Guest Post: 12 Creative Ways to Announce Your Baby's Birth

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It's baby season here and in five more weeks there will be three new bundles of joy to celebrate. My childhood friends are expecting their first babes just a few weeks apart (incredible since these two have been BFFs for about 20 years) and another girlfriend is expecting her second, a baby girl!

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Tiny Prints offered to do a guest post on birth announcements which I thought was timely considering that these moms will definitely want to share their exciting news. Tiny Prints makes sending birth announcements effortless, but if you're looking for ways other than paper to commemorate your baby's birth have a read of their great announcement ideas below.

12 Creative Ways to Announce Your Baby’s Birth

If you’ve recently welcomed a bundle of joy into your home—or are about to—it’s time to consider how you want to announce it to the world. First think about the basics, like who you want to send the birth announcements to and what information to include. Next, get creative with the style of the announcement. It’s fine to go with a photo card announcement, but use a fun template and design that speaks volumes about who you are and what your baby means to you.

Whether you want to create DIY announcements or purchase pre-made cards, you only get one chance to herald your baby’s birth. Here are some ideas to get the creative juices flowing:

·       Chocolate bar: Print your baby’s name and birthdate on the candy wrapper. In addition, make the wrapper pink or blue, depending on your baby’s gender.

·       Photo collage: Take various pictures of your baby and cut them into letters that spell the baby’s name. Use photo editing software to complete this task, or ask a designer friend to help.

·       Coffee mug: For close relatives or friends who are coffee lovers, consider creating a mug with the baby’s picture, name, and birthdate.

·       Footprints card: A baby’s first footprints are precious, so share it with all your friends. Take the footprints, then make copies and include them on the front of a card.

·       Customized digital announcements: Instead of sending birth announcements in the mail, consider email. The option is ideal for busy parents, considering that sending them out will take less time than sending snail mail.

·       Bookmark: Compile four of your favorite baby pictures and arrange them in a digital file one on top of the other so they resemble photo strips you get at a photo booth. Print and laminate them to make adorable bookmarks.

·       Movie-like poster: Create a birth announcement that makes your child a star. Pick a fun movie and change the title—like Sleepless in Seattle, but replace Seattle with your city. Then, include quotes about how great your baby is that mimic endorsements from movie critics. Place a picture of baby front and center, then list his or her name as the “STARRING” role.

·       Social media site: Post information about your baby’s birth almost instantly using your favorite social network site. After the initial event, post a creative video of the baby. This time, you’ll need to use some video editing software and may need to enlist a friend’s assistance.

·       Slideshow: Compile a series of your favorite photos in a slideshow and email it or post it to a social network. You can send it out after a few weeks or wait until a few months after the baby is born to showcase early changes and growth.

·       Address labels: If you do decide to go with photo cards, spice up the creativity of your birth announcements by ordering personalized address labels. These labels can give fun hints about what’s inside the envelope.

·       Blackboard picture: If you’re an artist, a fun way to announce your baby’s birth is to draw in chalk on a blackboard a picture of the stork making a delivery. Lay the blackboard on the ground and position your sleeping baby so it really looks like the stork is carrying him or her. Snap the photo and that becomes the basis for your photo card announcement.

·       Ornaments: This is an especially popular idea if your baby is born around the holidays.

The ideas for birth announcements are numerous, so don’t let lack of sleep after your baby comes keep you from getting creative with yours. If possible, think about how you want to announce the big event before your baby is born. Do what you can up front, so you can just pop a picture and actual stats onto the announcement when it’s time. Having a baby changes your world in a beautiful way—find an announcement that fully expresses your joy.