UNIQUE BABY SHOWER and PARTY DECORATING IDEAS

These World Wall Maps Make Great, Cheap Gifts

2011-12-15T08:10:00.000-08:00

These wall maps make great, cheap gifts for the baby shower gift basket especially if you heard a rumor that the the mother-to-be is working on a world map nursery theme. You could also add them to your stash and tuck into someone's Christmas stocking!

GO HERE! PRICE 0.01!

Decorating the walls of your home with a world wall map, including the baby's nursery or your kids' rooms is nothing new but right now the trend is red hot! Examples of large wall murals created using vintage world maps as theme are being featured in trendy home decor catalogs that target customers with an abundance of discretionary income. And these huge maps are not cheap by any means.

World Map Wall Mural in a Baby Nursery

BUT.. you can get both of these wall maps for kids, for your office or for the living room of your home at the time of this article for less than ten cents! That is correct, these maps cost one dime plus shipping. Of course, there’s some shipping costs but it’s very unlikely that you will find art less expensive than this.

Should we, the do-it-yourself decorators, without wagonloads of cash to spend on giving the den a makeover or designing a baby nursery with an educational nursery theme simply can‘t afford one of these framed world wall maps? Absolutely not! We may not have the means to buy one of the framed, vintage wall maps of Paris as seen recently in the Restoration Hardware catalog. But who wants to pay hundreds of dollars for an old Parisian map when you can buy a vintage world wall map for penny! That’s right I said 1 cent!

At the time of this post (prices are always subject to change) you can buy a large wall map of the world for very cheap price and these world wall maps make great cheap gifts for a baby shower so stock up before they're gone!

Baby Deer Shower Gift Ideas

2011-12-10T09:07:00.001-08:00

I have some precious baby deer shower gift ideas that are sure to be a giant hit at a baby girl or boy's forest friends theme baby shower.

Every hunter dreams of taking his son hunting. But until the baby boy is old enough to follow in the might hunter's footsteps this plush, deer nursery rug would be just the thing for the floor of his baby's forest or baby deer nursery theme.

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And how tickled would mom and dad be to unwrap this toy deer at the shower? The buck even has an impressive rack!

The toy whitetail is over 30 inches tall and built sturdy enough to last as a room decoration through the newborn and toddler stage and beyond.

If the newborn will be welcomed home into a small baby nursery that hasn't got room for a giant deer, perhaps this little fellow would be a better fit for the nursery (and your baby shower gift budget?).

Either of the toys would make a lovely present for your friends that are decorating a nursery for baby in forest creatures.

These beautiful toys can even be used as forest themed baby shower decorations before being presented to the guest of honor!

The rug and forest animal toys are excellent baby deer shower gift ideas that will give you lots of bang for your buck. The items can be used as toys as well as nursery decor ensuring that the mother-to-be and her baby will enjoy them for a very long time.

TOP 5 Gift Ideas for New Moms with Babies

2011-12-03T08:14:00.000-08:00

New Moms Love a Massage!

Here's my list of the TOP 5 gift ideas for new moms with babies according to a recent opinion poll. New dads are welcome to shower me with compliments to show their appreciation.

1. Household help for a day. New moms would love to have someone come in and clean the house, cook a meal or two and give them a fresh start.

2. A babysitter. It would be so nice to have someone that we could trust come in and take care of the baby for a little while to give us a little time for ourselves.

3. A spa gift certificate. How nice would it be to have a fresh mani-pedi for the holidays?

4. A massage. Who wouldn't love to answer a knock at the door and find your own personal masseuse standing there ready to work on their aching back? If money is tight, dad should visit youtube to get instructions on how to give his sweetheart a massage himself. Hey! She just gave you a baby! The least you can do is rub her back and feet!

5. Prepared meals. Even those of us who love to cook have precious little time to clean up the kitchen afterwards (and NObody likes that!) so some frozen casseroles or a gift card to a favorite local restaurant would truly be a Christmas wish come true!

As you can see, there are no luxury or designer clothes, shoes or purses on the top 5 gift ideas for new moms with babies; we just want a little time to ourselves, a clean home, a well-fed husband and some well-deserved pampering after delivery.

And these recommendations are not just for husbands! A thoughtful friend might consider adding one of the gift cards or a voucher promising a frozen casserole to their baby shower gift!

