaning to you. Whether you chose the traditional keepsake bear or an animal that
matches the theme of the nursery.
When my eldest was born the theme of her nursey was a teddy bear so it seemed fitting to have her baby clothes made into a keepsake bear. Whereas my youngest’s nursery theme was elephants, so I turned her clothes into an keepsake elephant. Both sit proudly in the girls’ rooms on a shelf.
They absolutely love looking at them knowing they are made from the clothes they wore as babies.
6. Keepsake Patchwork Cushion
Having your old baby clothes made into a keepsake bear or animal might not be for you. It’s why I love that there are so many ways to use the clothes as you’ll definitely find a baby clothes keepsake that is perfect for you.
Another option is to turn those baby clothes into a Keepsake Patchwork Cushion, you might even choose to have a new one made every few years to add to your collection and have them as scatter cushions for the children’s beds.
7. Blanket I’m under no illusion that its easy to just pick a few items of clothing from those bags or boxes. You might end up having a keepsake made and then keep the rest anyway.
Therefore, having a blanket out of the old baby clothes might be more appealing to you. You can combine so many clothes into one big keepsake
The hardest decision you’ll probably have to make is whether you have it them on the children’s beds or keep them for yourself. I’ll leave that one for you to decide.
So, there you have it, 7 ideas of what you can do with those old baby clothes you have tucked away in your home. If you are feeling creative you might be able to attempt to make them yourself, but quite often I have parents come to me with half started projects because they found they just didn’t have time or the knowledge to create what they wanted. You’ve probably guessed by now (if you haven’t already clicked the links if not go ahead and check them out now) that some of the above ideas are something I can certainly help with.
If you have any more questions or would like to just talk it through, then please get in touch.
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Tracy x