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What to put in a DIY new mum gift hamper

Do you want to put together a DIY new mum gift hamper and are wondering what you can add that a new mama will really appreciate?

New mum opens a gift box

The best gifts for a new mum are either practical or something to make her smile, or a mixture of both is even better!

If you want to put together a really personal gift for your friend or loved one who has just had a baby then assembling your own gift hamper for the new mum is a great option. 

These tips for putting together a DIY new mum gift hamper also work great as a mum-to-be gift box. 

You may also like:

Gift ideas for a new mum from her husband

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What gifts do new mums really want?

When picking out gifts for a new mum it can be tricky as you may be unsure what she already has. 

While it’s nice to pick out gifts that will be really useful, it can also be good to mix them up with stuff that will just make her smile.

These are the type of presents a new mum will really appreciate: 

  • Postpartum essentials.
  • Subscription to a magazine. 
  • Subscription to Netflix, Amazon Prime or Now TV to keep her entertained while caring for baby. 
  • Subscription to Amazon Audible.
  • A slogan T-shirt.
  • Pampering and beauty products.
  • Sweets or chocolate.
  • Herbal teas.
  • A ready meal delivery gift voucher.  
  • A book.
  • Scented candle.
  • Wine or champagne.
  • Cocktail mixing kit.
  • Photo frame to display photos of the new baby.

What to put in a DIY gift hamper for a new mum 

New mum DIY gift hamper

These are the absolute top picks that any new mum and or mum-to-be would love to receive in a gift hamper.

Nursing pads

Breastfeeding mamas will go through a ton of these so an extra pack is always going to be useful. I particularly loved the Lansinoh pads as they weren’t as thick as other brands and had two sticky pads which make them hold in place way better.

Other brilliant postpartum goodies include stuff like a peri bottle (for when she needs to pee) and nipple cream. The best nipple cream in my opinion is the Lansinoh – super effective at soothing nipple pain. There’s a full list of postpartum care kit essentials here to give you more ideas.

New mama sweatshirt or tee

There are some really pretty tops and jumpers with “Mama” or fun slogans for new parents to wear.

I love this leopard print one.

Lip balm

When you’re sleep deprived lips can get seriously dry. It’s also one of the lowest maintenance beauty products you can give someone.

I love the Burt’s Bees lip balm which is great at soothing sore lips.

But it may also be nice to pick a tinted lip balm, which she may prefer.

Bath set

Some bubble bath and a postpartum body moisturiser are perfect gifts for a new mum.

There are some really gorgeous moisturisers on the market that are specifically targeted at new mums. My favourites are:

A book

My top picks for the best books for new mamas are:

But if you’re looking to give the new mama a book that has nothing to do with parenting is purely for escape, then I recommend these ones:

Travel mug or water bottle

An insulated travel mug will come in handy in the house and out of it.

Many new mamas struggle to finish a cup or tea or coffee quickly, so having an insulated mug will keep it warm for longer!

They are also handy when out for a walk with baby. You could also add a universal cup holder for their pushchair to your gift hamper.

A water bottle is another good option. She can take it out with her or carry it round the house to remind her to stay hydrated.

Dry shampoo

With a new baby getting any time to take care of yourself can be tricky, including washing your hair.

Getting some dry shampoo was honestly such as godsend for me, especially when my second baby arrived and I had absolutely no time for showers.

My favourite dry shampoo is the Living Proof Perfect Hair Day which you can buy in M&S. It’s amazing.

Meal delivery vouchers

We have given vouchers for Cook (which delivers amazing ready meals to your door) to several friends who just had babies and they loved it.

This really helps new parents who are struggling with sleep and won’t want to spend time cooking.

If the new mama would prefer to actually cook her meals herself but you want to help her out with inspiration and shopping then you could get her a voucher from Gousto or Hello Fresh. These food delivery boxes include recipes and the exact ingredients you need to make amazing food.

We have tried both recipe box brands and they are very similar in terms of quality. They have a great selection of different levels of difficulty in terms of food prep plus the food is really tasty.

Copy of the newspaper from baby’s birth date

This is a cheap but thoughtful gift that the new mama can put aside to show her baby one day.

Hopefully the front page headlines are happy ones on the day of baby’s birth! Choose a more neutral newspaper such as the Independent or go for the paper you know the parents like to read.

How to put together your DIY gift hamper

Once you have assembled your gifts you have a few ideas for how to present your gift hamper to the new mum. 

It’s really nice to get a box or hamper to put your gifts in that can double up as something practical such as somewhere to keep nappies or wipes for example. 

There are some gorgeous boxes and hampers on Amazon that are really reasonably priced. 

My favourite is this grey hamper, which is so pretty making it a gift in itself for the new mama to use as storage. 

I also love this box with a magnetic catch.

To make your box or hamper look beautiful you could add shredded tissue paper on the bottom before putting the presents on top. 

This would provide a bit of padding in case you have anything valuable packed inside. 

To finish off a hamper, and make sure nothing falls out, you could wrap it up in a little cellophane with a bow. 

The finishing touch to your new mum gift box is a card to go on it. I’ve got a free download that you can print at home! 

Write your message to the new mama on the back.

Download the card here:

Is it cheaper to make your own gift hamper for a new mum?

A gift hamper usually costs from £20 to upwards of £180. Purchasing individual products yourself and assembling at home often works out cheaper. You may find you can get more products into the hamper by doing it this way than buying a ready made gift box. 

Some new mum gift hamper companies, such as Baby Blooms, really go the extra mile with presentation as they wrap the baby clothes up into little flowers. 

However it is possible with just a little creativity, and a few of those packaging products pointed out above, to make your own hamper look just as good. 

The personal touch is also totally priceless, and it’s nice to be able to pick and choose the items you think she will like the best rather than being limited by a readymade product. 

Gifts hampers for a new mum 

Sometimes you just don’t have the time to assemble a gift hamper yourself and that’s totally fine of course! 

There are some beautiful readymade gift boxes and hampers you can order and get sent directly to the new mama, which will certainly save you time if you need it sent out right away. 

These are some of the best gift hampers for new mums: 

What to put in a new mum gift hamper

Vicky Smith is a mother of two daughters and a journalist. She has been writing and vlogging about parenting for over five years.