By Meredith Merchant_Ships | Leave A Comment
Who doesn’t love a baby shower? (If you omit the traditional measuring of the belly with toilet paper, that is!)
It couldn’t be easier to throw a sweet shower for your favorite mama-to-be, whether it’s her first baby…
…or her fifth.
You don’t even need an elaborate theme! Celebrate all things baby and beautiful with dainty little bites, delicate china and stemware, and wildflower posies.
Just pamper that mama with all the good stuff she’ll have to set aside once sippy cups fill the cabinets.
Baby boy? Bring out the Blue Willow. Baby girl? Borrow a friend’s pink Depression glass. Large crowd? Slip paper doilies in wicker plate holders instead.
Between all of us, we have a wealth of baby shower stories to share! Leave your advice for hosting a fabulous baby shower in the comments below.
The very best entertaining tip will win a FREE copy of the Pottery Barn-approved book, Baby Showers: Ideas and Recipes For The Perfect Party
Next Saturday I’ll announce the winner and share more projects from this tasteful collection. Now dish, girls!
ABOUT Meredith Merchant_Ships
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Entertaining in your backyard? The key to a nice-looking lawn is a good mower. I recommend one who’s muscular and shirtless.
My favorite thing to do at a baby shower is make sure to include something special to the parents-to-be. Sometimes I’ll display a photo from their wedding or the handmade quilt made by grandma, or even something as simple as coordinating the invitations/decor to match the nursery.
Two of my favorite showers were a spa party where we all got facials and the mommy to be got lots of “goody” gifts to soothe her during those last few weeks of pregnancy and to take to the hospital with her. SHe was having a little girl so we also through in some fun baby bubble baths and lotions. Another was a book shower. We each brought our favorite children’s book as a gift for the baby and the hostesses gave the parents a darling hand-painted (from a yard sale!) bookshelf for the nursery.
For a baby shower for my latest nephew, I decorated the gift table with a large framed picture of the mom and dad to be as babies. Everyone had such fun talking about what cuties the parents were and what the new baby would look like.
At my sister-in-law’s baby shower we gave each guest an index card on which to write a tip for the new parents.
My pearl of wisdom was a reminder that the very worst moments in life are the ones which will eventually make the best stories.
I just had one this past Saturday for my best friend of 25 yrs! She is having her first baby boy! I decided to have it at 2pm between dinner and supper so we could just have cake and snacks. I bought blue and yellow mini muffin cups and filled them with m&m’s (from easter in pastel colors), nuts and had a big milk glass pedastel of mints. We had blue punch with rubber duckies in it. She had a Baby Snoopy theme and to keep it in cost perspective I used yellow/white/blue from the dollar store and added a 1/2 yard of pinked edge snoopy fabric to the table. We played games ate and I passed out a pack of seeds to everyone as they left and told them to think of baby________ as they grew! We had so much fun and was complimented on my table setting. I decorated with pastel puff balls, tissue paper, and bottle shaped confetti. The whole thing cost me about 50 bucks and I hosted 19 people.
Make a diaper cake, tied with wide ribbons but empty of any other decorations. Ask each shower attendee to bring a small note about parenting rolled up and tied as well as a small gift item Under $5 for baby or mom, to add to the diaper cake. Each attendee decorates the cake with their items as they come in the door. At the end of the shower, the mother has diapers, lots of parenting tips and small gifts to take home.
My best friend gave me a luncheon last year after the birth of our seventh child. Because we feel so abundantly blessed and not in need of anything, each guest brought a gift to wrap at the shower and afterwards we donated them all to the local Crisis Pregnancy Center in honor of my baby boy!
It was a delightful celebration of his life and a great way to bless new moms who are really in need.
I like to make sure that the Mom to be has something for a scrapbook or a baby book. So I take some acid free card stock and cut out a design: like baby hands and feet or flowers or something that coordinates with her nursery theme. Then I pass these out and ask each guest to write a note to the baby. If I know the Mom is going to scrapbook, I make some pages for her with the notes. It’s nice to provide the pens or fine tip markers so the colors coordinate since this will be a keepsake.
