In this post, you will find ideas to make your first Christmas with a baby magical and remarkable.
There’s something special about the first Christmas with a baby. I felt it keenly after my little one was born.
Maybe it was the magic of experiencing the holiday through my newborn’s eyes. Or maybe it was the love, warmth, and gratitude I felt to be blessed with this child I’d awaited for so long.
Either way, if you’re a new mom with a bundle of joy tucked in your arms, you’ll want Baby’s first Christmas to be a wonderful and meaningful experience.
Here are just a few ways to create lasting memories of this once-in-a-lifetime occasion!
1. Send a Special Baby’s First Christmas Card
Skip the generic cards that come a dozen per box. Instead, make some DIY Christmas cards that include your newest little elf.
You don’t have to be an artist, and you don’t have to own any art supplies: There are plenty of apps that walk you through a step-by-step process for creating customized Christmas cards.
Just upload some festive family photos and you’re pretty much all set!
2. Build a Christmas Time Capsule
One way to make baby’s first Christmas special is to build a holiday-themed time capsule. You can include photos, ornaments, nutcrackers, tiny stockings, and other Christmas paraphernalia.
You can also throw in newspaper clippings and anything else that defines the current era.
(A popular time capsule item in 2020, for example, was a tongue-in-cheek reference to toilet paper.)
To make something truly special, have everyone in the family write down a memory, hope, or dream for the baby, and seal up those messages to be revealed years down the line.
3. Start a New Christmas Tradition
Why not start a new family tradition? Your baby might not remember it, but your scrapbook will bear witness.
Here are just a few ideas for Christmas traditions to start with your baby:
- Tree decorating and lighting
- Watching a specific holiday movie
- Visiting Santa or having a relative dress up as Santa
- Taking a tour of Christmas lights nearby
- Caroling in the neighborhood
- Building a gingerbread house
- Hanging an advent calendar
- Unwrapping a gift on Christmas Eve
4. Read the Christmas Story
It’s never too early to remember the reason for the season. Your first Christmas with Baby is an excellent time to lay a biblical foundation for this meaningful holiday.
The most obvious choice in Christmas stories is the birth of baby Jesus, which will be especially appropriate considering your own little bundle of joy in their swaddling clothes.
If you have older children, you can even act out a nativity scene with a living room version of a manger.
Other faith-based Christmas stories can include lessons on generosity, family, and the real meaning of Christmas.
5. DIY Baby’s First Stocking
Is there anything cuter than a teeny-tiny stocking hung over the fireplace? Don’t feel like you’re limited to a plain red one, either.
Homemade Christmas stockings can be a delightful arts and crafts project for the holidays, especially if you’re willing to get creative. Some ideas are:
- Gingham fabrics
- Baby versions of reindeer or bears
- Pink or blue color schemes
- Matching stockings with mom and dad
- Appliqués made from other fabrics or patterns
Another idea is to create a fully adult stocking that they can “grow into” for years to come.
6. Dress in Mommy and Me Pajamas
Don’t forget that Mom’s first Christmas with a baby is also a chance for you to have some festive fun!
Create an utterly adorable Christmas morning by dressing in “mommy and me” pajamas.
They’re often matching sets, but you can also find different-but-complementary designs, too.
One hallmark of these types of pajamas is that they’re quite cozy, so prepare to enjoy lots of snuggle time with your baby on the big day.
7. Make a Handprint Ornament
Handprints are a unique way to mark the passage of time in childhood, and they can hold even more meaning during baby’s first Christmas, especially if you turn them into an ornament.
You can remember these special days every single year. If you want, you can even turn handprint ornaments into an annual tradition, decorating your tree with the growth of your children like new leaves on ever-expanding branches.
8. Consider a Special Family Photo
Are you wondering what to put on those Christmas cards? How about a themed family photo?
You can do a lot more than just plopping the baby on your lap in front of a Christmas tree.
Putting everyone in Santa hats, for example, can be adorably festive, and it’s a low-effort option if you’re feeling that “new mom” stress during the holiday season.
If you have the energy for it, a more involved photoshoot might involve sleighs, sleds, tree farms, reindeer, or snowy winter wonderlands.
9. Write a Future “Open When” Letter for Baby
When I was thinking about unique ideas for Baby’s first Christmas, my favorites were always the personal ones.
I wanted activities or traditions that would hold real, lasting meaning for my family.
One such idea is writing a personalized letter to your child. I especially like the idea of an Open When letter that they can read at different points in the future.
You can do this anytime; you don’t have to wait for Christmas. However, it can be a great gift that’ll compound in value as the years go by, especially if you make it an annual tradition.
10. Party with an Ugly Christmas “Onesie”
Personally, I think Baby’s first Christmas outfit should be as dorky and corny as possible. They’re young enough not to care, and it’s not like you don’t put together adorable, camera-ready outfits the other 364 days of the year.
Let them have one day of ugly Christmas sweater fun! Who cares if it’s a onesie rather than an actual sweater?
11. Introduce Baby to Sparkling Christmas Lights
Let’s be honest: Christmas activities for babies are often more about mom and dad than baby.
However, this is one that they’ll truly appreciate. Infants of all ages are mesmerized by lights, especially the bright, color-changing kind that you hang on Christmas trees and wind around staircases.
Your baby will love them. If you angle it just right, you can snap some stunning “lights reflected in baby’s wide eyes” Christmas photos, too!
12. Deck the Nursery Halls
If your kiddo has started to crawl, you’ll want to be careful with nursery room decorations that might end up in curious hands and mouths.
If they’re still in the crib, however, feel free to go nuts! You can hang wreaths, string up lights and snowflakes, and put out all kinds of shelf decorations.
You might also consider switching out regular appliances and accessories with Christmas-themed ones. For example, a plain nightlight can be replaced with a holiday tree nightlight.
13. Get a New Book to Read for Christmas Eve
Religious stories aren’t the only ones that you can read for bedtime. In fact, books make excellent gifts for a baby’s first Christmas, especially holiday-themed ones.
Here are just a few titles that you can introduce your baby to during their very first holiday season:
- Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
- Frosty the Snowman
- The Polar Express
- ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas
- The Elves and the Shoemaker
14. Bake Cookies for Santa
Putting out cookies for Santa is a family tradition that everyone can enjoy. The kids can partake in a time-honored ritual and the parents can indulge in some tasty treats once the little ones have gone to bed!
Baking your own cookies will add an extra layer of fun to the proceedings, too. For infants who have started the weaning process, you can even create baby-friendly cookies with ingredients like oats, bananas, peanut butter, and baby food purees.
15. Preserve a Branch from Baby’s First Christmas Tree
This is ideal if you’re making scrapbooks, keepsake boxes, or “baby’s first Christmas” ornaments.
A branch from their very first Christmas tree will be a wonderful addition to your crafting efforts. It works with both real and plastic trees, too; you’ll just need to take extra steps to preserve a real fir branch.
It’ll be worth it when you’ve created a family heirloom that will endure for years to come.
A Holiday Season to Remember
How will you celebrate your first Christmas with a baby?
As you can see, there are plenty of ways to create a fun, festive, and memorable holiday experience with the newest member of your family.
They’ll only have one “first Christmas,” so make it count!
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