When it comes to creating simple baby shower party favors, keep in mind who is on your guest list. An idea that may be appropriate for a girls-only shower may not be right for a couples shower or one at work. Here are a few simple ideas to get you started.
Candy
Candy is a simple baby shower party favor that is sure to be enjoyed by all of your guests. This type of party favor works well for couples showers. You can buy candy bars and print a wrapper for them or have one printed that is in keeping with the theme and has the baby’s due date on it. You can get simple mesh bags and put chocolate candies or jellybeans in them. This can work especially well if you know the gender of the baby so you can get pink bags and pink candies for a girl and blue ones for a boy.
Soaps or Lotions
If you are hosting a shower with just women guests, sweet smelling soaps or lotions make a simple but fun party favor. Since not everyone likes the same smells, pick a soap or lotion that is not too overpowering and pick a fairly neutral smell that most women enjoy like a subtle vanilla or floral scent. You can personalize the gift by putting a label around it with the baby’s due date and a design that reflects the theme.
Thursday, December 15, 2011
Thursday, December 8, 2011
Crafty Ideas for Custom Baby Shower Invitations
If you enjoy being creative with crafts, creating your own custom baby shower invitations is a fun and exciting challenge. There are many different kinds of crafts you can do to make unique invitations. Here are a couple for you to try.
Using Beads
You can use beads in a variety of ways to make unique custom baby shower invitations. You could send beads and a piece of string in a box to each person on your guest list. Ask them to string the beads together and bring it as a bracelet for the mom-to-be. Or you can ask them to write a piece of advice for the mom-to-be for each bead and to bring the advice and beads to the party. At the party, you can make an advice necklace for the mom-to-be. You can also glue beads onto cardstock to create a design. On this one, you’re only limited by your imagination. You could create the outline of a baby out of beads or you could make the outline of a rubber duck with yellow beads.
Using Flowers
You can glue small plastic flowers to cardstock to create the front of the invitation. You’ll need a padded envelope and extra postage to mail these. Be sure to use a craft glue or hot glue gun that will make the flowers stick well to the cardstock. Dried flowers that have been laminated also make a beautiful cover for an invitation.
Using Beads
You can use beads in a variety of ways to make unique custom baby shower invitations. You could send beads and a piece of string in a box to each person on your guest list. Ask them to string the beads together and bring it as a bracelet for the mom-to-be. Or you can ask them to write a piece of advice for the mom-to-be for each bead and to bring the advice and beads to the party. At the party, you can make an advice necklace for the mom-to-be. You can also glue beads onto cardstock to create a design. On this one, you’re only limited by your imagination. You could create the outline of a baby out of beads or you could make the outline of a rubber duck with yellow beads.
Using Flowers
You can glue small plastic flowers to cardstock to create the front of the invitation. You’ll need a padded envelope and extra postage to mail these. Be sure to use a craft glue or hot glue gun that will make the flowers stick well to the cardstock. Dried flowers that have been laminated also make a beautiful cover for an invitation.
Friday, December 2, 2011
Ways to Use Your Theme for Baby Shower Menus
Using your theme throughout the shower, even with baby shower menus adds a more festive flair to the shower. No matter what your theme is, there are ways to make foods that fit with it.
Using Theme Shapes
One way you can do this is by using shapes related to your shower theme when making or serving the food. For example, if your shower theme is butterfly related, you can make the vegetables on the vegetable tray create the shape of a butterfly. Using a butterfly shaped cookie cutter, you can also cut butterfly shapes out of slices of cheese.
Using Theme Colors
Use the colors for your theme in the foods that you prepare. This will be easier for some themes than others. If your theme is baby boy, you will find a tough time finding naturally blue foods. Keep in mind that food coloring can be added to many things to change the color. You can also use foods that have complimentary colors. In the case of blue, having green and yellow items for your baby shower menus works out well. Just be sure to use those colors in your decorations as well.
Matching the Theme
In some cases, the menu choices will be obvious like with a tea party theme. Tea, cookies, and finger sandwiches are perfect matches for this theme. If the theme is sports related, tailgating type food items would be a good match.
