One of the best gifts I received at my baby shower wasn’t on my registry. It wasn’t adorable, or baby-sized, or cute and cuddly, or even something you’d find in the baby section of a store. It was a folder. And it was the best baby shower gift ever!
A folder with a place for every piece of paper that had been accumulating on my desk related to a baby that hadn’t even been born yet…and with places for very important pieces of paper we’d be receiving in those exhausting hours, days, and sleep-deprived weeks following the birth of our little one. For someone like me that loves organization but isn’t very good at implementing or maintaining it even on my best days, this was a perfect gift. It was a wonderful way to ensure that all those pieces of paper had a home without even having to think about it…and in a small but significant way, it helped to bring my stress level down before and after our baby was born, knowing where to put and where to find all those very important pieces of paper (and there are so many!).
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I have now put together three of these folders to gift to friends and plan to make one for every baby shower I ever attend!
Here’s what you need: (This post contains affiliate links – click here to read my full disclosure.)
- 12 pretty file folders (I’ve found them at Staples and at Target for about $8-10, but here and here are cute folders on Amazon)
- An accordion file with 12 pockets. You could also put the file folders in a small hanging file box (they had some really cute ones at Target and I was tempted)…but I found it really helpful for the folder to be easily portable in those first weeks, to take to the hospital and to doctor’s appointments. I’ve now transferred a lot of the folders to our filing cabinet.
That’s it! Of course, you can decorate or personalize the folder if you’d like, but you certainly don’t have to.
If you want to print labels to put on the folders instead of handwriting them, make sure you buy ones that come with labels or purchase the labels separately. (The folders I got from Target actually came with labels to print on – the ones from Staples did not.) Other options would be a label maker, trim down any size larger labels you have on hand to fit, or neatly handwrite on the tabs yourself.
If you have a Silhouette machine, see how I did a quick print-and-cut to make my labels with clear sticker paper in this post!
(The accordion file & file folders above are from Target)
(The accordion file above is from Walmart, and the file folders are from Staples)
Decide what you want to label your folders. You can customize them to specific needs, i.e. mothers of multiples, etc. Or, if you want to get really ambitious, find some online resources to print and place in some folders ahead of time to help the mama-to-be get started! (You could include the free printable PDFs from my Baby Checklist Series for even more helpful pre-baby organization!)
Here are the 12 categories I used:
- Birth Certificate & Social Security Card
- Keepsakes
- Milestones
- Pediatrician Visits
- Immunization Records
- Other Health Records
- Insurance Paperwork
- Nursing/Feeding Info
- Parenting Articles/Pamphlets
- Receipts/Warranties
- Manuals
- Miscellaneous
Assemble your folder, and you’re good to go!
I hope this idea will help you bless a new-mom-to-be!
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MORE BABY TIPS & IDEAS:
Baby Checklists Series
10 Baby Must-Haves
Diaper Bag Checklist
Gender Neutral Nursery Tour
Best Baby Shower Gift Ever
Daddy's Hospital Survival Kit
Enough Room in my Heart
Labor & Delivery Nurse Thank You Bags
Reasons NOT to Find Out Baby's Gender
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This is such a great idea! I really could have used one of these with my kiddos – heck, I could still use one!
I’m going to have to keep this in mind for baby showers!
Kristin
http://Www.exploringdomesticity.blogspot.com
I LOVE THE ONE YOU MADE FOR ME! :) Thank you !!!
So glad you like it! It was a lifesaver for me, I hope it is useful for you too! Still thinking of you and wishing you a fast and comfortable last month and a half!
This is such a great idea! I just might make this for myself, and I will definitely be doing one for my next preggo friend.
Such a fantastic idea! I’m going to have to do this for the next time I have a pregnant friend. :)
This is a fantastic idea! I’ve pinned it so I can make some for upcoming baby showers.
Awesome idea! My pile of baby paperwork was in a pile on a shelf for the longest time, and I had no idea what to do with it. This would have been wonderful!
Thanks, Bethany! It was SO helpful to have a place for all those papers before the baby was even born…otherwise I know it would have been a gigantic mess that I’d still be trying to get organized!
