Baby Shower Decoration on a Budget

When there is a new baby expected to join a family, the parents have so much planning and purchasing to do that the list seems to be never ending. There is so much to buy, especially if there is not an older brother or sister who has some things to pass down.

There is the purchase of a crib, changing table, clothes, diapers, wipes, formula, and such. And that is just a few items; there are other essentials that no one seems to remember until the baby arrives.

If you are hosting the baby shower for the couple and are on a budget, that is completely understandable and nothing to be ashamed of. Baby shower decorations done on a budget can be a little harder than if the sky is the limit, but they are far from impossible. There are so many adorable things for sale in craft and baby stores that it can be hard to pass them up. But you need to stick to a plan in order to accomplish baby shower decorations on a budget.

Where to Shop

When most people think of baby shower decorations on a budget they think that it must mean a party with no fun or color but that is just simply not the case. Start by thinking about the games you will want to play and start looking up all the different kinds that can be played at a shower. Pick the ones that require items that are cheap to purchase such as toilet paper, which is used to wrap around the mommy to be. Also, think about party favors at this time too and come up with creative ways to express your thanks.

Now, with the rest of the baby shower decoration, such as balloons and streamers, do not go where everyone else goes. Everyone always heads out to the nearest party store and can be great for someone who has an unlimited budget but certain things there can be overpriced. For balloons that will be used in your baby shower decoration plan, you can purchase packs of twenty pink or blue balloons at a department store for the price you would pay for four balloons at a party store. And when bringing streamers into your baby shower decoration plan, the same applies there as well. It may take you a little more time to coordinate all the plans, but it will be definitely worth it.

Baby Shower Cake Creativity

The cake at a baby shower can be simple; planned to be served as the dessert, or it can be a major decorating feature of the party. It can be as simple as a sheet cake bought at the local grocery store or bakery and maybe have "Welcome baby" written on top, or it can be something much, much, more.

Creative Baby Shower Cakes

The secret behind a creative baby shower cake is to get a good idea. There are many clever ideas online. Some of them tie the cake directly to the theme, such as "Noah's Ark", or "Baby Animals". Others are just plain cute cakes, like ones that are of baby booties or a baby face. Go online, look at some of the creative cakes out there and see if you can replicate them – with your own creative twist!

A few of the cute ideas that are used as themes and/or baby shower cakes now-a-days are: baby ducks, Noah's Ark (especially for twins!), pink or blue – or "It's a boy!" or "It's a girl!" (depending on expected baby's sex), sports (for baby boys), princess (for baby girls), baby animals, or baby books (to start the baby's library with the guests' favorite books for babies). Cakes can be easily designed around any of these themes.

The Non-Edible "Baby Shower Cake" – A Diaper Cake

Something that is quite popular now-a-days is to make a "cake" out of disposable diapers. Not only is it clever and creative, but it also works as another gift for the mother-to-be, as the diapers can all be used later.

Even mothers who prefer to use cloth diapers on a regular basis welcome some disposable diapers for times they are on vacation or unexpected emergencies. Alternately, the cake can be made using cloth diapers – which the mother-to-be would probably welcome just as much! (Beware; they are more expensive to buy than the disposables, so the cake would probably be smaller.)

The "diaper cake" is made up of rolled disposable diapers. The top layer can have six, the middle layer about 15, and the base layer about 30. Each layer is secured by rubber bands, which are later covered by ribbon. Gifts can be hidden in the middle of each layer if desired. The bottom layer is put onto the cardboard for a stable base. Each layer is stacked, and wooden dowels are used from top to bottom to secure each layer on top of the other. The whole cake can be wrapped in cellophane to transport. It is a wonderful way to present the mother with a usable gift in a decorative fashion – as a baby shower cake!

Getting the Right Baby Shower Cards

When planning a baby shower it is important that you get the right cards for the occasion as most people end up forgetting them until the last moment! The main two types of baby shower cards that you will need are the invitations of course and also the thank you notes. While this may seem like common sense, the thank you cards are the most forgotten things when purchasing things for a baby shower. So by making sure that you are ahead of the game you will not be rushing out to find cards later and settling on something you do not like.