Cheap and Easy Baby Gift Wrap Ideas

2011-11-25T09:13:00.000-08:00

When I saw these cheap and easy baby gift wrap ideas, I said NO MORE boring baby shower gift wrap for me! I'm lazy, there I said it. A lifelong habit of procrastination has led me to show up embarrassingly late to more than a few friends' baby showers with an often fabulous present (sometimes I even make them myself!) wrapped in the most uninteresting paper.

Now I will share with you the websites with instructions and tutorials that have moved me to make a resolution (before New Year's!) to wrap the beautiful gifts with more care and respect.

Here is a list of my favorite ideas for wrapping baby gifts for Christmas or baby showers. Here's a tip; even if the instructions are for a particular holiday they can often be adapted for other occasions! Now, let's get started.

1. How to make your own paper bows for gifts.There are many ways of recycling gift wrap after Christmas or after a party but how about baby gift wrap that is MADE from recycled paper?
I love these bows that are actually made from the pages of old books and magazines. Heck, I might stop shredding my used inkjet paper and start making bows to put on my eco-friendly baby gifts to created a theme!

2. How to make your own wrapping paper out of brown paper bags
I used to use colored ink and rubber stamps to decorate paper bags for crafts projects all the time when I was a kid and now it's time to pull that technique out and use it to wrap presents!

You can cheat a little and buy a big roll of clean brown paper or you can think ahead like the crafty mom I know you are and save grocery bags until you build a stash and cut them apart to get them ready to use according to the instructions in this blog.

3. How to turn boring baby shower gift wrap into something wonderful!
We all have cardboard rolls with tiny scraps of leftover paper on them that are really too small to wrap anything other than a jewelry box, right? Well, here's the secret of how to turn those paper scraps into really cute gift tags.

4. Forget cheap paper gift tags, make them out of wood!
I hate to throw stuff away and have been accused more than once of being a bit of a hoarder. To repair my reputation, I've learned to transform disposable items into keepsakes that nobody would ever want to trash. THIS gift tag painted in cute baby colors with a cute saying on one side will decorate your gift and then you can suggest that it can be displayed on the mother-to-be's keychain!

5. Pom Poms!
Even if you don't knit or crochet, it's worth the price of a skein of yarn to make precious pom poms to use instead of traditional bows. You can get instructions for how to make pom poms FREE in many baby hat knitting patterns.

If you find any cheap and easy baby gift wrap ideas that you want to tell us about, please email me or drop a link in the comments box and we'll help you spread the word.

How to Make a Free Birth Stats Print

2011-10-30T08:29:00.000-07:00

A really savvy blogger posted some instructions on how to make a FREE birth stats print that you can give to a friend as a happy or wrap it up to give as a very nice, personalized baby shower gift or you could frame it and use it as part of the baby shower decorations if the guest of honor's baby has already been born!

Most of the art prints of this type cost at least $25 or more! Why would you want to spend that much for what amounts to a sheet of inkjet paper with some colored printer ink on it when you can make your own?

All you need for this craft is a sheet of 8X10 printer paper and a colored ink cartridge (OK, so you might use 25 cents worth of ink! If you object to that you're a bigger cheapskate than I am and that's saying something!)

After you have your supplies ready to go, take a look at the example to get an idea of the colors and the fonts that you might want to use. Here's a tip, call the mom (unless you are making the art for yourself) and ask what colors she has in her nursery and casually ask:

How to correctly spell the baby's name
The baby's date of birth
How much the baby weighed
The baby's length

I haven't printed mine up yet but the crafty mom who posted the instructions showing how to make a free birth stats print for her baby says it took about ten minutes.

Apple Theme Baby Shower Decorations

2011-10-22T14:54:00.000-07:00

The heart of all the apple theme baby shower decorations that were made for this shower was this amazing photo homemade photo banner. The hostess of the event put a lot of time and love into making this item for the guest of honor so that her older children would feel a part of the celebration.

Most of the pictures that we saw were of the amazing treats and decorations with a focus on the dessert table. We don't see what was done in other areas but here's how I would decorate the venue to enhance the invitation of an apple theme baby shower dessert table in a style such as the one we see in the pictures.