This is absolutely wonderful! I’m not crafty at all but this seems like something even I can do ;). I LOVE that you listed all the categories as well. I’m not a mother yet (hopefully in the near future), but I like to plan in advance so I’ll be making this soon ;)
Thanks Min! It’s definitely something anyone can do :-)
What a fabulous idea! So incredibly clever. I wish someone had done this for me! Thanks for sharing at Monday Funday! ;) Bonnie
Fantastic idea! I am organizationally-challenged even now…
Oh, so, so cute! And who doesn’t love cute organization? Can’t wait to make something like this one day! Saw this on ladybug blessings. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks Sarah! It’s fun to shop around for the cutest file folders :-)
What a great idea! I remember being so out of it when my second was born that I just crammed all that paperwork into a giant envelope and then had to spread it all out at each Dr. visit, insurance call, etc. Something like this would have been so handy!
Yes, organization is definitely not something one thinks about as a sleep deprived new mom! It is so handy to be able to just grab the entire folder and take it with you to the dr’s office, or wherever!
This is a GENIUS idea!! I love it! We’ll be featuring this over at Someday Crafts tomorrow, so come check it out if you have a minute!
Thanks Miranda!! Will definitely stop by :-)
I think it’s cute that the name of your blog is ‘Unoriginal Mom’ but that I have never ever hear of or seen anything like this! Such an awesome idea! I just love practical shower gifts!
XOXO/Lena
Haha, thanks Lena! I wish I could take credit for coming up with this idea on my own, but it was a gift I received at MY baby shower last year, and was too great not to share! I have since been making them for every baby shower I attend…and I am always sure that no one else will bring the same gift, too! :-)
This is a great baby gift idea! Pinning it now and hoping to make it for my next baby shower gift!
Thanks Carrie! I’m sure the mom-to-be will love it!
This is a great idea for a gift. I’ve never thought about that. I’d love for you to check out our Pattern Party! Those with free patterns and templates to share are invited to link up! Starts on the 1st of each month.
That is a great idea! In the fog of life after a baby is born it can be hard to think of things like where to stash the important documents. It would be very helpful to have something like that all set up for you! Thanks for sharing at A Crafty Soiree and please consider doing a guest post! I’d love to have you.
Where was this when I had my son a year ago!! He alone takes up his own file box! I could have used this…and I would have loved it as a gift! Definitely going to try this out as a gift for my friends. :)
Tell me about it…it’s still amazing to me how much STUFF accumulates with such a little person! The great thing about the labeled file folders inside of the accordion folder is that it’s portable when they’re brand new…but as they start to accumulate more and more paperwork, you can transfer the file folders to hanging folders in a file cabinet. I had to transfer the “manuals” folder to the file cabinet almost immediately, with all the thick manuals for baby stuff we got!
Wow! This is such a great idea and great gift!
Now, this IS a great shower gift idea, and original to boot! I have a shower coming up next weekend, and would love to receive this as a gift. It’s so much better than a thousand swaddle blankets and washcloths.
The nice thing is, if you don’t receive it as a gift you can make it yourself, exactly the way you want it ;-) (And I got SO many washcloths at my shower…it wasn’t even funny! I mean, really people! Haha.)
What a wonderful idea! My shower is next weekend and if I opened something like this I would be in heaven. Starts you off on the right foot!
This is such a fabulous idea!! So unique! Thanks so much for coming out to the party at The Inspiration Exchange. Pinned this!
Genius. Just… genius! This idea is being pinned to my gifts/wrapping Pinterest board, like… now! My inner organizing nerd is geeking out so much right now. LOL
Haha I think there’s some inner-organizing-nerd in us all :-) Glad you like it! Thanks for stopping by!
You are right, this gift is GENIUS and perfect for a first time Mother! Thank you for sharing on Blog Stalking Thursday! I have featured your project on Blog Stalking Thursday Features YOU! The post is going live later tonight. I would love for you to stop by and grab a feature button. Thanks again for sharing!
This is the BEST IDEA EVAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Pinned! Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery! :-) :-)
Visiting from Show and Share Wednesday!
Thanks Stacy! I’m excited for people to copy it! :-)
I just have to leave another comment because I think these are so amazing. Made two today for my friend who is having twins….and man, I wish someone had made them for ME!
I’m planning on making these for a friend with twins on the way; did you use these same labels, or did you have any twin specific labels? Thanks!
[…] Best Baby Shower Gift from Unoriginal Mom […]
[…] Best Baby Shower Gift Ever @ Unoriginal Mom […]
[…] […]
I just made my own, and posted about it – totally awesome idea! If you have a moment, check it out, and please make sure you’re ok with me writing about it :-)
http://www.1dogwoof.com/2013/06/baby-shower-gift-for-frazzled-new-mom.html
Of course! Thanks for trying it out!!
This is a great idea! Since I will be throwing my friend a baby shower, I was undecided on a gift. Wanted to give her something not too expensive.
