I adore babies and kids...but I'll be the first to admit when I get an invitation to a baby shower, I cringe and try to think of any excuse to get out of going. That's because all of the baby showers I've attended have been pretty much the same. Same food, same games, same generic gender reveals, same everything.
It's rather like being in Bill Murray's shoes in the movie Groundhog Day. If the fetus sees its shadow, it'll be another year of cookie cutter baby showers.
Invitations
I learned how to make pop up cards during a scrapbooking class and have practiced it enough now that I can make more complicated pop up's like the one below from Amazon.
If you want to try your hand at pop up cards, here's a tutorial of easier ones to make to get you started.
However, I don't make the traditional pink for girl, blue for boy. I used purples, greens, yellows...anything but the overdone blue or pink. If I knew what colors/theme the nursery was in, I'd make the card accordingly to match the nursery.
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If you don't want the challenge of making a standup card, here's an easy invitation.
If you're a bit of an artist and can freehand draw the stork, go ahead. If not, here's a stencil.
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You'll need:
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White computer printer cardboard stock
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Craft paint or markers
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A small square of fabric for the stork's bag
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Craft white feathers (small)
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Glue gun and craft stick glue (both)
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Scissors
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Optional - craft mini babies
Draw or using your stencil, make the stork on the white cardboard stock and cut it out. Cut open the portion of the beak that holds the baby bag.
(You're going to thread the fabric through it to make it look like the stork is holding the bag.)
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Using your craft paint or markers, color the stork's beak, legs and eye. Let dry.
Take a 2nd sheet of white cardboard stock and fold it in half to form a card. Using your craft glue stick, glue the stork to the front of your card EXCEPT FOR THE BEAK! Leave the beak unglued.
Using small dots of hot glue, glue white feathers on to form the stork wing and tail.
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If you're using a plastic mini baby, lay it on your fabric square, then fold it up in the square so it looks like your baby is in the stork bag. (If you don't want to use the mini plastic baby, you can just draw and color the baby on the cardboard stock.) You want your fabric square big enough that it can be knotted at the top or tied with a thin string at the top once the baby is in it.
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Thread the top of the bag through the stork's beak so it looks like the stork is carrying the bag. Glue it down with a small bead of hot glue. Do the same with as much of the beak as you reasonably can. I glued the very tips of the stork's beak right to the fabric to keep the beak tips from accidentally getting ripped off.
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Write your party information on the inside of the card.
Staging
These days people throwing showers are moving toward more gender neutral colors and away from the pink for girl, blue for boy thing except for gender reveals. Hallelujah!
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For one of the showers I threw I used simple sheer draping, some balloons, baby blocks I made out of cardboard boxes and painted, a couple of diaper flower arrangements and a teddy bear.
For this shower, again I used simple draping with greenery over the rod, a balloon arch, an 'It's a boy!" flag
and I made an airplane table out of plywood.
Here's a tutorial on making a cardboard plane table. Just be sure you use very sturdy corrugated cardboard!
Below: I rebuilt a wedding arch I'd made previously. The balloon arch moon idea I saw on Pinterest, I loved the teddy bear on the swing so replicated it. The moon and clouds are made out of styrene and painted white but you could make them out of styrofoam.
If you've made a faux fireplace previously, pull it out! Hang a clothesline of onsies across the front of it that can be used in an activity later.
Make a bootie tree that can also be used as a table centerpiece. I added some pacifiers to mine in addition to the booties to give it a little more color.
Make a cute hot air balloon decoration...
Get an old suitcase and jazz it up to use not only as a decoration but a baby keepsake box for mom!
Food/Menu
Snacks, finger foods, brunch, luncheon...decide which works best for your baby shower.
CHARCUTERIE CUPS - Fill them with meats, cheeses, veggies, pretzel rods, whatever strikes your fancy.
You can get the containers here
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HAM & CHEESE ROLLUPS - This one is a crowd stopper, and not much effort needed to make these little babies. Click here for the recipe.
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CHEESE & PEPPERONI PIZZA BOMBS - Flavorful, pepperoni & cheese pizza bombs. Easy to make too. Here’s the complete recipe.
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GRAPE JELLY MEATBALLS - This is a super easy, 4 ingredient recipe that you prepare in the slow cooker.
Click here for the complete recipe.
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CHICKEN & WAFFLES SLIDERS - A brunch crowd pleaser. Find the full and complete recipe here.
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CHICKEN SALAD WONTON CUPS - This one may seem a bit fancy but it’s actually an easy baby shower food because you simply pop your premade wonton wrappers into a muffin tin, fill it with chicken salad, and bake. Click here for the full recipe.
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VEGGIE TRAY - A simple veggie tray dressed up with a baby doll.
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CHEESE BALL RATTLE - This is a classic cheese ball but you can make any kind of cheeseball you think your guests will like.
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DEVILED EGG BABY CARRIAGE -
Admittedly, devilled eggs are a lot of work but they’re so adorable as baby shower appetizers.
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Use your favorite deviled eggs recipe;
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Cut petite dill pickles to create the stroller/ carriage wheels. Attach them to the “carriage” with toothpicks;
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Cut hot dogs/ Vienna sausages to create the baby faces;
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Use an edible marker to create the little faces on the cut hot dogs.