I would take things in a country direction with all of the guest tables covered in red and white checked tablecloths with hay bales instead of chairs.

At the entryway, I would have shocks of corn stalks surrounded by bushel baskets filled with fall fruits and vegetables. After all; wouldn't baskets of apples make the best apple theme baby shower decorations of all?

Candy Corn Craft Ideas

2011-10-13T08:45:00.000-07:00

Ghosts, goblins and things that go bump are fun for the older kids but here are SIX (6) SUPER FUN candy corn craft ideas that little kids and mom will enjoy! The first candy corn craft comes in a bucket with enough supplies for 16 children to each make one of these cute little guys. All mom has to supply is glue! The finished product makes a great Halloween party favor!

Buy as many cheap lollipops at the store and then personalize them with candy corn theme party circles. Pick your favorite candy corn clipart and use one of the free printable downloads to make your own labels. Or you could take the easy route and just buy the ones in the picture already personalized with the wording of your choice.

One of my favorite candy corn craft ideas is to take all those breath mint tins that you've been saving and re-purpose them with a fresh, new label and a refill of candy for the kids. You can also buy them already personalized and filled with candy with the label in place! But I have to say that my favorite is the cute candy corn candles made from flower pots. They are so cheap to make and absolutely precious. The only drawback with this craft is that some painting skills and supplies are required. But since you get cute
table decorations for a baby shower or a Halloween party that you can use over and over, you may find that it's worth breaking out the paints and brushes.

Here's a cheap craft idea with a tutorial that is nothing more than orange, yellow, and white yarn glued onto styrofoam cones with a hot glue gun! Sounds silly, right? But three of them as a group make a great table top display!

If you have no yarn but have lots of orange, yellow and white tissue paper, here's instructions on how to make candy corn decorations out of tissue paper.

And I saved the BEST for last! Why is this the best of ALL the candy corn craft ideas? Because you can EAT this one! Yeah! Anything you can eat is top notch in my book! Go HERE to get the recipe and instructions for how to make (drumroll please) candy corn cheesecake! Just so you know, the recipe doesn't actually have candy in it so that's a good thing!

Throw a Practically FREE Halloween Baby Shower

2011-10-13T07:26:00.000-07:00

Today I will tell you how it may be possible to throw a practically FREE Halloween baby shower. Yesterday I gave you some ideas on how to make the most of your budget by buying cheap Halloween baby shower decorations (pumpkins in particular) that could be multi-purposed and I had no more hit the "publish post" button than I found an amazing offer in my email inbox from Shindigz telling me that they have reduced prices on a bunch of their Halloween store items!

Not only can your shoppers get up to 85% off Halloween items without a coupon code, they can also get on orders UNDER $49 using code WSGJ9N.

If you shop their sale items and use the coupon code to get free shipping a discount of 85% will put you on your way to throw a practically free
Halloween baby shower as far as
baby shower decorations and tableware are concerned with money left over to buy that costume that you've had your eye on!

How to Throw a Cheap Halloween Baby Shower

2011-10-12T10:16:00.000-07:00

I can tell you how to throw a cheap Halloween baby shower this fall so listen up! If you've been to the grocery store lately, you know how expensive fresh produce has become and sadly, pumpkins are more expensive than ever!

But what's a
http://www.unique-baby-gear-ideas.com/fall baby shower without pumpkins?

Let's take another look at these big, orange beauties and you can decide whether they are as prohibitively expensive as we thought or whether we need to load up our shopping cart with as many as we can carry.

It's a fact that decorative paper pumpkins are dirt cheap but chances are that you will get only one use out of them, TOPS, before you have to toss them in the trash.

With real pumpkins, you get to

a. arrange them to make a stunning display at the entrance of your shower venue

b. relocate them to your front lawn after the baby shower is over

c. include them as part of your Thanksgiving decorations

d. roast the seeds

e. make a pumpkin pie

Once you consider all of the ways that pumpkins can be used as
baby shower decorations as well as vitamin packed food for your family, I'm sure that you will realize just how frugal a purchase they are! And if you know of a local farmer, chances are they will be even cheaper than if you bought them at the grocery store. Now, THAT'S how to throw a cheap
Halloween baby shower!

