If you're creative or handy, you'll love building something for the new addition to your family. Young babies don't play games or enjoy a lot of activities other than sleeping and eating, but there are still plenty of things they need that you can make.
Baby Furniture and Gear
Look in any baby store, and you'll see just how much furniture and gear babies can use. Much of it is expensive, especially for something that will only be used for a few months or years. Many types of baby gear, however, you can build yourself.
If you have carpentry skills, you can make a beautiful crib or cradle. Woodworker's Workshop has free plans for cribs and cradles. If you make a crib, make sure that the slats of the crib are close enough together that the baby's head can't get stuck between them, and make sure that the bottom of your crib is the right size for a mattress to fit snugly inside it.
High chairs are another piece of gear that your baby will need. Free Woodworking Plans has plans for high chairs and cribs available for purchase. If you build a high chair for a young baby, make sure you include a strap to hold the baby safely in the chair.
Another important piece of furniture for every baby is a changing table. Changing tables are very simple to make, and you can also make one that will convert into a dresser when the baby is older.
Storage Furniture
Your baby will also need places to store books, toys and clothes. At first you might be able to put these things in a few bins or boxes, but as your baby gets more things, you'll soon want a more organized storage space. Some parents like to use combined changing table/dressers, but if you build a stand-alone dresser for your baby, you'll have plenty of room for all her clothes, and she'll be able to use the dresser throughout her childhood. Popular Mechanics has a plan for building a five-drawer hardwood dresser.
Your baby will also have lots of toys. There are many different storage spaces you can build for organizing toys. You can build a toy chest and simply put all your baby's toys together. Or, if you want to separate toys by type, you could build cube shelves and put bins or baskets on them to hold different types of toys. Woodworker's Workshop has links to plans for many different types of toy storage boxes.
You'll also soon be collecting books for your baby. Your baby might not enjoy being read to at first, but soon he'll have favorite books that he wants to hear read over and over. If you build a special bookshelf just for your baby's books, you can design it so all the shelves are close to the ground. This will help avoid any danger from the bookshelf tipping over, and it will make it easy for your baby to get the books himself when he becomes a toddler.
Toys
Although newborns aren't usually very interested in toys, it will be no time at all before your baby can't get enough toys. By making your own toys, you can bypass any concerns about lead paint or toxic ingredients in your baby's toys. Simple wooden toys are beautiful, easy to make and last for generations. Make Baby Stuff has instructions for making several types of wooden toys, including birds, puzzles and blocks. The same site also has plans for sewing cloth toys such as dolls and teddy bears. Making toys can be time-consuming, but it's a fun project, and the result is a toy that not only your children but also your grandchildren can enjoy.
Tags: your baby, baby will, make sure, baby books, baby toys, baby will also, changing table