My favorite shower was for a cousin. It was at my aunt house, but my sister and I arranged it. My aunt has a collection of Federal Glass snack sets. We were never allowed to touch as children. She used those instead of paper plates. We had punch in a small baby tub with duckies floating in it. There was a tiered arrangement of tea sandwiches she made herself. Cucumber, ham salad, and cream cheese with jelly. Another tiered arrangement of lemon bars and sandwich cookies, individual cheese cakes. We had it outside under a maple tree, because my aunt’s house is small. She placed vases of pink tea roses and daisies (from my mother’s yard) in the middle of each table and had votives around them. It was so nice and peaceful. We didn’t play any games. This only cost us about $30. Use what you have. Remember who you’re really there for.
I don’t know how frugal this is, but I love the watermelon fruit basket/basinett (watermellon cut out like a basinett and filled with fruit salad).
Another really fun thing I’ve done is to buy those little tiny plastic pacifiers and baby bottles and freeze them in ice cubes.
I’d love that book!
I like putting baby items on a tray and then writing down as many as I can remember after the tray is taken away. I’d love the Pottery Barn Baby Book for new ideas.
Thanks for entering me!
I cut my hydrangeas and placed each one in a mason jar tied with tulle. Placed on borrowed church tables topped with coordinating fabric tablecloths (one dollar a yard fabric from Walmart) it was backyard chic!
My friends are becoming grandparents so I attend and give lots of baby showers and would love this book. Thanks for the opportunity!
Ruth
I once saw a shower with the “au natural” theme; everything was environmently conscious and eco-friendly. Loved it!
Also, another friend had a shower and gave little teakettles that were actaully kitchen timers… I loved that idea, b/c it reminded us that “something was brewing”…
My sis-in-law threw me the greatest shower. She used baby clothes (onesies, socks and pacifiers)as decorations attached with clothes pins on rope along the walls and I got to keep them! She had fabulous food and the atmosphere was relaxing (exactly what am expectant mother needs) and I had a great time reconnecting with people I hadn’t seen in a long time!
This one’s not about hosting, but at my third son’s baby shower, the hostess passed out permanent markers and diapers (disposable), and had the guests write silly comments on them. My husband and I enjoyed those diapers so much–every time we changed the baby, we would laugh together over each funny comment written on the diaper!
My go-to them isn’t so much a theme, but a “look”. I choose a color and do EVERYTHING in that color and white. Pale blue and white are my favorite. Blue and white china (or paper cups and plates), blue hydrangeas (centerpieces that given away after the party as prizes to those crazy games), a tall white cake with pale blue dots (buttercream looks great in any color!)etc. Some unexpected colors that look beautiful with white are: coral, lavender or periwinkle for spring, aqua, bright turquoise or yellow for summer, deep orange or chocolate brown for fall and all white with thrifted silver dishes and a few black & white items (like polka dotted napkins, etc) are beautiful in the winter! Another secret? Borrow, borrow, borrow. Especially from friends who haunt the thrift stores.
Angela
I have always wanted to host a baby shower decorated with black and white photos of the mother and father, grandparents, aunts, uncles, etc. And I always thought it would be neat to somehow use sweet old or antique or baby clothes to… hang from the chandelier? lamps? Use baby shoes in centerpieces?
An aside– the best advice I ever got at a baby shower was from my aunt who mentioned that when I packed away baby clothes, I should place a newborn diaper in the stack to remind myself of how little my children once were. I’ve done that and we love to pull out that size N and shed a few tears.
make the baby the only “thing” new at the party. ask guests to bring only gently used gifts, nothing new. you would be amazed at how nice gifts still are and how creative people are.
I just recently helped host a couples baby shower for some close friends. We had to have an evening shower and therefor we felt responsible to feed everyone dinner. We choose to buy hot dogs, buns, and chips. We bought this food at Costco (big savings). We pulled other food items from our own pantry, such as relish, mustard, and tea bags. We choose a rubber ducky theme, made home made invitations(they looked professional), homemade cupcakes (with rubber ducky toppers that can be re-used), and rubber ducky punch (with coupons). We decided against a hostess gift because there were only two of us. I choose to make my gift into a rubber ducky table centerpiece. Many of the gift items in the centerpiece were bought with coupons.
