Using Washcloth Roses as the Basis of Many Arrangements

Of course, you want to give a beautiful, thoughtful gift to any mommy-to-be, but sometimes the budget gets in the way. The good news is, though, you don't need to give expensive gifts for them to be thought of as beautiful.

The most mundane and ordinary baby items can be presented in such a way that they become little pieces of art in themselves. All you need is a little creativity and imagination to do that.

A basic example of a needed gift, after diapers, are baby washcloths. Of course, we never realized before having a little person around the house, that such a great mess could come out of such a little body. And the only thing that could clean up such a mess is that bit of fabric called a washcloth. This inexpensive piece of the baby's layette can also be used in many other ways to prettify a bigger gift like a diaper wreath or a diaper cake, or can make up a whole arrangement by itself when made into a washcloth rose.

To make the washcloth roses, fold the washcloth in half diagonally, with the label at the long end of one of the corners. Choose the corner that has the label attached to it and roll up the washcloth starting at that corner. About a finger's length away from the corner, give the corner a little twist to create a fold and finish rolling up the cloth. Fold over the bottom half until the corner is at the same height as the folded edge. Roll the corner edge over the “bud” shape to create the outer petals of the rose and also hold everything together.

These blossoms could be secured using clear elastic ponytail holders and then have either some twisted floral wire or a thin dowel gently pushed in to act as a stem for the washcloth roses. Used in a container arrangement with artificial flowers as fillers, these make an exquisite and practical gift.

You could also use these as accents for a mommy-to-be's dream gift: a large hamper filled with every little thing she will need for caring for the newborn baby. Purchase a large, pretty basket. This could be in the wooden “trug” style that is often used for gardening or a French flower basket that also has a very wide opening. If you want, spray the basket in a color that coordinates with the planned nursery for the baby or in a neutral glossy white.

Fill up the basket starting with a light flannel baby blanket and a hooded towel scrunched up to fill the bottom. On top of that, arrange a few necessities: a baby brush and comb, a baby gum massager and toothbrush, diaper cream, A&E ointment, baby acetaminophen, teething medicine, a baby digital thermometer, a small baby bottle or two and extra rubber nipples, possibly some baby toiletries, a little toy like a finger puppet or teether, and accents of washcloth roses.

Finish off the basket with a large bow using satin ribbon and a twist of tulle around the handle in a coordinating color. Now what new mommy wouldn't want to display that in the nursery?