That is one of the reasons I LOVE giving this gift – it is so inexpensive! But it is still special because it is not something you can buy in a store, and is so useful!
Lucky me! I have a baby shower coming up next month! Looks like I just found my gift! Jumping over from Happy Hour!
Hi Kristy, thanks for visiting! Hope the mom-to-be loves her gift :-)
[…] Baby Document Filing System | Unoriginal Mom […]
So…as you already know, Meredith, I LOVE this project of yours and just had to feature it in my round-up of 16 DIY Baby Shower Gift Ideas. Feel free to stop by and check it out anytime!
16 DIY Baby Shower Gift Ideas
Hugs,
Lauren
The Thinking Closet
Thanks so much for including my idea, Lauren! That is a GREAT round-up of a good variety of ideas for showers! Definitely pinning for future reference :-)
Thanks for the post – i saw it at The Thinking Closet and adapted it a bit. I’m expecting twin grandchildren this summer and made a looseleaf for a shower this week that was much appreciated. Tabed dividers, page protectors and pockets for small items will keep things for both babies in one place and not risk falling out in the car or diaper bag. I had already made them one for household paperwork as a housewarming – great minds think alike :-) Thanks Meredith!
Yes, with twins, your daughter (or daughter-in-law) will have to be twice as organized!! Great idea to adapt it into a binder! Enjoy those grandbabies :-)
[…] ideas on the interwebs are original these days, but I took this idea, lock stock and barrel, from this post at Unoriginal Mom. It’s a folder to hold every baby-related piece of paper that’s thrown at you before […]
Love this idea. As a foster mom I can tell you this would be even more appreciated as a gift/or something to keep ready for receiving a new placement. Things can get really crazy especially when they have a different last name and its not a child you birthed so even their birthday is a mystery when your standing at the doctors receptionist! lol Then you have so many things you are required to do with each placement, the paperwork is never ending. Just a thought for your readers! Thank you for sharing this with us! :-)
Thank you SO much for posting this. Made this for one of my coworkers and she LOVED it. Now I have multiple requests from other future and current moms in the office.
Aw, I’m so glad your coworker liked it! This is now my go-to shower gift…people expect it from me, haha! And it’s so easy to make a few at a time and keep them on hand :-)
This is an amazing idea! I will definitely be using this. Thank you so much for sharing!
[…] Organizational Folder for Baby’s Documents- It’s not a gift anyone can register for, and certainly one that sounds pretty ho-hum until you see just how neat they look and realize how practical they are. Using an accordion file and decorative file folders, you create a place for Mom to store things like the baby’s birth certificate, hospital bills, insurance information, vaccination books and other baby-related things. Check out the photos and simple instructions at Unoriginal Mom. […]
[…] Looking for something that would be useful for Carissa. I came across this blog – Unoriginal Mom […]
I LOVE LOVE this idea! I just made it for my friend’s baby shower I will be attending. I hope she likes it just as much as I do. I even found a clear accordion file so the colorful folders (Target as well) show through! Definitely gonna be my go to shower gift in the future as well! Thanks again for sharing!!!
[…] this file folder for all the paperwork that comes along with a baby- I will personalize the categories according to […]
What a fantastic idea. And what a thoughtful friend for thinking of such a helpful gift. I could definitely have done with something like that because I have paperwork scattered all over my house.
This is so helpful! Thank you so much for sharing this with us. The Lord bless you! :)
Thanks Alena! Glad to know that it is helpful for other folks, too, because it certainly has been a life save for me!
[…] this file folder for all the paperwork that comes along with having a baby- This is on Irritation so I […]
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Could you make some of these, after the birth of my little girl (Wednesday!) I see that I could really use one.
If you are open to make more than one for me, I’d like to ask for 3. I’ll pay!let me know what you think.
I looked on Etsy and can’t find anyone making them :-(.
Thank you!
Hi Claudia, congratulations on your little girl! I don’t make these to sell, but you could so easily make one yourself if you just pick up an accordion file and a pack of file folders…or maybe a friend could pick some up for you from the store? They are so easy! Hope you are enjoying the first days with your new little one!
Thank you so much for this amazing idea! I made one for my friend’s shower yesterday and it was a huge hit! She even asked if I could make one for her older baby too :) I had found some gorgeous teal patterned files and a transparent white folder that allowed the color to come through, then put the baby’s name on the outside with big stick-on letters. I think this has become my go-to shower gift from now on!
Yay, I’m so glad she liked it! That folder sounds gorgeous too, great finds! I have made so many of these now…they’re definitely a great “go-to” gift for showers, especially if you personalize them!