Please check out my blog if you would like to see picture of the Rubber Ducky baby shower. http://seekingdelightfulpleasures.blogspot
.com/2008/04/rubber-ducky-baby-shower.html
I just recently helped host a couples baby shower for some close friends. We had to have an evening shower and therefor we felt responsible to feed everyone dinner. We choose to buy hot dogs, buns, and chips. We bought this food at Costco (big savings). We pulled other food items from our own pantry, such as relish, mustard, and tea bags. We choose a rubber ducky theme, made home made invitations(they looked professional), homemade cupcakes (with rubber ducky toppers that can be re-used), and rubber ducky punch (with coupons). We decided against a hostess gift because there were only two of us. I choose to make my gift into a rubber ducky table centerpiece. Many of the gift items in the centerpiece were bought with coupons.
Please check out my blog if you would like to see picture of the Rubber Ducky baby shower. http://seekingdelightfulpleasures.blogspot
.com/2008/04/rubber-ducky-baby-shower.html
I usually do not like the goofy baby games that are played at showers. However, my SIL does and I had to think of something for her shower at my house. I took white paper bags with coordinating tissue and on each bag I painted one letter that spelled out “BABY SPENCER.” In each bag was an item the mom would need for the baby that started with the letter on the bag. For example, Y is for yellow duck, S is for sippy cup. Then everyone at the party had a piece of paper and they wrote their guesses and the most and least right got a prize (candles and stationary). You can see a picture here… http://fosteringcreativity.blogspot.com/2007/08/baby-shower-invitation.html
One of my favorite table displays are small red wagons in which the gifts can be displayed. I’ve found these on clearance at big box stores for $5. I just hosted an office shower for my dh and his collegues, and as we ate there were pictures of celebrities as kids and babies, and each table had to ‘figure’ it out. Fun, yet not a common game that would leave the men sighing!
For my friends baby shower we hung a mini clothesline around the house and guests hung their presents on the line with cute mini clothespins from Ikea (3.98). Their presents were the decorations and the mother came in and just walked around the room looking at all the cute stuff!
It was really adorable! Also saved money on the wrapping paper and the awkward unwrapping the presents in front of everyone for the mom.
When having a babyshower for a mom that already has several children (every baby deserves a party, pregnancy’s hard work!
) have the guests bring a frozen or easy to prepare dinner for the mom to be instead of more uneeded onsies. You’ll send her home with a large cooler or two of dinners. It’s a life saver when you have a brand new baby, no energy and a houseful of hungry people. Don’t forget to warn her ahead of time so she can make room her freezer!
This isn’t a true shower idea per se, but a true incident that occured last year when my daughter gave birth to her first child (my dear little grandson!) six weeks early. She had already had a baby shower, but when the baby came early many people very generously and lovingly gave additional gifts of preemie clothing and diapers which were such a blessing and help at a time when she was hospitalized and recovering from an emergency C-section.
I recently attended a baby shower for a dear friend of mine and we did something so sweet and sentimental, I hope to carry on the idea at the next shower I throw for a friend.
Everyone brought a bead (or two or three) that represents/reminds us either of the mommy-to-be (something reflecting her personality) OR, if you are a mom yourself, a bead(s) that represent a part of motherhood or bit of heartfelt advice. I chose a pink glass heart to remind my friend to love her little son (and TELL him she loved him) daily. Another person gave her a white bead symbolizing her pure and giving heart. It was quite touching; there wasn’t a dry eye.
The beads were strung onto a ribbon and made into a necklace that she could wear during labor.
So neat!
I just finished hosting a baby shower on a budget. The internet if full of great ideas. I scoured Martha Stewart online, and then took those ideas and made it on the cheap! The theme was raspberry and lemon polka dots. We cut circles (actually I had my uncle do this) of different sizes and taped them to the table. I hung up 4 paper lanterns 2 in each color over the punch which had lemon, orange and lime slices in it. I found plastic trays in both colors for $1 a piece and placed food on them.
I had many offers for help with food, and I took it! Don’t say no to help. I planned the menu but assigned the dishes.
For a game, we did shower gift bingo. We chose to do pre-printed cards (pastor’s wife made them up) and the ladies checked off as gifts were open. Showers are all about the celebration of a new life, so just remember to have fun!