Baby shower cards are important as they express the importance of someone coming to your event and also they can show how much you truly appreciate them once it was all said and done. You do not want people thinking you took their gift and ran and that you truly were happy to have them there, no matter what gift, if any, they brought to the baby shower. It is also true that the design and style of baby shower cards you select tells a lot about your personality and what type of event they can expect.

Designs and Styles

One would think that baby shower cards are all alike but they could not be further from the truth. Baby shower cards are a way to express yourself above and beyond being invited to a party. You do not have to blow your budget on the baby shower cards themselves just because you want to impress people. There is no reason to spend a couple of hundred dollars on invitations and thank you cards if the party is just going to be a casual event held within your living room as that is where most people end up having their party.

In fact, you do not have to spend much money at all on baby shower cards as you can create something at home on a computer and have them turn out quite nice. You can create and come up with something yourself or use can search the Internet for baby shower cards and templates that can be used to create something pretty impressive. Some of the templates for baby shower cards are so impressive that people will have a hard time believing you did it yourself. Take your time in deciding which way to go and before you know it you will have some fabulous looking baby shower cards to give your guests.

Baby Shower Special Invitations

Choosing the Baby Shower Invitations

When you're going to host a shower, one of the first things you need to do is choose the baby shower invitations you will send out to the invited guests. You want the invitations to adequately set the style and mood for the party. The baby shower invitations will be the guests' first exposure to what the party will be, and can help them get excited about attending.

Variety of Baby Shower Invitations

There are a very wide variety of baby shower invitations available today. In the past, most people would go to their local drug store and buy a packet of invitations (8 cards, 8 envelopes) that were "cute" or "nice", and were the right gender for the expected baby. The choices were very limited. Now, invitations are available over the internet in such a wide variety of options – almost anything you could want.

If you don't like the ones made by a company and available to purchase online or in stores, you can make them yourself! Making your own invitations is now a very popular thing to do. It is a way to be creative and personal, and end up with the baby shower invitations just as you imagined them. Using velum, ribbon, rivets, laser text, pictures --- you name it, the products are now available at many craft or scrapbooking stores. And taking the time to make them does not need to be a burden - Why not make it a party for the co-hosts to make the invitations?

Baby Shower Invitations Go With a Theme – Or Not

Baby shower invitations can go with the theme of the party, if the theme is chosen ahead. If not, it is okay to send out "baby" themed invitations, such as shaped as a baby bib, or baby blocks, or a stork. These things "shout" baby shower and are always acceptable.

On the other hand, it can make the shower a lot of fun if there is an overriding theme to the party. Themes tie the various pieces of the party together. Some cute themes that are popular now are Noah's Ark, Winnie-the-Pooh, Baby Animals, "It's a Boy!", or "It's a Girl!"

Baby Shower Invitation Do's and Don'ts

Send the invitations out about four weeks ahead of the event. That gives the guests plenty of time to plan ahead. Basics to include on the invitation are the name of the mother-to-be and baby (if named), date, time, place, and an RSVP date and phone number (specify who is hosting the party!). If the party is going to be a surprise, but sure to put that on the invitation too, so that no one accidentally tells the mother-to-be! If she is registered at any baby stores, it would be good to include that information.

The baby shower invitations are a great way to not only let the guests know about the upcoming party, but to also get them excited about attending and celebrating the birth of a new baby.

Ideas for Your Lovely Baby Shower

Baby Shower Ideas to Consider
It used to be that a baby shower was a mostly stiff and formal affair, for just the mother-to-be and her closest female relatives, who drank tea and exchanged parenting tips. While some of that is still the same – we still love to give parenting tips - there are many creative ideas for baby showers now!

Creative Baby Shower Ideas
One big change to the baby shower “etiquette” is whether or not to invite male guests. In many circles, now couples are invited to a shower together. While the girls can’t be quite as “giggly” and “girly” as when just the women at the party, the guys can add a fun dynamic to the event.

