Tips on How to Throw a Baby Shower
Planning a shower for the new arrival can be a complicated task and knowing where to start is half the battle. When planning the party for a friend, coworker or family member, consider a baby shower theme specific to the baby's gender, if known, or if the expectant mother is having twins or even triplets, choose a theme related to multiples. After the theme is chosen, the rest is cake. Does this Spark an idea?
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Invitations
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Create out-of-the-ordinary shower invitations related to the selected theme or in the same color as the preferred decorations. Announce the shower and party details in children's book format. Write the book in a blank word document, add pictures of the expectant family and baby-related clip art, print the book and take it to a printer to have it bound. A more budget-friendly option is to use a three-hole punch and tie decorative ribbon through the holes.
Create invitations from cloth baby diapers by writing the party details such as location, time and RSVP information with a fabric marker onto a cloth diaper. Fold the cloth into a diaper-looking bundle and adhere together with a large safety pin and a pastel blue or pink tag that says "You're Invited!"
Centerpieces
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Many party planners include diaper cakes as table centerpieces for the mother-to-be. Purchase a large case of diapers, roll each and secure with a clear rubber band, stack into a two-tiered cake form and tie decorative ribbon around each tier that matches the colors of the decor. Adorn the centerpiece with various baby items such as washcloths twisted into flowers and secured with rubber bands, baby rattles, booties and small stuffed animals. Another centerpiece option is to stack wooden or large cloth alphabet blocks in the center of the table in the order of the new arrival's name.
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Edible Cakes
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Guests are often served cake at baby showers; including the shower theme into the cake decor completes the overall look. Decorate a two-layer cake with white icing, small round fondant circles appearing as bubbles, edible blue spray on the top and a few rubber ducks. Another cake idea is to create three two-layer cube cakes and decorate them as alphabet blocks with rolled fondant and letter-shaped cookie cutters. Party planners with little time can opt to purchase a ready-made cake from a local bakery or grocery store.
Games, Activities and Favors
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In lieu of pre-making diaper cakes, challenge each table of guests to construct one with various supplies given a time limit. The guests work together and organize among themselves who handles which task in creating a usable shower gift through a game. Creating no-sew quilt squares with lightweight fleece is another activity that involves guests The party planner cuts six-inch fleece squares in various pastel colors, one for each guest. Supply fabric paints or markers for each table and allow the party-goers to decorate and sign a quilt square. Cut tabs on all sides of each square and tie the strands together to make a baby quilt for the new arrival.
Give each guest an umbrella as a shower favor with a decorative gift tag attached to the handle. Umbrellas can be purchased at discount stores for a nominal fee. When the budget does not allow for individual gifts for each guest, bake a family-favorite cookie recipe and enclose a few treats in baby-themed bags or boxes tied with a colorful ribbon.
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References
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