The following is a guest post from regular contributor, Rachel.
Baby’s first year is such a sweet time and always adorned with so many keepsakes. From birth to first steps, I’m convinced we gather more keepsakes in a little one’s first year due to the concentrated change, growth, and development they undergo. I’ll show you how I’ve been keeping my eldest daughter’s baby collection, because not everything from those fleeting newborn days will fit in an Art Book or a photo album.
Seven years ago, when my first daughter was born, I stumbled upon a clamshell keepsake box by a company called Paper Coterie. Sadly (very sadly), the company no longer exists and I’m having trouble finding an identical replacement for my second daughter but I’ll share some similar versions I found.
Basically, what I purchased years ago (pictured below) is a preserving clamshell book or box that houses all those sweet items collected in the early years. This particular one enabled me to personalize the cover with a baby picture and the back side with birth stats.
It’s a perfect solution to store the things that don’t fit inside a flat book or photo album. Things like hospital bracelets, hospital hat, first shoes, an envelope of first haircut snippets, a favorite lovey, and a few other unique-to-baby items.
While this covered version is no longer available, the main idea for organizing infant memorabilia is simple; keep everything together in a container specially designed for long-term preservation. When folded closed, my clamshell box measures about 10″ by 13″, which allows it to be stored on a bookshelf or easily tucked away inside a closet.
One alternative option I found is THIS black clamshell (affiliate link) that comes in several sizes and I’m convinced is nearly the same interior piece as mine. I also found THIS blue keepsake chest and THIS pink chest (affiliate links). My daughter’s keepsakes have been stored like this for almost 8 years and everything remains in excellent condition to this day.
One more option I found on Etsy is THIS beautiful baby box (no longer available), but it’s a little smaller than mine and a different price point. However, it’s similar to what I bought years ago with a personalized exterior and clamshell interior.
I prefer the clamshell design because it can be stored horizontally or vertically, depending on your shelf space. It’s the perfect size to keep small newborn treasures. All the other flat items like pictures, written milestones, and letters I collect in a baby book/photo album. Both are displayed in her room and can be for years to come.
While I’m sad that I can’t resource Paper Coterie for my second daughter’s keepsakes, I still plan to use the same concept of storing her first year’s worth of precious memories in one clamshell. Who knows, maybe I’ll get creative and figure out how to decoupage newborn photos and birth stats on the outside of a plain one and save a little money in the process. 🙂
In the professional world, I’m a nurse by trade. But, around our house, I’m known as Mommy to our young daughters. My two worlds collided and began shaping into a blog. Useful Beautiful Home represents the hours I’ve dedicated to managing my household as efficiently as possible. I offer you motivation to keep your home healthy, organized, and welcoming. My goal is to share what I’ve implemented in my home to inspire you with fresh ideas and to encourage you to keep up the good work in yours!
- *Please note that affiliate links are included in this post to make it easier for you to find what is being referenced. A small commission is made should you purchase product using these links, but this is at no extra cost to you. As always, any and all opinions are genuinely my own – or the author, in the case of posts by my guest contributors. Thank you!*
Pamela List says
This is really cute. I have my first grandchild on the way, and a keepsake box like this is really nice. I personally use an old blue mason jar, in this manner. HOwever, I use copies of the photos becasue of sunlight issues. I look at my mason jars every day. lol