Holiday Dress for Baby - suggestions for small adornments?

[Sparkly]

Other Grandmother has purchased a dress from Kohls, but I'd already called dibs on sewing one, so... She can't have too many little fancy dresses, considering the frequency of 'accidents,' anyway.

I went to JoAnn's today. My goodness, fabric is expensive!! Also patterns. (Butterick was on sale for $2.99, but I realized only after I left that I didn't get that price.) My goal was to replicate a dress I remember my mother made for my sisters and me, which I already copied once for my daughter, but I seem to have lost custody of it.

The dress I remember was very simple: a black, rich velvet bodice with short sleeves, and then a gathered satin-taffeta plaid skirt in red, green, and black with gold threads. I could not find that kind of skirt fabric -- all the plaids were wool or cotton. (Great sales on holiday cotton prints, though!) The velvets seem to be "stretch velvet" like gymnastics costumes, or super heavy velvet, like Baroque draperies or something! (Isn't there another kind? Rayon, maybe?)

I ended up putting the replication of that dress on hold for another year! (More motivation to stick around.) I bought a "last chance" (close-out), dark blue satiny fabric with nice hand, but now I forget what exactly it is - - a blend. Also, a light blue 'flannel-backed satin.'

If I make a simple dress from either of those (leaning toward the dark blue), what suggestions might you have for adding something subtle-but-special to the dress? The front has no buttons, so that's not an option. Would like something not super Lacey, sequined, or purchased-appliqued...

- I could do very simple embroidery (to look like stars?) across the bodice, or scattered on the skirt, perhaps?
- I could sew on small "pearls?"
- Maybe a few tiny rhinestones, if not many and if easy on the fabric to apply?
- Maybe a small embroidered image in white, on the bodice or skirt, of some sort?

If anybody has inspiration, thoughts, suggestions (including for pale blue), I'm happy and grateful to hear!! Thank you!!