Unique baby shower gifts?

It's not unique, but I love to give books as baby shower presents. Not the little board kind, but classics that can be read to them and they can then read themselves.

One of my favorite gifts my son got at my shower was a piggy bank. Actually, it is a monkey bank. LOL

He'll have it long after the diapers are gone, clothes are outgrown, bibs are no longer necessary and toys are packed away.

I usually give a basket of socks in a variety of colors and sizes. I can't tell you how many times I've had new parents thank me. They never realized how many socks they would need nor how fast the baby would outgrow them.

Another idea is a date night package. Maybe dinner gift card with a certificate for free babysitting!

I don't know if this counts...but when I had the first boy, someone gave me a handmade onsie. I still have it.

I say handmade, but it was a regular onsie with a felt design that was hand sewn and then hand sewn on to the onsie.

Maybe something like that?

ETA: this is kind of what I mean:


hand appliqued onsie

I give a generous gift certificate for dinner out and a standing promise to babysit so that the parents can get away on their own soon after the baby is born. It goes over really well and everyone I've given it to has raved over it because they enjoyed getting a break (particularly my friends who had twins and couldn't wait to get out for a few hours). 

I've also done consumables, but those are kind of boring. Dinner out is so much better in my mind. 

One gift that I've given in the past is a baskets of safety items- cabinet locks, outlet plugs, etc. Those littles are all too active too soon and it's to have those on hand.

Books are always good.
I like to give an amber teething necklace. Works for boys and girls, really cute. Not sure if it actually help with the teething pain but it cannot hurt. You could put this and and then an assortment of different baby medicines: tylanol, grip water, gas drop, baby vaporub, pedialite, things she will need one day one the middle of the night when the pharmacy is closed.

A yoga ball was great for my dgd. She loved it when we would sit on it, hold her and gently bounce. It was the best way to soothe her for several months.

Sophie the Giraffe teether (see amazonn)

a nice tooth fairy box Box

I couldn't have enough large, reversible bibs and small, soft washcloths for my DS. I still use them, too, for various things now that he's not a baby anymore.

Someone gave us a growth chart to hang on the wall, something like these:
Growth Charts

We hung that up in DS's room and used it. Loved it!

I was just coming in to suggest a piggy bank. I gave piggy banks along with rolls of coins for many, many baby shower gifts.

A sound machine. My first DS couldn't fall asleep without the sound of the stove vent and looking back I think a sound machine would have made my life so lunch easier.

My 1st DS received a simple flannel throw made by a good friend, 12 years later it is still his most treasured possession (though as a preteen he would never admit it)

I've given a portrait certificate with a smallish basket that holds an assortment of coordinating frames in different sizes (like all black, a 4x6, 5x7, & 8x10, for example... can get nice ones at Kohls when they're 50% off and you've got an additional %0ff from the flyer or whatnot).

-The Tub as a basket-you said her registry is mostly purchased and she probably already has a tub, but you could use any other basket. I would try for bathroom-appropriate, like some sort of rubbermaid material with a handle, but any basket would be nice! A hooded towel and washcloths, if they have a little baby robe (not always practical, but so friggin cute!), baby wash and/or shampoo, baby lotion, q-tips/cotton rounds, one or two little tub toys (like stacking cups), if they have one of those floating bath temperature monitors that beeps if it's too hot or cold.

A couple of the gifts that I've given that have gone over really well are ones that go more past the infant stage... because before you know it a few weeks or months have gone by and you need this stuff, so you end up having to buy it yourself

-A Ready for Food Basket-baby bowls, baby utensils, to-go snack containers, sippy cups, those stick-down place mats for eating out, if you can find a Baby Safe Feeder, etc... I put them in a picnic basket If the expiration dates are generous enough, you can include some Gerber Puffs and/or Cheerios.

-A Ready to Play Basket-(I always used all Baby Einstein stuff, but they're not around as much, so just mix and match)... I would include one of the basic BE videos (Baby Mozart), one or two board books (I'd try to find interactive, with mirrors or flaps or textures), a very basic "baby's first rattle" type toy, a teething toy (like one you can cool), a larger "rattle" type toy, and a full-fledged non-rattle toy. If I could find the puppets I'd include one.