Those first moments when you get to see and hold your baby for the very first time are so precious. That first day and few weeks seem so long yet such a blur. And since your baby can’t stay little forever you want to remember him/her in those moments forever. And as they say, the days are long but the years are short. So don’t you want to preserve those special memories? I would think so.
Well, something that I absolutely love (and that I’m slightly obsessed with) is when I’ve seen my clients make shadow boxes of their baby’s things. It’s the cutest thing. Honestly, are you going to remember where you put these sweet mementos years down the road? Their first hat, their baby bracelet, the ultrasounds that you’ve saved, etc. The answer is probably no. But if they are beautifully displayed for you and your family and friends to look at and remember, it takes you back to those amazing times that quickly pass by.
I know that making a shadow box of your baby’s things isn’t something new, but I feel like many parents have pushed this DIY project to the side. Maybe you feel like it will take too much time or that you’re not sure about what all should go in it. Well, I’m here to tell you that this priceless project should take you less than an 20 minutes to complete (assuming you have all of the memorabilia within close reach) and it’s super simple! So I’m going to walk you through how YOU can make your baby’s very own birth/newborn shadow box that you and your family can enjoy for years to come.
Materials
- Shadowbox
- Double sided tape / pins / hot glue / glue dots
- You probably only need one type of these; it just depends on what the background is and how strong of a hold you need.
- Baby’s mementos
Directions
1. Gather all of the items that you want to include in your baby’s shadow box.
- If you’re not sure what to put in your baby’s shadow box, here are some ideas:
- hospital ID bracelets for Mommy, Daddy & Baby
- baby’s footprints
- ultrasound photos
- baby’s first blanket
- baby’s hat from hospital
- pictures of that first day
- baby’s birth announcement card that you have or will send out to family & friends
- baby’s newborn socks
- baby’s umbilical cord (if that’s your thing)
- your favorite baby onesie or their first onesie
- baby’s first or favorite pacifier (if he/she used one)
- a written record of the date and time your baby was born and the height and weight
- Maybe even the name of the hospital/birth center and the doctor/midwife and nurse that helped deliver your baby. It’s cool to remember who was with you on that special day.
2. Arrange them the way you would like them to be displayed inside the shadow box first before you start pinning and gluing them inside. You want to make sure that you will like the design and layout of everything. You also just might think of something else to include when deciding on the final look.
3. Get your shadow box and the things that you are going to use to place your items securely inside (i.e., tape, pins, hot glue, or glue dots) ready. If the shadow box has a felt back, you can use pins. If it’s a cardboard pack, you can find a different material to use for more of a design OR you can even use baby’s first swaddle blanket as the background. Super sweet!
4. Start to pinning or gluing! AND THAT’S IT! Piece of cake. 😉
This will definitely become one of your favorite pieces in your baby’s room and one day your child will love it too. Knowing that you made if for them will make it that much more special.
Did you make a shadow box for your newborn? What did you add in yours?