One baby shower idea for a couples shower is to divide the games along gender lines, with the men and women on opposite teams. It would also work to have games designed around sports themes, such as “changing a baby while watching football on TV” or “quickly changing baby’s clothes”. While many men are wonderful at changing diapers and dressing a baby, it is definitely a skill that men acquire – most are not born with it, and don’t mind playing with it a bit.

Another creative baby shower idea is for the mother-to-be who likes crafts or scrapbooking. The host can plan a craft party or scrapbooking party. If the guests create scrapbooking pages that the mother can later add photos to, or if they complete a creative project that the mother-to-be wanted done (maybe decorating the baby’s playroom or making a quilt for the baby), the mother-to-be would appreciate it.

Additional Successful Baby Shower Ideas
A few things that are good to keep in mind while planning a baby shower include having a comfortable seat chosen for the mother-to-be to sit in. She’ll want one where she can be the “star of the show” and everyone can see her open presents, but also one that is comfortable for her pregnant body. It helps if the seating is in a circle so that presents can be passed around for everyone to “ooh and aah” about. Circular seating arrangement can facilitate games, as well.

Another baby shower idea is to have someone assigned to write down all gifts and who they came from. That way, if the present gets separated from the card, the mother has a way to still thank the appropriate giver. Have people help the mother-to-be get the gifts to her car. Sometimes the father-to-be comes and helps her with this, but if not, be sure she isn’t doing it alone while everyone else is still eating cake and drinking punch. Remember, she’s the guest of honor – treat her that way!

A great idea for a baby shower that the mother-to-be will love is to considering “showering” the mother-to-be with a few presents to pamper her – like bubble bath, slippers, candles, or a nice “new mother” CD. Great lullaby music can help both her and the new baby relax and sleep when that is what they need most.

Baby Showers – Then and Now

Baby showers can be a lot of fun for the mother-to-be and her friends. It is a chance for them to celebrate the new life and to “shower” the mother-to-be with love and gifts. Since time immemorial, every culture has had ways of celebrating the beginning of a pregnancy.

It used to be that gifts were given to the mother after the baby was born. It was often just an afternoon tea party for the mother and her close female relatives. The gifts she would receive would be generally handmade and almost always very practical. Generally they would have a shower only for the first baby in a family, the one that first make the “mother-to-be” into a mother. And there would usually be just one party given for that baby.

Modern Baby Showers
Now, not only are baby showers often given for subsequent children joining the family, but the mother is often “showered” more than once, by various groups: work, church, relatives, etc. They are often planned to include both men and women the pregnant couple knows. It can be very sophisticated and elegant, or is can be much more casual.

Showers today usually only last a few hours and are often held at a restaurant or someone’s home. The shower is often held prior to the birth by a month or two, which is usually early enough even if the baby decides to come a bit early. This extra time gives the mother time to exchange duplicate gifts and buy anything else she feels she still needs but didn’t get at the shower.

Usually there will be food of some sort at the baby shower, either just snacks or complete meals. There is also generally a cake – which is often the centerpiece on the table; it can be a simple sheet cakes, or something much more unique and elaborate. There are many ideas available for creative cakes that tie in perfectly with the theme of the baby shower. It is a good idea to choose a theme and plan for the cake at the same time, before announcing the details of the shower to the mother and guests. This way, the host can be sure they have a cake that ties in well with their theme and isn’t struggling at the last minute to find a suitable cake.

Hosting a baby shower doesn’t have to be expensive, as the budget can dictate where and how the party will be held. A more expensive event does not mean that the mother-to-be is more loved, or that it will be more fun. A shower can be a lot of fun without being expensive if you are having a theme that can tie the party together. While some scoff at games being “silly”, they can be great for breaking the ice among people who may not know each other and can also help the various generations relate more to one another. Besides, when else is playing silly games socially acceptable? Enjoy planning and attending the baby shower, and remember that the memories are the important part.

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