Halloween Baby Shower Beverage Ideas

2011-10-11T08:48:00.000-07:00

Here are a few Halloween baby shower beverage ideas that are spooky, fun and inexpensive. There are no weird ingredients or flavorings to buy but you might want to ask your friends to hang onto their empty Starbucks Frappuccino bottles for a few weeks so that you will have them ready to fill with your frightfully delicious punch! Wash the glass bottles, remove the labels before the party and replace them with these great free, printables from the This Blog. Don't forget the super creepy matching straw flags!

NOW...here's what you do to turn your favorite recipe into the perfect Halloween party punch. Whip up a recipe of your favorite baby shower punch in the old witch's cauldron and then add some enough black and green food and drink coloring to give it a pleasantly putrid color.

I tried this with my favorite
pink baby shower punch recipe and everything went well but I wished that I had added the green coloring first and then the black so that the drinks would have had more of a green-ish color.

Feel free to share your own Halloween baby shower beverage ideas, recipes and pictures of your Halloween baby shower decorations in the comments section!

Fun Pink and Brown Baby Shower Cake

2011-09-11T14:33:00.000-07:00

The fun pink and brown baby shower cake is not without a few flaws. But you really have to look hard to find them so I'm really, really proud of it! I baked it myself from start to finish and since I'm not anywhere close to what you might call a professional cake baker and/or decorator I think that it turned out rather well if I do say so myself.

The goal was to decorate the cake to match the pink and brown baby shower decorations and tableware that were pink and brown (duh). There were several ways that the cake could have been decorated if my skills were more advanced but since I'm a beginner, I took the easy route and chose large, brown polka dots with smaller pink dots inside them on a sheet of pink fondant topped off with a big, pink gum paste bow!

The fondant and gumpaste didn't give me much trouble other than dying the chocolate brown fondant took a LOT of food coloring. Here's a tip; if you will be using dark brown fondant buy brown rather than having to use food dye to tint it brown.
I was even able to manage a perfect match to the colors of the brown and pink baby shower decorations which made me very happy!

For a little time and about $10 in fondant and gumpaste, I got a fun pink and brown baby shower cake that looked (almost) as if it had been decorated at a bakery!
A round cake with polka dots is a great cake for a beginner and for my next party, I'm going to give pink and brown zebra stripes a shot!

Cowboy Western Bandanna Baby Shower Supplies

2011-08-11T14:32:00.000-07:00

This tablescape was designed using some homemade cowboy western bandanna baby shower supplies, some items bought at the party supply store and some tableware that was leftover from a Valentine's Day party.

The red and white checked tablecloth and the raffia table skirt add a rustic farmhouse flavor to the festivities but that's just the beginning; there's still work to be done! You will then decorate the table's border using alternating blue and red (or pink or green for girls or whatever colors work with your color scheme) western bandanas as decorations.

The table settings consist of red dinner plates (leftover from a Valentine's Day party place setting) and black dessert plates. Fold a red bandanna napkin around a black fork, knife and spoon and tie using a length of bailing cord or natural raffia.

Miniature bales of hay personalized with homemade name tags decorated with a shiny, silver sheriff's badge as placecards will make your guests feel special and look right at home with your cowboy western bandanna baby shower supplies.

Vintage railroad lanterns add mood lighting and the bright tin buckets filled with treats make colorful western cowboy baby shower favors or you might add a toy or some temporary tattoos for a kids' birthday party favors. The red tin buckets add to the table decorations and eliminate the need for goodie bags or boxes.

Worst Baby Shower Gifts Ever

2011-06-02T08:21:00.000-07:00

I have my own opinions of the worst baby shower gifts ever but I can't list them here to avoid possibly hurting the feelings of well meaning family members and friends (hi there, Aunt Molly! Don't worry I LOVED the wool onesie and it doesn't make my baby's eczema that bad at all!). One mommy's trash may be another one's treasture and everyone's tastes and needs are different as to what might constitute a bad baby gift but according to a recent survey that I conducted on Unique Baby Nursery Decorating Ideas' Facebook page, there are a few items that most moms who have a few months of newborn care under their belts agree are not worth the price or the space they take up in the baby's room.

The funny thing is that I see many baby gear and popular nursery items that made it into the "Top 5" of the list on practically every mother-to-be's baby shower registry! I guess that everyone thinks warm baby wipes are the bomb until they realize that they can easily warm them with their hands, right?

