From Newborn To One: DIY Milestone Photo Ideas You'll Love

Babies change so much in the first year. Something I knew from the start was how important it would be to capture every special moment and the growth of my babies. I then decided I was going to take monthly milestone pictures.

Make a Plan

When to take photos: Some moms may decide to take the picture each month on the day they were born or after 4 weeks from the last picture. I chose to do it on the day from the month she was born since I thought it would be easier for me to remember.

Theme: This is another thing that you can decide. Do you want to do a theme that goes with the month, or choose one theme to do each month? I liked the idea of doing something that goes with the month. I could choose cute outfits to match the holiday or season.

Location: Where do you want to take the pictures? Some moms may take all the pictures in the same spot, which would potentially show the growth of your baby more. Or, you could take the pictures in different spots depending on the theme and props you use.

Props: The main prop used with milestone pictures is something to show how many months the baby is. This could be a card, wooden or acrylic disc, a letter board (which was my choice), blanket, etc. I chose a letter board so I could showcase each of my daughters’ names as well. Other props can include things that go with the monthly theme, a stuffed animal, a toy, costumes, headbands, or anything you want.

Tip: If you choose to do themes based on the holiday/season, Dollar Tree or Target’s Bullseye Section has great props that are very affordable.

Photo Ideas

Based on milestones:

Month 1-3: Close-Up Portraits: Start with simple close-ups to highlight baby’s tiny features
Month 4-6: Tummy and Sitting Pictures: Take a picture of your baby’s progress with tummy time or sitting up (with support or without)
Month 7-9: Sitting and Standing Shots: Capture your baby’s progress in sitting, crawling, or standing
Month 10-12: First Steps or Expressions: Try to get action shots of your baby walking or showing a new facial expression

Based on holiday/season:

January: New Years, Winter
February: Valentine’s Day, Winter
March: St. Patrick’s Day, Spring
April: “April showers bring May Flowers”, Baby Chicks, Spring
May: Garden, Butterfly; Memorial Day
June: Lemon; Watermelon; Summer
July: 4th of July, Ice Cream, Summer
August: Beach, Summer
September: Apple, Fall
October: Halloween, Pumpkin, Fall
November: Thanksgiving, Pie, Fall
December: Christmas, Elf, Winter

Seasonal Ideas:

Winter: sweater; snowflakes; hot cocoa; snowmen
Spring: flowers; rainy day
Summer: sunglasses; sun hat; watermelon; sunny; beach
Fall: overalls; flannel shirt; leaves; pumpkins; mums; sunflowers; blankets

You could also look for other inspiration on Pinterest.

Photography Tips for New Parents

You don’t need much to take your baby’s monthly photos- a few, or even one prop for each month. Most phones now take good-quality pictures, so you don’t need a fancy camera. Here are a few tips to make your pictures even better:

Lighting: Try to use as much natural light as possible. Using the flash will create harsh shadows.

Keep it simple: Focus on your baby by not using too many props.

Stay patient: Babies are unpredictable and you might not get the perfect picture on the first try. You might not even get one completely perfect- don’t stress!

Displaying Your Baby’s Monthly Photos

There are a few ways to display your baby’s monthly photos. It all comes down to your preferences. I printed them out and included them in my kids’ photo albums. It’s great to be able to easily look back and see the growth of your baby each month.

You could:

Print out the pictures and put them into a photo album or baby book
Make a collage, either digital or handmade
Make a time-lapse video

Make it Your Own

These photos are ones that I look back on a lot with my first daughter to see how much she has grown. We did a lot of them based on holidays but we added our own touch to them over the summer. We live on a farm so we took some outside around the farm. You can add your own personal touch too! It’s never too late to start capturing the milestones of your baby.