Baby Announcements

It’s easy on this blog for me to get caught up in the parent’s point of view when it comes to birth announcements. It was just over a year ago when I myself was in the process of choosing my own baby’s birth announcements.  But I think this is also a great site for helping friends and family come up with great gifts for the new parents. Here’s one I just heard about: the birth announcement pillow.

Begin by copying the birth announcement onto a sheet of transfer paper. Be sure to use the right kind of transfer paper for the pillow fabric. If you are using (or making) a light colored pillow, use transfer paper for light fabric; use the opposite for dark fabric. Be sure to trim around the birth announcement copy with sharp scissors. Any excess transfer will copy onto the pillow.

When choosing a pillow for your birth announcement gift, be sure to pick a comparable size. You don’t want a huge pillow with a small transfer or a large transfer with a small pillow. At least three inches on every side of the transfer birth announcement looks proportional.  Remember, the pillow will probably be a decorative piece rather than a practical item so be sure to think about looks rather than fabric type or content.

Colors are of the utmost importance for the birth announcement pillow. Take hints from the printed birth announcement about color preferences of the parents and the decoration in the nursery. Compliment rather than contrast the colors. If there isn’t much to go on (black and white or sepia announcement) think about the baby’s parents and the established décor in their home to get some clues. A pillow form and a premade cushion cover is the easiest way to go.

After affixing the transfer to the front of the pillow following the transfer paper instructions it’s time for last minute touches. Finish the birth announcement pillow with a few decorative accents such as vintage buttons on the corner or a baby’s rattle sewn along the side.  A little ribbon on the edges or a lace ruffle around the perimeter is a cute way to give a little last minute character.

The birth announcement pillow is a great gift for new parents. It allows them to commemorate forever all the work and time they put into announcing the birth of their new child.

Filed under: baby shower, birth announcements on July 23rd, 2010