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FRUIT BABY CARRIAGE
DRINKS - Add a touch of whimsy to your drinks by floating rubber ducks in them. Get mini ducks here
Photo credit: Domestically Blissful
EXPECTANT MOTHER READY TO POP FAVORS
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Tell your guests "Thanks for popping by" with these cute party favors.
You can get the small jars here
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Tag - free watercolor flower art set by Snehu
Tablescapes
There are so many different themes for baby showers it would take me forever to show you tablescapes for all of them - boy, girl, boho, chic, woodland, teddy bear, Winnie the Pooh...
Your tablescape will depend on the theme of your baby shower.
Rather than try to cover an impossible number of different themes, I'll leave you with this article by Darling Creations on how to create the perfect tablescape.
Activities
DIAPER RAFFLE
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How it works:
You include details for participating in the diaper raffle when you give/send out invitations.
You could either include a separate card with the full instructions that can also be the ticket or you could just write it in at the bottom of your invitation and use raffle tickets.
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Your guests have an option of entering into a lottery for a GRAND PRIZE (make it grand!) if they bring a pack of diapers or wipes to your shower.
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Once all the diapers have been collected, you can pick out a winner for the prize.
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A super simple baby shower idea that is so worth it for the mom-to-be!
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BRING A BOOK INSTEAD OF A CARD
Many shower guests bring greeting cards but suggest in lieu of a card they bring a children's book.
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While cards have sentimental value, a book with a personal message written inside holds even more sentimental value that is kept for years, And what mom isn't going to be reading her child stories?
Photo credit: DIY Sweetheart
DIAPER MESSAGES
New parents are generally so sleep deprived...
then to have to get up several times a night because the baby is hungry or needs a diaper change.
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Have guests write humorous messages to mom and dad on those diapers they'll be changing in the middle of those exhausting, lonely nights.
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Set up a signing station with a sign giving your guests instructions, like the one at left and leave a couple fine tipped Sharpies to write their messages with.
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Some sample messages:
WEAPON OF MASS DESTRUCTION
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CAUTION: CONTENTS UNDER PRESSURE
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3 A.M. PARTY IN MY CRIB, BE THERE!
(I'M NOT ASKING)
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THIS ONE IS FOR DAD!
DO AWAY WITH THE GUESTBOOK
Rather than have your guests sign the typical guestbook, get a large wall letter of your baby's initial and have guests sign that.
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After the party you can hang it in the nursery as wall decor.
If you don't want the signatures showing when you hang it, then have guests sign the BACK of the letter and you'll still have it as a momento.
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You can also have guests sign a onesie or an
ultrasound sonogram and frame it.
DECORATE A ONESIE
What You’ll Need:
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Fabric Pens/Paint w/ Stencils OR Iron-On Patches (These are really cute!)
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A Table Covering You Don’t Mind Getting Messy or Thick Cloth to Iron-On (depends on which decorating option you choose to go with)
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An Instruction Sign
How It Works:
Create an activity area that matches your theme on a separate table
If you’re going with the fabric paint you might want to consider covering it up with a table covering that you don’t mind getting a little dirty.
If you choose to go with iron-on patches, try to get a thick cloth that you don’t mind ironing over!
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Since freestyle fabric painting tends to be a lot more messier and, let’s be honest, less appealing, you should definitely consider having stencils!
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You will need to have some sort of sign explaining to your guests how the activity works.
You could either write it on a chalkboard or print it out and hang it up or frame it, it’s totally up to you!
Additionally, you might also want to consider investing in some twine and clothespins so that your guests could hang up the onesies once they’re finished decorating them.
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Oh, and don’t forget about the onesie decorating materials! Lay them out or bundle them up into holders, that’s up to you.
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Try to have some chairs nearby so that your guests are comfortable while they decorate. I found a long banquet table with chairs works best.
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Blend this station into your baby shower theme and you’re set for both a beautiful display and an awesome activity that both you and your guests will always cherish.
MAKE A SHOWER KEEPSAKE BOOK
This seems to be the moms-to-be favorite at any shower I've done it at.
You can purchase baby shower keepsake books or have guests make their own.
Be sure to order or make some baby predictions and advice cards, moms love these and they're a great addition to the keepsake book.
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You can buy some scrapbooking materials or you can make your own embellishments. I always do a combination of the two as it's more cost effective. I'll use greeting cards that I've cut sayings or illustrations from, fabric scraps to make pennants, blank retail tags that I'll decorate myself, embroidery patches, extra card envelopes, construction paper, etc.
You'll need:
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A blank keepsake book, bound
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Scissors - enough for all guests
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Xacto knives
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Rulers
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Hot glue guns and craft glue sticks
- Pens and markers of different colors
- Colored index cards
- Kraft tags with strings
- Fabric scraps
- Spare envelopes to make pockets
- Stickers consistent with baby theme
Optional:
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Scissors with different decorative edges
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Polaroid camera to take photos of guests with mom-to-be and plenty of film
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Photo corners
It's best to set up a large crafting table to make the keepsake book.