Latest Baby Shower Ideas

A baby shower is a milestone event for expectant parents , friends and family .

Here's some easy and elegant baby shower ideas that will help you plan a great event and ease your planning headache.

Who should arrange the baby shower ?

It's popular for a group of friends to arrange the shower

Who should host the baby shower ?

One of the expectant mom's best friends, as long as she is local and is happy to hold it in her home.

When and where to throw the baby shower ?

You can have the shower just about anywhere - someone's home, or you could use a local hall or church building.

Showers are usually held about a month or two months before the baby is due.  This gives the mom-to-be plenty of time to ensure that she has everything ready for the baby's arrival and helps to ensure that the baby is unlikely to arrive in the midst of the new mom's baby shower !

For couples that are adopting, it can be a lovely idea to throw an adoption shower to welcome the adopted children and to make the new mommy feel extra special.

Baby Shower Ideas  

When someone you are close to is having a baby, it is time to celebrate with a shower!

Showers are more than a fun ladies’ get together – it’s often a time for the mother-to-be to obtain some of the necessities she will need for Baby.

Be sure to talk to your pregnant friend before you go ahead and plan the shower – she might have some strong ideas about what she wants and what she doesn’t want! If you’re the lucky friend who has volunteered (or been asked!) to coordinate the shower, have fun planning with these ideas! 

Theme It! 

Adding a special theme to your baby shower will make it a day to remember.  If you know if the baby is a boy or a girl, this makes it even easier!  Or, maybe you know the mother is decorating the nursery in a particular way, such as stripes or Winnie the Pooh. 

Go with this theme, and all the gifts will match! Add the theme in other areas as well, such as on the invitations, the cake, and the decorations.

If you’re not sure if it’s a boy or a girl, choose a gender neutral theme such as “All White.” A music theme is also a great option! Give baby CDs as gifts, and serve cupcakes with musical notes as decorations!

What are the latest popular themes ?

It can really help if you know if the baby is a boy or a girl at this stage of planning. Also, if you know the decor of the nursery, you may be able to choose a theme to link in.

It's easy to have a simple theme without too much expense - a few patterned or colored balloons, adding toning tableware & decorations, napkins, plates and flowers - just link in the colors with a few themed items and you'll be surprised how well it all pulls together.

Some popular themes include:-

• diapers
• tweety bird
• pink for a girl
• nautical
• baby ducks
• baseball
• blue for a boy
• ladybugs
• angel
• teddy bear or winnie-the-pooh
• disney
• care bears
• safari
• clothes line
• twins

It's a good idea to try and buy as much as you can at one time - matching the invitations and thank you cards , and adding toning decorations and accessories.

For some great inspiration, check out baby-shower.com for their reader suggested themes.

Send Invitations

Checking the mail can be awfully dull when all you receive are bills, bills, and more bills! Give your guests a little sneak preview by sending out real invitations through the post!

Make sure you have all the information right, and include a map if necessary. Dress up your envelopes by decorating them with stickers that match your theme. If you don’t have access to everyone’s snail mail address, an email invite will do the trick in a pinch.  

You may have a good idea of who you want to invite as guests , it may be as well to check with the mom-to-be to ensure that you haven't missed off anyone important from your list . 

Using a social networking site can really help - set the event up on sites such as Facebook or Friends Reunited, as this can help you link in with, locate and invite the moms friends. 

Do invite women of all ages - either those who already have children, but also any young women in the community that you think might enjoy an evening of games and fun. 

Yummy Mummy 

Be sure to serve food that your pregnant pal can enjoy too!  Yes – this means no sushi, no soft cheese, and no champagne! 

Consider implementing a theme to your food choice, such as a chocolate party, or a fancy coffee bar.  Cupcakes are always a popular choice for baby showers. Cakes that feature a photograph are also a fun addition to any shower. 

Coordinate Gifts 

Instead of everyone bringing a little something, you might want to consider pitching in to purchase one large gift, such as a stroller or a diaper service. 

Check if the new mother has registered anywhere for baby gifts as this is becoming an increasingly popular practice.  Or, think of a theme for the gifts, so everything will match!

You might also choose to reflect the mother’s personality in your theme, such as giving only eco-friendly gifts. If its baby #2, or if Mom already has everything she needs, consider chipping in to send her to a spa treatment – many spas offer “Pampered Pregnancy” packages.

If budgets are tight, consider giving homemade coupons as gifts – there’s nothing more valuable to a new mom than having someone else cook dinner or clean the house! 

Newborn Baby Shower Gift Ideas

Since the idea of this event is to literally shower the new mom with presents - this is an area not to leave until the last minute, if possible.

One way of making it easy for everyone to bring small or simple gifts but not be embarrassed , is to make the giving of gifts anonymous. Have a basket where people can place their gifts as they arrrive, and then enjoy the mother to be opening them with delight .

If it's a second time mum, perhaps buying gifts for the mother herself may be more appropriate - some beauty treats, candles to relax in the bath, a few soaps, some small gifts that she will enjoy.

If you know whether it's a boy or a girl, buying something in the right color, purchasing small items such as a bib, bootees or a babygro are a lovely gesture , without you needing to know the taste of the mom in question.

Play Games

There are so many fun games to play at baby showers! Have fun playing ‘Pin the Baby on the Mommy,” an adjusted version of Pin the Tail on the Donkey! Guess the size of Mommy’s belly. Or, have everyone bring a baby picture of themselves and play “Guess the baby.” For something really memorable, give everyone a piece of paper where they can write some words of advice to the new mother!

Some games centre around advice giving for the new mom - writing suggestions on teddy bear or baby shaped coloured paper, which can then be made into a keepsake scrapbook can be something for a mother to treasure and dig out at appropriate moments!

She’ll take home more than a few gifts – she’ll go home with advice on how to be a mommy! 

After The Shower... 

Be sure to take lots of fun photographs during the event! 

You can then make a photo book, a framed keepsake, or a collage for your friend – it’s a gift she’ll treasure forever!

Offer to help your friend with the thank you cards, as she’ll likely have loads to do in the weeks leading up to her birth.

Recommended Resources

How to make a gift basket - a great unique gift that you can create in your own home