I know that you are waiting to get the results of the Worst Baby Gift opinion poll and here they are!

1. Wipe Warmers
2. Diaper Genies
3. Changing Tables
4. Jogging Strollers
5. "How To" Books for Baby Care

The question that was asked was actually worded as "What is the most useless baby product" but since most moms regard these items as not worth the trouble, we certainly don't want to give them as baby shower gifts, do we?

I would love hear your ideas of the Worst Baby Shower Gifts Ever if you would care to share!

How to Make a Wreath with Leftover Baby Shower Decorations

2011-05-29T06:15:00.000-07:00

Recently, during a rare quiet moment at my house, I decided to figure out how to make a wreath with leftover baby shower decorations. I had some really cute green, white and pink baby birdy cupcake toppers and hot pink napkins left over from the last bird theme baby shower that I hosted; actually the party unexpectedly became a sip n see but that's neither here nor there as they say.

I could've socked the cute party circles and baby shower napkins back and added them to my ever-growing stash of tableware and decorations but something (probably the fact that it's getting more and more difficult to close that cabinet door)motivated me to go online and see if anybody had any craft ideas that might call for the items that I had on hand.

As luck would have it, one crafty mom had posted pictures of a door wreath made using tissue paper and others had I had to tweak their instructions to adjust for the slight differences in paper napkins and their materials but after some trial and error not to mention some issues I had with the hot glue gun things moved right along.

HOW TO MAKE A WREATH WITH LEFTOVER BABY SHOWER DECORATIONS

I found a styrofoam wreath form in the storage room that was decorated with some very tired fall leaves. The leaves were faded but the form was good to go after I stripped the old decorations off of it. Here are the instructions:

1. Open the napkins and cut them into uniform 5X7 shapes
2. Pink the napkins in the middle making a "point" where they will be glued onto the styrofoam
3. Poke a tiny hole in the styrofoam and shoot a bead of hot glue inside. I used a wooden chopstick to both poke the hole and to push the points of the fluffed napkin into the glue. SPACING: I spaced each "napkin rosette" about 2 inches apart but you will need to determine how close you need for each to be to get good coverage.
4. Using wired ribbon tie a bow.
5. Nestle it slightly into the napkins where you want it to be positioned on the wreath. I used "10 o'clock" and "2 o'clock" for the wreaths for my french doors.
6. Glue two party circles in the center of the bows

COST

Since I already had the wreath form, the party circles AND the napkins on hand all I had invested in two wreaths was my time so you might say my front door decorations for the summer were FREE!
and hot glue it

FREE Baby Shower Banners, Invitations and Table Decorations

2011-04-05T10:50:00.000-07:00

I'm very excited to offer my visitors this opportunity to not only win FREE baby shower banners, invitations and table decorations like cupcake toppers, place cards and signs but ALSO a free party consultation with Serena of Rylie Boo Events!

As you can see from the picture of the blue and brown monkey theme baby shower she does a super job of coordinating colors, themes and all of the baby shower decorations. Just in case you happen not to win the giveaway, you should know that she offers a huge selection of party supplies and decorations in her Etsy shop. I do not recommend that you visit her store if you are in a rush, especially if you are as wild about looking at pictures of amazing, custom party decorations as I am!

The last day to enter for a chance to win the FREE Baby Shower Banners, Invitations and Table Decorations package is April 19th, 2011 so get a move on and get all six entries in place before it's too late!

Free Easter Baby Shower Invitations

2011-04-02T12:15:00.000-07:00

SEE MORE HERE

Who's looking for some free Easter baby shower invitations? If you're planning a shower anytime soon, chances are that YOU are! And do I have some adorable (and yes..FREE) downloadable templates for baby shower invitations to share with you! Actually, they are offered just as "Easter Cards" but determined hostesses looking to save some cash can easily adapt them to Easter themed baby shower invitations.

Go here to see which of the pdf files fits your baby shower theme.
I, personally, would prefer the invites with the silhouette of the Easter bunny in pink with the cute little cottontail! How cute are those ears? But the white Easter bunny profile on the gray background is pretty bloomin' cute, too!

And if cards with Easter bunnies on the font aren't what you're after you might like the ones with the repeat Easter eggs pattern and the "Happy Easter" graphics.

