A baby’s life is full of firsts, from their first tooth to their first words, so why wouldn’t you want to treasure these special memories for years to come?
A baby memory box, or keepsake box, is a special box used to store all your precious baby memories and baby items you want to keep.
As a baby keepsake box is personal to each individual, you have the freedom and flexibility to add whatever you desire to your baby’s keepsake box at any time.
You can even start collecting things before the baby arrives, such as ultrasound scans. In this article, we’ll be giving you some ideas of the best baby keepsakes and how you can get started.
What do you put in a baby keepsake box?
Ultrasound Scan
The memories from your baby’s first scan will stay with you forever. This unique experience allows you to hear your baby’s heart for the first time, as well as seeing them grow and move in your belly.
Your precious scan photo will take you back to the first time you saw your baby and make a great addition to your baby keepsake box.
Baby’s hospital wristband
A hospital wristband is the first thing your little one will ever have and always be a reminder of the day they came into your life.
A hospital bracelet contains all the critical information on it, including the baby’s name, place, date and time of birth, so keeping it for your baby keepsake box is a great idea as you can look back and remember just how tiny they once were.
Newspaper from the day of birth
In the digital age, it’s really easy to get your hands on newspapers from bygone eras.
You can ask your Alexa or Google home practically anything, from the number 1 song on the day you were born to celebrities that share your birthday.
Your child will have access to all this information and more! But having a newspaper from the day they were born is more unique.
In years to come, you can both enjoy flicking through the newspaper from the day they were born.
Baby’s first lock of hair
If your child has lots of hair, you may consider cutting off a lock of hair to keep in an envelope or box in their baby memory box.
It’s a precious reminder of your chubby-cheeked baby, and the old wives tale states that keeping the first lock of hair will bring them good luck.
Baby’s first clothes
You may have picked out a special outfit for your newborn, so why not save it to look back on when they’re 21?
It could be their first outfit, the outfit they wore when you took them home or even something special like a knitted hat that someone in the family made.
Whichever option, there is always one outfit that means something special, so it’s perfect to put in a baby memory box.
Photos of special moments
Photographs tell a story of a moment in time. They represent many different things, such as a happy time or celebration.
Whether you keep pictures from your child’s birth or photos of their 1st birthday party, printing off photos to put in a baby memory box is a great way to reflect on those special moments for years to come, and you could even frame the more special to offer a special keepsake.
Cards and gifts from family and friends
If you have plenty of congratulations and welcome to the world cards from the day your baby was born, then why not keep a selection in their memory box?
That way, you can both reflect on the wishes and words of family and friends for years to come.
Baby Journal
As well as sentimental keepsakes from your child’s birth, a baby journal is a lovely way to keep memories throughout your pregnancy.
With details of your appointments, cravings, as well as feelings and plans for the arrival of your newborn, a journal is a great way to write down and document your steps up to their birth.
You can add several other things to your baby’s memory box, such as their first toy, drawing, blanket or even school report, but don’t go overboard.
While you may want to keep everything, a few story-filled things will be enough to keep the sentiment and memories alive.
How do you make a memory box?
A baby memory box is a straightforward and easy way to collect memories for you and your child and, as they get older, you can make it a fun activity to do together.
Alternatively, you can collect each item secretly to give to your child on their 18th or 21st birthday as a sentimental gift.
Your memory box should be as precious and interesting as your little one, so there are no strict rules on how you should get started. All you really need is a box, but remember, this should be a decent-sized box to fit all your child’s memories in.
Since your memory box is going to be so unique and personal to you and your child, it’s a great idea to do something personalised such as customising the outside of it with their name on it or painting it in their favourite colours etc.
There are plenty of companies out there that specialise in baby memory boxes that can add on a variety of details to your box for decoration, or if you have a creative side, you can make your own from an empty cardboard box.
Memories are precious, and a keepsake box offers the perfect way to preserve and share these memories for years to come.
They’re easy to make, and once you have your box, you can keep adding memories to it for as long as you like.
