Border Ideas for Baby Quilts

Fabrics

• Add a fabric border to the quilt that will make the baby gift more elegant and visually appealing. For instance, if your family member has decorated her daughter's nursery in roses and lace, choose a deep pink or purple lace border that will stand out against the pastel quilt you've created. If your baby will be born during the fall or winter months, a border of suede or velvet fabric in a pronounced color like hunter green or burgundy adds additional soft texture to the quilt.

Colors

• A blue or pink fabric border is fitting for a quilt you're preparing for a baby boy or girl, but you can also select a hue that will match nicely in the baby's nursery. For instance, a kelly green or butter yellow cotton or linen border for a nursery with a garden or springtime theme is fitting. If you're giving the blanket to a little one who was born near Thanksgiving, a cranberry red or burnt orange border in thick cotton or tweed is especially noticeable on a quilt made of neutral shades.

Cultural Significance

• Fabric strips that feature shapes like the star of David or a menorah are appropriate to sew on the quilt that you'll present to a Jewish newborn. Fabric in blue and white is ideal as well, as these are the colors of Israel. Red, green and black braided ribbons along the border of a quilt for an African or African American baby display the bloodshed or sacrifice of the African people, the fertility of the land and the pride of the African people. Red, white or green pom-poms -- like the ones on the edges of sombreros -- along the border of the baby quilt make it especially festive for a baby born into a Mexican family.

Monogrammed Border

• Visit the local fabric store to find fabric that features the first letter of the baby's name. Or, take the fabric of your choice to the local print shop to have the baby's monogram printed on each of the four fabric strips in gold or silver thread. Select fabric that displays a pattern that is also in the quilt. For instance, if you've sewn patches of teddy bears or balloons on the quilt, a fabric border with these images, along with the baby's initial, is ideal.