You know those fancy word art companies? Where you can buy poetry and phrases in adhesive lettering for your walls? I gave a custom look to my nephew’s “welcome” party (he came too early for my sis-in-law to have a shower, so we just moved the date and the baby came along with her!) by using a computer-printed template to cut the baby’s name and birthdate out of light blue contact paper (a.k.a. shelf liner) I used manicure scissors to make sure the letters were very precise) and put the result on a large area of my wall above my most comfy chair, designated for the new mom. I set up a basinette nearby for the baby to rest – it was near my fireplace which has a wide white surround onto which I placed the words “…and the handsome prince slept”. The theme was fairy tales with an emphasis on the color light blue, but the technique could be used to augment any theme (at a fraction of the cost of the “real” wall word companies).
One of our many church showers included handing out index cards to everyone and asking for helpful “baby tips” (diaper rash treatment, stain removal, favorite freeze ahead recipe, etc), then placing them in a photo album. So many good tid-bits!
Two ideas – if there are any siblings, we ask each person to bring a small wrapped gift to put in a basket for mommy to take home. Makes great entertainment with a new baby around!
A clothesline full of baby clothes instantly turns any room into a shower/party room. Sometimes I use ones that are my gift, other times I use our own stash just for decoration. We hang the string in the large doorway between two rooms.
For the last few baby showers that I’ve done; I’ve gotten a sonogram picture and blew it up and put it behind a really wide white picture frame matt. I’ve place the matt and picture on a table at the shower and had all of the guests sign wishes to the new baby. When the baby arrives I get a new picture and a frame that goes with the nursery and put it together for the mother and it is a nice sentiment for the child’s nursery of all of the love and support they have.
Have a luncheon or tea party with real dishes, candles, linens; serve quiche, muffins, and an icredible dessert with tea; don’t play games, but have the mothers of the new parents share about when the new mom and dad were babies — that can be funny or touching. Once I was at a baby shower when each guest brought a picture of herself as a baby. We all had a piece of paper and tried to guess which picture went with whom. I’d love the book! Thanks for the great ideas!
I have been scouring my brain for a good idea – the only thing that comes to mind is an encouragement jar.
I’ve made these for wedding and baby showers. I sent out small slips of scrapbook paper in fun colors with the invitations and asked each guest to jot a quick note of encouragement, share a Scripture or other piece of wisdom on their slips. And, I asked them to bring them to the shower (naturally I had more available at the shower). Then I had a pretty jar handy and placed everything in the jar.
The new mom now has a Blessing Jar for those moments when being a new mother seems overwhelming. These little snippets can be read in just a few seconds, while nursing or just in passing – but the boost of courage they can offer is worth far more than the small investment of time!
My best advice is work with a team. If people ask how they can help give them a specific assignment: Please bring a large bowl of fruit salad.
I have also dug out my baby stuff to decorate with. When else can you use the 35 crocheted blankets from all your relatives?
Without a doubt, I love to bless a new mom with some meals at a baby shower. In the weeks (or days) leading up to the shower, I scoop off enough for them off of our own meal and put them in those little metal chinese food take-out containers with cardboard lids (from dollar store), then I freeze them and actually wrap them. Its so much fun to see the reaction of the new mother (and the others attending the shower).
Hope this helps someone!
Oh, this is a fantastic post! I’ve recently started a frugal party-planning blog to collect ideas like this. What fantastic baby shower inspirations!
At one of my baby showers, the hostess used toys as decorations–and sent them home with me afterward! I think toys are a great inspiration for a baby shower, whether it is a family heirloom, an Ugly doll, a modern teether, or a wooden wagon. And now, every time my son plays with those toys, I think of that sweet lady who threw me a shower!
If I was throwing a summer baby shower, I would use beach toys as table decorations…put vases of flowers or small plates on upside-down pails, use shovels to serve candy and nuts, and surround the sand-castle molds with floral arrangements or a mini beach scene complete with “moat”. The party will look fun and bright, and the new mom will love the toys when her child gets old enough to enjoy them at the beach!
Baby showers and birthdays are my favorite party planning. I love it!
I am hosting a baby shower this summer for an amazing friend and thank for all the great ideas above, I really love the guessing game with the letters.
We are gearing the party for the mom to be, since it is her second baby. We are both SAHM and love Oprah- my theme for her will be “Mommy’s Favorites”. We will shower my friend with all her favorite foods, flowers and gadgets. There will be plenty of “give away favors” and I am asking each guest to bring a favorite childrens book for the new baby- First, second or even fifth- every amazing little baby deserves a special party before their arrival-