Fun Alternative Uses for Old Baby Items

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As a mom, we all know there is an overwhelming amount of baby items needed to keep an infant happy and thriving. But, what happens to these baby items when the child outgrows them? Here is a list of some fun and practical alternative uses for those old baby items!

baby items

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  1. The Baby Bathtub– It’s on every new baby registry, and every baby eventually outgrows it. Here are some ideas on what to do with it when it becomes obsolete:
    • At the beach- Summer is just around the corner and the beach is a big hit for us Corpus Christians. Take that old baby bath with you. Fill it up with essentials- towels, sunscreen, beach toys, snacks. It is easy to load and unload. When it is time to head home, but the kids are covered in salt and sand, have them stand in the bathtub and rinse them off with clean water. Fill the tub up with sandy beach towels and toys and easily spray out the sand in the bath when you get home.
    • Toy storage- No matter how hard you try, the toys build up. Use that old baby bath as a toy bin. Great for outside toys! When the toys get dirty, use the bath to rinse them off.
    • Drink tub- Throwing a shower for a mom-to-be? Use your old baby bath as a drink tub for waters and other beverages. It even has a built-in drain to drain off the excess water.
  2. Breast Milk Storage Bags– I was greatly mistaken thinking I was going to be pumping gallons of breast milk every day. IMG_8554So, the 10 boxes (150 bags per box) of breast milk storage bags I purchased looked to be going to waste. By the time my son was ready for solids, I had officially stopped pumping and was left with hundreds of leftover storage bags. When I started making my son’s baby food, my freezer was filling up fast with plastic pureed food storage containers, and I was left with a ton of dishes after feeding time. I saw the hundreds of bags sitting in my pantry and decided to give those a try. They were the perfect pureed food storage bags! The seal was strong, it was made to be filled with liquid gold and stored in the freezer for months. It was easy to thaw, the same way you would breast milk. Great for on the go, throw it in the diaper bag and it was ready to go when the boy got hungry. I carried a small pair of scissors in my diaper bag, cut the top off the bag, and used the bag as the bowl. Best part… Clean up was EASY!
  3. Swaddle Blankets– These are a fun and easy gift to give, which means you usually end up with a ton. As soon as your baby can roll over, swaddling is out, and you are left with a surplus of blankets. Some simple and some crafty ideas you can do with those old swaddle blankets:
    • Dust Rags- If you aren’t in love with the blanket, cut them up, and use them as dust rags or washcloths.
    • Big Kid Blanket- If you do have some favorite blankets, you can cut square patches out of your favorites and sew them together to make a larger blanket the child can use for years. (Or you can take it to a seamstress if you are sewing illiterate, like me :))
    • Learning Cube- You can also take those squares and modge podge them on wood blocks for playtime. If your feeling really adventurous, add shapes, letters, animals, and numbers to the sides of the blocks and use for fun learning.
    • Regift- If you ended up with swaddle blankets that you didn’t use, wrap the next baby shower gift in the unused swaddle blanket. Add a hair bow or bowtie, depending on the gender, for a finishing touch.
  4. Diaper Boxes– If you don’t use cloth diapers, you will end up with a TON of these! If you are feeling crafty, use an Exacto knife to cut the tops off the boxes and modge podge fabric (or old swaddle blankets) to cover the sides. Use the boxes as storage bins for toys, old clothes, extra diapers, wipes… really anything. You could even use adult fabric and easily clean up a messy storage closet. PositivelySpledid has an excellent step by step guide to recovering diaper boxes!
  5. Changing Table– This one takes a little longer to expire unless you have found the secret to early potty training, and if you have, PLEASE TELL EVERY MOM YOU KNOW!! We would all appreciate it! 🙂 But, if your changing table is still standing by the time your child is potty trained, here are a few fun ways to keep on using it:
    • Storage Table- Those diaper boxes you just crafted the heck out of, put those on the shelves of the storage table. Add a lamp on top and it is now a big kid furniture piece.
    • Beverage stand- Throwing a weekend BBQ, baby shower, or birthday party? Use your old changing table as a beverage stand. Keep cups, mixers, napkins, etc. on the shelves and ice bin and drinks on top.
    • Entertainment Stand- Use the shelves for game consoles, cable boxes, and DVD players. Put a TV on top and you have yourself an entertainment stand. (If you have young children, make sure the TV and stand are safe and secure!)
  6. Baby Wipe Containers– Again, you will end up with a lot of these. Even if you buy the big boxes of refillable wipes, each box comes with a wipe container. Soon, your baby will discover their LOVE for pulling out fresh wipes. So when the wipe containers are empty, fill them with fabric scraps and let the baby go to town. You can also use them to store random toys that seem to find their way into your house.
  7. Baby BooksIMG_8555When your little one needs more substance from their books, but you aren’t ready to give up those first books, cut the cover off your favorites and frame them. Use them as decorations in your kids’ room, playroom, or bathroom.
  8. Baby Clothes– If you are planning on having more babies, save them. If you aren’t, there are several places around the area to donate gently worn baby clothes. However, if there are some outfits that you just can’t let go of, you can use pieces of old clothes to make a patchwork quilt. Keep the memories of your small, sweet child forever!
  9. Nursing pads– I bought the reusable ones and thinking I didn’t want to wash them every day, bought a few too many. They are great as makeup wipes, to blot up oil throughout the day or use with your favorite toner. They are really absorbent too, so it’s nice to have some close anytime your child is around.

I hope you found some fun ideas to try out with your old baby items! If you have some ideas of your own, we would LOVE to hear about them! Comment below and tell us all about them!

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