Is there an upcoming baby shower in your future? Would you love to give the mom-to-be something extra special from your hands, as well as from your heart? Here are some gift ideas for potters to make for that special baby's arrival.
Lidded Diaper-Pail Jar
If you are up to the challenge of working big, this may be the perfect baby shower project. As many a parent can attest, diapers are smelly. Help the new parents-to-be by creating a a large lidded vessel that their diaper pail or trash container can slide into. Because it will help contain smell as well as unsightly pails or trash cans, the extra container can be both beautiful and practical.
Recommendations:
- Mid-range or high-fire stoneware with gloss glaze inside and out.
- First buy the interior diaper pail or trash can. Measure outer dimensions, then use a shrinkage ruler to determine the minimum dimensions of your diaper-pail jar.
- Decorate your jar in keeping with the colors or themes of the parents-to-be.
Baby-Changing Organizer
Changing baby diapers takes a lot more than just a baby, a diaper, and five extra hands. Help the new parents-to-be with a lovely pottery organizer just for all those baby-changing items. Such items often include: fresh diapers, ointments, creams, lotions, powder, swabs, cotton balls, wipes, and soft washcloths.
The look of your organizer can be as unique as the new individual who will be coming into the world, although gloss glaze over stoneware is recommended. You could create
- a set of cubbyholes or shelves
- a lidded sectional organizer, where the sections are welded together (lids either attached together as one unit or kept separate)
- an organizer in a baby-appropriate shape, such as a bunny or clown
- an organizer with a handle, or without.
Burnished Baby Rattle
Make a burnished rattle using high-fire porcelain. Just remember: No points on the rattle that could potentially do harm.
To create one type of thrown rattle:
- Throw a small cylinder, leaving a good bit of clay at the top of the shape. (You will be collaring in to close the shape.)
- If desired, push out the cylinder to create a rounded belly.
- Before closing the pot, add little bits of clay wrapped in paper toweling to keep them from sticking to the interior.
- Collar in to close the shape, leaving a good bit of clay above the closure.
- Throw the upper clay into a handle.
- Poke a small hole through to the interior, so the air can escape during drying and firing.
- Once dry enough, do any trimming desired and burnish the porcelain. Fire to maturity.
Personalized Baby's Bowl
If the parents-to-be know the sex of their baby and have chosen a name, you can make a bowl personalized with the baby's name on it. A smooth divot in the rim for the spoon's handle can be very helpful at keeping spoons from sliding or flipping out of the bowl during feeding. Use food-safe gloss glazes over a mid-range or high-fire stoneware or porcelain.Personalized Set of Parent's Mugs
You can create a personalized set of "parent mugs." Again, if you already know the baby's name, your mugs would read, for example, "Aaron's Mom" or "Brenda's Dad" as appropriate. A small decoration, say of a teddy bear or toy car, can add an extra parental-appeal splash. Many a tired parent will be happy to unwind with a hot drink in their mug.
Make your mugs using stoneware or porcelain and food-safe, gloss glazes.