Using Theme Shapes
One way you can do this is by using shapes related to your shower theme when making or serving the food. For example, if your shower theme is butterfly related, you can make the vegetables on the vegetable tray create the shape of a butterfly. Using a butterfly shaped cookie cutter, you can also cut butterfly shapes out of slices of cheese.
Using Theme Colors
Use the colors for your theme in the foods that you prepare. This will be easier for some themes than others. If your theme is baby boy, you will find a tough time finding naturally blue foods. Keep in mind that food coloring can be added to many things to change the color. You can also use foods that have complimentary colors. In the case of blue, having green and yellow items for your baby shower menus works out well. Just be sure to use those colors in your decorations as well.
Matching the Theme
In some cases, the menu choices will be obvious like with a tea party theme. Tea, cookies, and finger sandwiches are perfect matches for this theme. If the theme is sports related, tailgating type food items would be a good match.
Friday, November 25, 2011
Baby Shower Game Ideas: Planning
There are several factors to consider when planning baby shower game ideas. Use your judgment to make sure that you create an enjoyable experience for all of your guests.
Length of the Baby Shower Game
There is a limited amount of time at a baby shower to get everything done. If you are renting a space or having it at a restaurant, this is especially true since they will typically charge you by the hour for the room space. You need to plan time for guests to mingle, food, and gift opening in addition to any games you plan. If you know that you are going to be short on time, opt for a game that can be played throughout the shower like baby word scrambles or one that can be done during the gift giving like baby gift bingo.
The Guest List
If many of the guests on the list do not know each other, stay away from games that could be considered embarrassing or that make people interact heavily with people they don’t know. If you have a group of good friends that know each other well, you have a wider selection of games to choose from. Know who is on your guest list before you plan baby shower game ideas and make it a point to understand how well everyone on the guest list knows each other.
Length of the Baby Shower Game
There is a limited amount of time at a baby shower to get everything done. If you are renting a space or having it at a restaurant, this is especially true since they will typically charge you by the hour for the room space. You need to plan time for guests to mingle, food, and gift opening in addition to any games you plan. If you know that you are going to be short on time, opt for a game that can be played throughout the shower like baby word scrambles or one that can be done during the gift giving like baby gift bingo.
The Guest List
If many of the guests on the list do not know each other, stay away from games that could be considered embarrassing or that make people interact heavily with people they don’t know. If you have a group of good friends that know each other well, you have a wider selection of games to choose from. Know who is on your guest list before you plan baby shower game ideas and make it a point to understand how well everyone on the guest list knows each other.
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Thank Yous for Baby Showers
Some people say that thank yous for baby showers are not necessary. As a matter of courtesy, it is important for the mom-to-be to send thank you cards to everyone who attended her baby shower. There are very few cases where this nicety is not necessary.
Ways to Make It Easier
Have the thank you envelopes at the baby shower and ask guest to write their address on the envelopes. This will help eliminate the need to try to hunt down addresses later. Ask someone at the shower to help the mom-to-be by writing down who gave each gift. You can do this with just a pen and pad of paper or you can write in the cards what that person gave. Having a list of the names of the guests will make it easier for the person writing.
When It Is Not Necessary
If the mother-to-be is in the hospital because of pregnancy complications and the shower is being held there, thanking the guests at the shower is appropriate and guests should understand if they do not get a thank you card. If the shower is just a small intimate gathering of family and friends, a verbal thank you at the shower or one over email is fine. It is still nice to send a card but these are all people that know the mom-to-be well and talk to her frequently.
Ways to Make It Easier
Have the thank you envelopes at the baby shower and ask guest to write their address on the envelopes. This will help eliminate the need to try to hunt down addresses later. Ask someone at the shower to help the mom-to-be by writing down who gave each gift. You can do this with just a pen and pad of paper or you can write in the cards what that person gave. Having a list of the names of the guests will make it easier for the person writing.
