Of course your baby turning one is a monumental occasion, but every parent knows that first year is marked with a dozens of tiny celebrations. After all, each month brings new and exciting milestones and changes you want to document and remember.
One of the most fun ways to capture their incredible growth? Baby milestone cards!
What is a baby milestone card?
Simply put, baby milestone cards are cards parents use to document the important moments in their baby’s life. From their monthly growth to the exciting “firsts” that occur throughout that first year, they’re often included as a prop to create a sweet photo for their baby memory book or even to share on social media. They can be wooden, printed on cardstock, or even cleverly designed as stickers depending on the look you’re going for.
How to use baby milestone cards
As your baby grows, snapping those photos becomes a bit trickier, doesn’t it? (There are so many great photos to take in baby’s first year!) The first few months it’s easy to prop the milestone cards alongside them on a baby blanket or in their crib. Once they’re sitting up and have control of their hands, you may just have to give in to whatever happens. (Spoiler alert: They’re definitely going to try to eat it.)
If you go the paper route, we suggest slipping it into an inexpensive frame that you can swap out every month and placing it just out of reach or on a designated spot on the wall. Some printable monthly milestone cards can be blown up to poster size which looks great in a nursery.
And because you’re responsible for a real live human while also having a busy life of your own, we’ll say this now. You’re going to forget a month. It’s ok. We don’t know a single parent who hasn’t snapped at least one monthly photo at least a week late. It’s kind of a parenting badge of honor.
Photography tips and tricks
First of all, you don’t need professional looking photos by any means. Looking back at our own baby books it’s clear this is a concern our parents did not have. (Which is to assume there are more than five photos of your babyhood still in existence.) But if you want to kick your photo shoots up a notch, here are a few tips that can help!
- Natural light is best. Set your little one up next to a window or even in a shady area outside.
- Keep the background as uncluttered as possible. Shooting from above as they lay on a blanket keeps things super simple. Or, opt for a spot that’s easy to keep free of distractions. Not only will the photo look more professional, it also keeps the look consistent month after month.
- Make sure they’re fed, well rested and in a good mood before you even attempt to take a photo. Repeat until they’re 45 years old.
We’ve rounded up a collection of printable baby milestone cards (including some of our own Motherly versions!) along with reusable monthly milestone cards that fit every style.
Printable baby milestone cards
Jenny Leicester Design
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$5
For a more contemporary look we love this bold style from Jenny Leicester Design. When you purchase, you’ll get an instant download of the entire 16-piece set which includes an “I am brand new” birth announcement card, weeks 1-3, months 1-11 and a “1 year old” card to celebrate their big day.
The Baby Bop Boutique
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$7
Age is just a number–it’s those first giggles, steps and holidays that you really want to remember. This robust collection of rainbow printables offers 46 unique milestones including monthly age updates, major holidays and unforgettable developmental milestones to help you document the most exciting year ever.
Joyful Babies Design
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$3.25
Cheery and sweet, we just adore these watercolor printables from Joyful Babies Design. Each of the 12 months feature a sun, rainbow or clouds in muted, gender-neutral tones. And if you let people believe you painted them yourself we certainly wouldn’t tell on you!
Mackenzie Ross Studios
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$9.50
Trains and bunnies and all that typical baby-theme stuff is great, but pizza? Pizza is something they’ll love forever. Download includes months 1-12.
Mod Print Co.
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$12
With a simple design and muted rainbow colors, these printables look so sweet mounted in a white frame. You can even add matching prints like ABCs, their name or even inspiring phrases to their nursery and complete the look!
Little Bliss Little Art
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$1.99
This 5×5 inch square watercolor design features a floral motif that could easily pass for your own handiwork!
Our Bilingual Family
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$6.68
Bilingual families will love these adorable printable milestone cards! Each set comes with 22 designs including days 1-6, weeks 1-3, and months 1-12 along with an announcement card for their birth. Choose from eight different languages and two motifs (rainbows and greenery).
Moments of Luv
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$9.99
Adorned with a sweet new woodland creature each month, these printable files can be customized to a variety of sizes.
If you’d rather not take on the responsibility of printing them yourself (we get it!), you can always opt for a set of ready-made milestone cards instead. Most styles are made from durable wood or cardstock which means you can easily use them again down the road for a big brother or sister. We’ve rounded up some of the sweetest and stylish monthly milestone cards along with a few collections that help document equally memorable moments along the way.
Monthly milestone cards
In The Sycamore
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$46
With a bold and easy-to-read font, these wooden monthly milestone discs are sized just right for growing babes at 4 inches across. Opt to add in personalized name sign for the sweetest intro photo! Each set is handmade from birch plywood in Georgia.
Months in Motion
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$12.35
These simple stickers look great and can’t be eaten, crumbled or otherwise destroyed by a curious baby.
The Terreux Co
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$38
If you can’t wait to hit the trails with your newest adventurer, these National Parks inspired milestone cards are just the ticket.
Damini Design
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$45
These snuggly photo props are as adorable as they are clever! The set, which can be customized in a variety of colors includes all the numerals you’ll need to create months and days along with the words “day” and “month” (the “s” is included but not connected). It’s perfect for a photo-a-day project if you’re really on the ball.
Pennant 4 Your Thoughts
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$36
With tons of color options, this sweet pennant looks fabulous in photos. At 18 inches long it’s easy to capture even at a distance.
Twist Stationery
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$7.75
We love the colorful whimsy of this animal-themed collection. The 6×4 cards are printed on high quality Fedrigoni Italian cardstock with space on the back to hand write the date and any standout memories from the month. In addition to months and weeks, you’ll also find a sweet collection of firsts and a “Hello World” card to announce their arrival.
Glad Folk
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$37.80
Undoubtably the most versatile option on our list, this simple wooden block set can be used to document your baby’s age but can also serve as a countdown to their birth or even future family adventures. The heirloom quality set makes a gorgeous nursery decoration as well!
Milestone cards
One Eleven Lovey Lane
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$17.95
For a NICU baby, there are so many important milestones along the way. With inclusions like first snuggles, first bath and growth celebrations, this set of professionally printed cards was designed by a NICU family who wanted to make other families experience a little easier.
Wicked Good Cards
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$20
If your style is a little more salty than sweet, check out the ultra honest milestone cards from Wicked Good Cards. The collection includes 31 funny-but-true moments to remember as well as 12 month cards which all have space on the back for jotting down notes and dates.
White Loft
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$34.99
Celebrate those big moments like their first tooth and wobbly steps with these handmade Baltic birch discs. They’re beautifully packaged in a canvas bag to keep as an heirloom and reuse for generations.