There are four (4) free Easter baby shower invitations for you to choose from including neutral designs as well as a couple that would work very nicely with baby boy or girl baby shower decorations. And don't forget to leave a note on Nifty Thrifty Things telling this blogger how much you appreciate her hard work!

Red Velvet Baby Shower Cake Pops

2011-03-20T08:26:00.000-07:00

I honestly don't know whether to recommend this article to those needing easy red velvet baby shower cake pops or easy hot pink cake pops. As you read the directions, just keep both in mind, ok? Oh, and let me mention right here that as cute as they look on the table in no way do they taste as good as homemade. My apologies to Duncan Hines cake mix but I'm just sayin'.

If you were here to see these amazing red velvet baby shower cake pops, you would have heard my (less than fantastic) rendition of "I Did It My Way". If Elvis heard me sing, he would probably come after me with his mama’s cast iron skillet but honestly these cake pops that were so EASY to make that it just made me want to sing!

You see I just took a box of Duncan Hines red velvet cake mix and added a few extra ingredients to make it taste better! Disclaimer: not as good as a homemade cake but easy and cute.

INSTRUCTIONS for RED VELVET BABY SHOWER CAKE POPS using a CAKE MIX

INGREDIENTS

1 BOX of Duncan Hines Red Velvet Cake Mix
Enough buttermilk to replace the water called for in the cake mix instructions
1 tablespoon of vanilla extract
¼ cup cocoa
1 package of Jello Pudding Mix ( I used Jello White Cocolate Instant Pudding but regular chocolate or vanilla would work)
Eggs
Vegetable Oil

Follow the instructions on the cake mix box EXCEPT that you will add 1 package of Jello Pudding Mix, ¼ cup cocoa and 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract AND substitute buttermilk for any water the recipe calls for. PLUS you will need to add a little more buttermilk if the batter is not the right consistency.

I also noted that I had to cook the cake about 10 minutes longer than the box indicated before the toothpick inserted in the center came out clean.

2ND STEP
Bright and early the next morning, I crumbled the cooled cake into my big mixing bowl and using my mixer I blended in ¾ of a can of cream cheese frosting (once again, not as good as homemade but I just didn’t have time to do the shopping).

3.
Roll this mixture into whatever size balls you want your pops to be. Some say that they like small, quarter size balls so that they can be eaten in one bite and other bakers prefer large ones. My red velvet baby shower cake pops were bite size or around the size of Tootsie Roll pops. As I rolled them out I lined them up on a cookie sheet and then popped them in the fridge to chill for a few hours. They get firm faster in the if you are in a big hurry but take care that you don‘t forget them and let them freeze solid!

4.
When you see they are firm, melt a small amount of whatever kind of chocolate in the microwave per directions on the package.

5. Take the cake balls out of the fridge, insert a sucker stick in each ball and roll the balls in chocolate and stand up on wax paper until firm. If you making cake balls rather than pops, you can use a spoon to dip them in the chocolate and then tap off the extra.

TIPS:
Tip 1. I used white chocolate because the baby shower’s color scheme was pink, green and white. The white chocolate looks really pretty against the red of the cake.

Tip 2. The cream cheese frosting lightens the red color of the cake so if you want dark red velvet cake pops you might have to add a little more red food coloring.

Tip 3. These cake balls are excellent choices for a Valentine’s Day baby shower or a Christmas baby shower or any time food choices are needed that will complement red baby shower decorations but since mine turned out to be hot pink (after I added white chocoloate pudding mix and buttermilk) they looked great with the pink and green color scheme of a girl baby shower that I gave recently.

I was in a pinch for time on the day before the shower and needed a recipe that I could whip up fast so that I could let it cool overnight. I just happened to have a box of Duncan Hines red velvet cake mix on hand and it just made sense to make the red velvet baby shower cake pops using this method.

Would I say that the improved cake mix tasted as good or better than a homemade red velvet cake. I'll say it again... NO! There’s no way that a cake mix can taste completely homemade but while the cake didn’t exactly taste like my wonderful, southern grandmother’s old-fashioned homemade Red Velvet cake; it was still darn good.

