What Baby Shower Gift Should You Give A Coworker or Acquaintance That You Don’t Know Very Well?
Inexpensive Baby Gifts for Coworkers and Acquaintances
We’ve all had it happen. There’s a baby shower at work for someone that you really don’t know, a friend of a friend is having a shower and somehow you got invited, your sister’s sister-in-law is having a baby, whatever the reason, sometimes you need to find the perfect baby gift for someone that you barely even know. What should you get? How much should you spend?
It’s a tricky affair, no doubt. You don’t want to spend a lot of money, but you also don’t want to come across as not caring or being cheap. If you are buying a baby shower gift for someone you don’t really know, or that you only interact with on occasion at work, you do not need to spend a ton. Most people agree that $15 to $25 is an appropriate amount to spend for such a person.
So, what kinds of baby gifts can you get in the $15-$25 range, that are still really nice? Fortunately, there are many to choose from. Here are just a few options:
- Single Tier Diaper Cakes – You can find diaper cakes in many designs. Often the small single tier ones can be quite affordable.
- Diaper Cupcakes – A smaller version of the a diaper cake, a diaper cupcake is a delightful little gift. They generally include several diapers and one or two other small items for the baby. Most run about $10, so they can be very economical. You can even do two together for a more impressive gift.
- Hooded Towels and Blankets – New mommy’s can never have enough of either of these.
- Sock Flower Bouquets / Baby T-shirt Bouquets- These will run up closer to the $25 -$30 range, but they really make a statement. Plus they are very practical, and very pretty. You won’t have to worry about anyone thinking you didn’t spend enough, because they will be too busy admiring the cute gift.
- A baby outfit. If you choose to go this route, consider getting an outfit for when the baby will be a bit older. New moms rarely get clothing for babies that are 9-12 mos. It’s a real treat when baby starts growing to have an outfit or two waiting there.
- A gift pack of baby lotions or pregnancy / new mommy lotions.
- Novelty Baby T-shirts, you know the ones with the fun sayings. Make sure that it’s one that most people would enjoy, and it’ll give everyone a laugh.
Avoid these gifts:
- A pack of diapers. Yes, it is wonderful to have diapers for the baby. Yes, a pack of diapers fits nicely in this price range. Yes, diapers are very practical. So, why not get a pack? First off, if you don’t know the mom well, you won’t know whether she plans to use disposable or cloth. Most people who use cloth will use a few disposables now and then when they are out, but will not go through a pack of a given size. The diapers in a single diaper cake or cupcake are perfect to give them some “away” diapers without giving so many that they won’t get used. More importantly though, even if you know they plan to use disposables, a pack of diapers does not have a good gift giving presentation. Although they can be quite pricey, most people think of diapers as inexpensive and are likely to see them as a “cheap” gift when given on their own (they are fabulous when given in gift sets though).
- A Plain Stuffed Animals. Who doesn’t think of stuffed animals when they think of babies right? So why not a stuffed animal? Actually a pretty baby stuffed animal, embroidered with baby’s name could be just wonderful, although it might be hard to find at this price unless it’s a small one. The only problem with stuffed animals is that new parents tend to get A LOT of them. Where should they put all of those plushes? If there is something really special about the animal then by all means grab it, but if it is just an everyday stuffed animal, you might want to help the parents by not adding to the collection.
- Novelty Baby T-shirts that are over the top. Be cautious if you don’t know the new parent’s sense of humor. Play it safe and find one that almost anyone would appreciate.
With a little thoughtfulness and some careful searching, it’s not hard to find a perfect, inexpensive gift for someone you barely know.