Whether you’re a budget conscious mom or a highly creative mom who is particular to be the photographer for your little one’s photoshoot, here are 7 DIY newborn photoshoot ideas at home that are super easy and can be shot on your smartphone.
As we all know, there’s hardly anything that’s sweeter or precious than a picture of your newborn. It’s amazing how she’s just one week old, and just like that, in kind of a blink, she will be nearing her first birthday!
That’s what makes having pictures of your a tiny bundle of joy when she’s just a few weeks old super special.
1. Sunny Window
It’s always better to first start with the basics of DIY newborn photoshoot ideas at home. So here we go. Pick a spot next to a nice window which is sunny, preferably with lots of indirect light. For the background, you could choose to spread a simple and soft light coloured blanket on the floor.
To wrap your little one around, chances are you have plenty of swaddles. Alternatively, you have a choice of those stretchy gauzy newborn wraps that you can easily find on Etsy or Amazon.
Just wrap and stretch the corner of the swaddle, tucking it in under the baby until they’re nice and secure, and get clicking.
2. Teddy Bear
It doesn’t get any cuter or any cozier than this DIY idea. As a new parent, you were often gifted lots of lovely stuffed animals. So why not use them to make a cute little photo.
If you have one oversized stuffed teddy bear or any other animal, you could place her by resting her head on the teddy’s arms or legs while she sleeps. Alternatively, or you could use a collection of squishy little toys by keeping them all around her as if they’re all hugging her.
If you have any stuffed animal from when you were little or that special gift from a grandparent, you can use them to capture that memory along with your little one too.
3. In The Clouds
There are so many whimsical ways of setting up a newborn photo shoot, but you don’t have to go crazy buying things to set up a scene.
I have a blue comforter so I’m going to do this next idea on the bed but you could do this with any blue blanket blue towel tablecloth i do want to use this opportunity for a little disclaimer. No matter which idea you’re trying you want to make sure that your baby is always safe and secure.
We’ll leave it to a baby to show you they can roll for the first time while they’re on the bed and your hands are busy holding a camera. A tip to keep in mind if you’re taking a picture on a bed is that you want to tuck your comforter in super tight. This helps smooth out any wrinkles and keeps your photos looking really professional.
Now for the scene, I’m just going to use regular computer paper to cut out some clouds. You don’t have to be an artist for this clouds are easy. Next you’re going to blow up a balloon which babies
Just love to watch. Instead of ribbon try a pipe cleaner for the handle .it doesn’t move around a lot it just looks a lot cleaner in photographs. So simple and so whimsical. This is such a fun one to do.
4. Book Stack
If you and/or your spouse are a bookworm, you may want to try this idea. Create a backdrop by draping a blanket over the crib or the edge of the bed and spreading the rest of it out on the floor.
Then go through your wardrobe to look for something with extra-soft texture like a blanket or a rug to spread it on the floor. Now go grab a stack of your favourite books.
Once your baby has gone to sleep, set her up on her belly with her head and hands placed on the books. This is a really great way to show off your favourite children’s books, or your collection if you’re a super fan of a certain series.
5. Tucked In
This idea is all about getting your newborn tucked in and cuddly. You could put a crib mattress or a regular mattress on the floor and cover it with a set of sheets that are soft, as they looks good in newborn photos.
Now this is important: Ideally, you want to take your newborn’s pictures sometime between 1 and 3 months old. This is kind of a sweet spot, as this is a phase when babies’ wake windows are short, which helps getting all your ideas captured exactly the way you want to.
If they’re awake, it may be challenging to click a proper close-up. To tackle this, just go ahead with the entire setup, place them in the scene where you’re going to click and be patient. May be you can caress the face or sing a lullaby and they will fall back asleep in a few minutes.
Once she’s asleep, you can play around at your own pace. You can place some props like flowers, little stuffed animals or pretty much anything to add a bit of texture to the background.
6. In The Heart
Of all the DIY newborn photoshoot ideas at home, this is possibly the one which is super simple yet special. May be you want to give this a try.
All you need for this is a couple of soft blankets. It can be as small as a receiving blanket or a even a crib blanket if you have a newborn, or you might want to use a full quilt.
Spread the blanket out on a cozy surface, may be your bed, and start moulding the blanket into the shape of a heart. This works really well with a blanket that has some structure to it, may be kind of like a duvet.
If you want a little extra help with the shape, roll up a towel or a blanket and kind of use it as a mould underneath the blanket. Once you create the shape, put your baby in the inside of the heart and you’re ready to start clicking.
By the way, this is a lovely idea if you have twins!
7. Laundry Line
This may be the coolest of the 7 DIY newborn photoshoot ideas at home. For this, you need to grab some crayons, a towel, baby clothes, cloth drying pins and create an entire scene with these objects. Let’s see how you do it.
Spread a light blue coloured quilt or bed spread on the floor to create the background. At the bottom, spread a green blanket and use it as grass for the background. Then use a rope, string or yarn to make a laundry line across the background.
Place a yellow bowl on the left or right in the upper half of the background. Then place some crayons around it to make a sun. Finally, place your little one right under the laundry line and clip the cloth drying pins to your baby’s shirt through the rope.
In this cutely set up scene, it will look like your baby is suspended along with the other clothes across the laundry line. Have a great time clicking.
Conclusion
All it takes is just a little bit of creativity to add more ideas to the above 7 DIY newborn photoshoot ideas at home. With a little bit of effort, these photos can become your most cherished keepsakes in your new role as a parent. And down the line, in all likelihood, they may become be the most treasured ones of all the pictures you have.
Disclaimer: The content in this page and across this website are for informational and educational purposes only. In case of any concerns about your child’s growth and development, please contact your professional child healthcare provider.