Personalized baby blankets, reborn

Personalized baby blankets aren’t new. Do a Google search and you’ll be presented with dozens of stores offering blankets with embroidered trims. Many department stores and baby retailers offer the same service. However, as we’re fond of pointing out, everything can be upgraded. Sonya Bebeblankee’s suitably cute website (www.fillintheblankie.com) sells eight types of baby blankets, varying in weave, weight and price, and including a “400 Count Blankie” that brings the luxury of 400-count sheets to the infant world. Their unique selling point? Unlike most competitors, Fill in the Blankie allows buyers to have up to 200 characters embroidered along a blanket’s satin edges (the norm is just 20 characters). Instead of being limited to a baby’s name and date of birth, customers can pick a poem, write a letter or tell a short story — making for ultra-personalized gifts that can be ordered in a matter of minutes. The Dallas company’s other claim to fame is an extremely quick turnaround: 3 to 7 days instead of weeks. Proving once again that entrepreneurial TLC can turn a staid idea into something fresh, desirable and profitable.