When It Is Not Necessary
If the mother-to-be is in the hospital because of pregnancy complications and the shower is being held there, thanking the guests at the shower is appropriate and guests should understand if they do not get a thank you card. If the shower is just a small intimate gathering of family and friends, a verbal thank you at the shower or one over email is fine. It is still nice to send a card but these are all people that know the mom-to-be well and talk to her frequently.
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Baby Shower Cake Ideas for Boys
If you know that the mom-to-be is having a boy, having a boy-based theme makes for fun and easy shower planning. But finding unique baby shower cake ideas for boys can be more challenging.
Using Blue Creatively
While blue is typically a color used on most boy-based baby shower cakes, you can use the color creatively to make your cake stand out. Trying using different shades of blue frosting on the cake: a light blue for base color of the cake, navy blue for the lettering, and varying shades of blue for whatever design you put on it. If you prefer a cake topper to a design, be sure to get something that is mostly blue like blue baby shoes or a blue rattle.
Make the Cake Blue
To add a fun surprise to the cake, try making the cake itself blue. Either make a white cake or buy a white cake mix and add blue paste food coloring to the batter before baking. To make the blue cake a surprise, frost it with white frosting and decorate it. If you are looking for a dark blue color, add a touch of violet food paste coloring as well. If you use regular liquid food coloring, the cake will likely turn out to be more of a greenish-blue color.
Using Blue Creatively
While blue is typically a color used on most boy-based baby shower cakes, you can use the color creatively to make your cake stand out. Trying using different shades of blue frosting on the cake: a light blue for base color of the cake, navy blue for the lettering, and varying shades of blue for whatever design you put on it. If you prefer a cake topper to a design, be sure to get something that is mostly blue like blue baby shoes or a blue rattle.
Make the Cake Blue
To add a fun surprise to the cake, try making the cake itself blue. Either make a white cake or buy a white cake mix and add blue paste food coloring to the batter before baking. To make the blue cake a surprise, frost it with white frosting and decorate it. If you are looking for a dark blue color, add a touch of violet food paste coloring as well. If you use regular liquid food coloring, the cake will likely turn out to be more of a greenish-blue color.
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Easy Themes for Baby Showers
There are as many themes for baby showers out there as there are mothers-to-be. If you’re crunched for time or simply need an easy theme that won’t take too long to put together, here are some simple ones that you can get done in no time at all.
Girl or Boy Theme
One of the most common and most popular is to simply have a theme based around the gender of the baby. If the parents-to-be know what the sex of the baby is going to be, it can be fun and easy to make a pink or blue based theme. There are plenty of decorations and invitations you can choose from based on this theme. It can also make it easier for the guests to pick out a present since many items are boy or girl based.
Animal Based Themes
Monkey, rubber ducky, and teddy bears are all fun animal based themes that can work for any shower. You should be able to find invitations and decorations for any of these themes although you might need to look in the kids birthday section of your local party supply store. Any of these can also be customized for a boy or girl with a few touches of pink or blue.
Season Based Themes
A baby shower theme based around the season that the baby is born in makes for simple planning and preparation. It is simple enough to find fall decorations and cards almost anywhere at this time of year. Autumn leaves, pumpkins, and apples would all make simple decorations and can be made into more of a baby theme by adding baby items like pacifiers, rattles, and bottles.
Girl or Boy Theme
One of the most common and most popular is to simply have a theme based around the gender of the baby. If the parents-to-be know what the sex of the baby is going to be, it can be fun and easy to make a pink or blue based theme. There are plenty of decorations and invitations you can choose from based on this theme. It can also make it easier for the guests to pick out a present since many items are boy or girl based.
Animal Based Themes
Monkey, rubber ducky, and teddy bears are all fun animal based themes that can work for any shower. You should be able to find invitations and decorations for any of these themes although you might need to look in the kids birthday section of your local party supply store. Any of these can also be customized for a boy or girl with a few touches of pink or blue.
Season Based Themes
A baby shower theme based around the season that the baby is born in makes for simple planning and preparation. It is simple enough to find fall decorations and cards almost anywhere at this time of year. Autumn leaves, pumpkins, and apples would all make simple decorations and can be made into more of a baby theme by adding baby items like pacifiers, rattles, and bottles.
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