PINK and GREEN DAISY BABY SHOWER CRAFT IDEAS

2011-03-07T12:20:00.000-08:00

SEE MORE HERE

This flower ball has to be one of the most inexpensive and EASY pink and green Daisy baby shower craft ideas EVER! And I just had to share the pictures of the process just in case my silk flower ball instructions/tutorial fails to cover all of the details.

Here's everything that I used:

a Styrofoam ball in whatever size you need. I used a 6 inch ball for this project
2 sheets of tissue paper per 6 inch styrofoam ball in a color that is similar to that of whatever kind of flowers that you plan to use
A mini-hot glue gun. My regular sized one was just too much for me to handle on these little stems but you may be better at it than I am; you be the judge as to whether or not you can manage this without burning your fingers.
Flowers of your choice. FWIW I started out with salmon pink Gerbera Daisies that I adored but I found that they didn't work. They were too wide and flat or something. The less expensive (read CHEAP!) Pink and green daisies look much nicer. It took more of them but they didn't cost nearly as much as the Gerbera daisies.

1: Remove a pile of silk flowers from their stems while the glue gun is heating up.

2. Smooth tissue paper over a portion of your ball. I didn't glue it or pin it in place but you can secure it with pins or a little glue if you need to. I just held it in place and then let the flowers do the work.

3. Dab a dot of hot glue on the stub of your blossom and quickly poke it through the tissue paper and into the ball.

4. Space the flowers so that their petals overlap each other slightly.

After the styrofoam ball is completely covered in flowers you can either display it "as is" on a pedestal or on top of a pillar of some sort or you can do what I did and attach a length of ribbon, decorate it with a big bow made from satin ribbon and hang it from shepherd's crooks along the sidewalk leading to the house where more of my pink and green Daisy baby shower craft ideas were on display. And yes, I will be uploading pictures of the pink and green baby shower invitations, decorations and dessert table very soon!

CoCo Chanel Baby Shower Theme

2011-02-18T09:28:00.000-08:00

SEE MORE HERE

What did I spy in pictures of a recent Coco Chanel baby shower theme but these personalized pink and gray baby shower invitations! Being a girl who would never consider leaving the house without a misting of her Chanel No. 5, I was enchanted by the thought of a Chanel baby shower!

You can go HERE to see pictures of the baby shower decorations as well as the floral arrangements and food ideas..not to mention the lovely, white and pink ruffled cake that played a part in taking this celebration to the height of elegance.

When I think of my favorite French perfume, I must say that gray and pink with ruffles doesn't enter my mind but the pink and gray colors that were used to create the atmosphere of the Coco Chanel theme blended with liberal references to Chanel and things Parisian is lovely.

And I'm sure that the food ideas appealed to everyone as there were both hearty and light selections including filling bacon-wrapped filet, Kobe beef sliders and tomato soup shooters with grilled cheese sandwich wedges as well as lighter grilled vegetables, cherry salad, fresh fruit, chicken empanadas and Caprese skewers. And of course there was French pink lemonade (in keeping with the gray and pink decor) and champagne.

One of my favorite of all the creative baby shower ideas that I read about was the perfume bar(how apropos!). I'm sure that the guests were invited to create their own special blend of perfume and then take these sophisticated baby shower favors right on home with them.

Perhaps the most intriguing decorative details of the Coco Chanel baby shower theme was how the hostess incorporated the look and feel of the famous Chanel perfume label into both the design of the baby shower favors and the party decor. Rather than reading Chanel No. 5, the elegant sign read PEYTON No. 2 (Peyton was the guest of honor's second baby).

PRINCESS BABY SHOWER IDEAS

2011-02-11T13:22:00.000-08:00

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This adorable princess castle diaper cake has to be one of the cutest princess baby shower ideas ever! From the pink satin ribbons that secure the rolled onesies on each of the three layers all the way up to the hot pink turrets flying the paper flags of the (undoubtedly) magical kingdom this diaper cake is enchanting. And all those diapers; it just has to be the baby shower gift of a lifetime for a mother expecting a baby girl.

In colors that match the princess baby shower invitations here we have a precious hot pink and green princess baby shower cake. The crown cake topper is bejeweled with non pareils and on the sides of each layer are alternating pink and green stripes.

All of this hostess' princess baby shower ideas were bright and cheerful and I'm saving these pictures so that I can refer back to them the next time I host a princess baby shower theme for a baby girl!