I wish I had recieved one of these as a baby gift would have stopped me from losing all my stuff all the time. What a great idea!
[…] only imagine how much more organized my life would be right now if only I had received one of these handy (and cute!) parenting file folders for my first baby […]
This is a brilliant idea! Thank you so much. I can not wait to give it as a gift.
very lovely idea.
To make one for school paperwork, the next stage, you will need a large 9 drawer lateral file unit, like at a doctors office!!!! It could be decorated I suppose…
[…] here via […]
Hi Meredith, my on the go baby shower gift is baby thermometer (from http://thermee.net) because for me this is practical and useful gift. I wish I have talent like you to create things like this. Keep it up!
This is fantastic! I’ve told my husband that we need to make one for our kiddo (due next month) and one for each of us. I also have a friend due in April and my nephew’s wife is due in June. Best baby shower gift ever! I always give thermometers, baby Q-Tips and a handmade blanket. This will be added to that group.
Thanks Elizabeth! It’s always my go-to gift, too…so practical, but personal too!
This is such a brilliant idea!!! I thought I was organised with my first but with all the paperwork, cards and gifts things got a little hectic. I received some beautiful handmade wooden toys from someone and I wish I get things all together as I can’t remember who made it.
[…] Folder to Organize Important Baby Papers – this is a super-cute baby shower gift idea. I would have loved having one of these. […]
I LOVE this idea!! So cute :)
[…] (I stole this idea from Unoriginal Mom.) […]
[…] You’ll be surprised how much use this gift will get after all toys have been put away and clothes folded. It’s one that will last a lifetime for both mom and baby (and dad too!). {found on Unoriginal Mom} […]
I had to leave a comment to let you know that I have used this fantastic idea of yours for several baby showers over the last couple years. It’s always a fan favorite. Today, I finally got to make one for me :D
Oh, I’m so glad to hear that Sarah…I’ve made so many, and they are always such a big hit! I’m so happy that this little idea has served you so well. And congratulations to you – I hope you find this as practical and helpful as I did!!
[…] course. I found a great post by unOriginal Mom, describing how to create a filing system for your baby/child’s paperwork. Genius! The idea here was to create it as a shower gift for a new mom. Well, friends, I created it […]
That is such a brilliant idea!
This idea is still going strong. I used it for my niece Jessica’s first son, and now her sister is expecting (baby shower tomorrow), so she gets one, too. I called Jessica first, though to make sure she is actually using the one I got her, and she is.
[…] Best Baby Shower Gift Ever! […]
Baby shower gift ideas is best idea for give mom…I think is the best gift like before baby born you just collect all things related baby…what you doing after baby what is necessary during baby born and all thing so its good to give this gift…
Such a adorable personalized gift. I was just thinking what could I get my sister in law for her baby shower..I’m not sure what present would be best, Actually you helped me a lot…This is more unique, lovely and very important.
Certainly cheaper to make your own than the $30 charged for the baby briefcase made elsewhere.
[…] Unoriginal Mom has one of the most time-saving, life-saving DIYs on the list. The mommy-to-be will absolutely love these baby files to organize LIFE with! […]
This is awesome!! I wonder if we could make one for a wedding gift! Just can’t figure out what labels/folders you’d need. Any ideas?
I just found this idea, and am in love with it! I’m making this for a co-worker who is adopting from young couple not ready for parenthood. Im also adding a legal/will/guardian tab; many new moms/dads forget to add those very important documents. Because of the adoption, she feels like she’s missing out on some of the “nesting” that happens, and this idea will help her with that clued in, included, feeling.
How sweet of you! I am sure your co-worker will love it…I still make it for every baby shower I attend, it’s a great and very practical gift. Plus I still use the folder I was gifted with my first baby! Adding that extra tab is a great idea too.
I made this as a gift for a friend. I included some of the list for what to pack for the hospital visit. Baby bag, Mommy bag & Daddy bag. I guess it came in handy when my friend went into labor a month before her due date and Dad had to pack for them all.
[…] since I don’t see any reason to remake the wheel, here’s the link to Unoriginal Mom’s Best Baby Shower Gift Ever – The Mom’s File […]
[…] if you really want your baby shower gift to earn the title of being the best, you need to include this organizer. Meredith at unoriginalmom.com didn’t name it the best baby shower gift for nothing! While I […]
This is such a great idea! I really could have used one of these with my kiddos – heck, I could still use one!
[…] love this idea from Unoriginal Mom! It’s a folder to keep track of all of those papers and records that come with having a baby […]
[…] […]
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