RED BABY SHOWER THEMES

2011-02-10T11:43:00.000-08:00

One of the most famous of all red baby shower themes is a Valentine's Day theme! It's the hostess' only chance until the 4th of July to bump up the volume on pink and complement navy blue with beautiful, bright red! As we know red baby shower invitations (romantic heart shaped, Santa themed and patriotic) are more abundant during the weeks before Cupid's favorite holiday, Independence Day and Christmas.

But a smart hostess can't always work with holiday themes since babies tend to arrive on their own timetable. If you have your heart set on red baby shower decorations when no "red" holidays are close to the guest of honor's due date, a black and red ladybug theme might quench your thirst for this color scheme. Or what about a spring theme decorated with lipstick red tulips? Another popular theme for a baby boy's shower that works well with rust and bright red is a cowboy or western theme.

There are many, many festive holidays that the color red brings to mind, but if we put our heads together we can plan our celebrations with red baby shower themes any day of the year!

BLACK and WHITE BABY SHOWER CUPCAKES

2011-02-07T11:05:00.000-08:00

Aren't these elegant, black and white baby shower cupcakes incredible? I suppose it's selling them short to limit them to baby showers, they would be amazing for any celebration that has a formal "tuxedo required" atmosphere or any black and white shower theme including black toile or black and white damask baby shower decorations.

You might be wondering where I found them... do you remember a few days ago when I posted about that shower that Oprah had a hand in? Well, I paid a visit to all of the vendors that were mentioned on the post including Sweet Cupcakes and Treats to see what else they had in their photo galleries. During my visit I saw so many amazing cakes and cupcakes that I wrote them a note to tell them how much I admired their baked goods and they so kindly gave me permission to feature some pictures of these black and white baby shower cupcakes and MORE....so be sure to visit again soon to see the other pictures they said I could share with my visitors. Here's a hint; the next pictures will be of Valentine's Day cupcakes.

FARM ANIMAL BABY SHOWER INVITATIONS

2011-02-04T10:24:00.000-08:00

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These farm animal baby shower invitations had all my favorites on them, horses, cows, cute, pink pigs and even a few baby chicks. I admit that I was slightly disappointed that there were no yellow ducks or geese but since the rubber ducky baby shower invitations have their own category, I suppose that's to be expected.

But I feel I must tell you that when I found this baby shower invitation it was actually a personalized birthday party invitation for a little boy. You see, someone contacted me and said that they were having trouble finding invitations for a farm animal baby shower and wanted to know if I had any ideas or pictures of examples they could go by to help them make their own homemade invitations.

The lady indicated that she didn't find the idea of making her own cards especially appealing. I set out to see if I could find some cute store bought cards to spare her having to buy craft supplies to add to the expense of the necessary farm animal baby shower partywear , decorations and food. What I found was enough wild jungle animal invitations for 100 showers and no farm animal baby shower invitations whatsoever! That's pretty confusing what with the popularity of decorating the nursery using baby farm animals , isn't it?

I was so happy that my friend really liked this card that I found AND she also liked my suggestion of considering a petting zoo or a farm animal sanctuary as possible farm theme baby shower venues. When I was reading about Molly B, the cow that escaped (more than once) I read that the Non Profit Farm Sanctuary where this lucky black and white cow now resides books all kinds of events at the sanctuary including children birthday parties, weddings, business events, etc. PLUS they do weddings...so why not a farm theme baby shower? The kids that attend with their moms would love that and it would help support the sanctuary and if you need farm animal baby shower invitations, I found at least one!

NON-ALCOHOLIC DRINKS for a BABY SHOWER

2011-02-02T12:06:00.000-08:00

I have been looking around and learned that non-alcoholic drinks for a baby shower have the catchiest names! Some hostesses call them "Mocktails" some refer to them as "Preggatinis" and I've also heard them mentioned in terms of "punch without the punch". And by now you may be wondering why they are so important that they have so many cute names attached to them.

Well, as you probably already know mommies-to-be are advised not to drink alcohol while they are pregnant. In order for the guests to have real cocktails or spiked punch without making the guest of honor feel left out, recipes for sparkling, festive non-alcoholic punch and beverages are very popular.

If you are planning to toast the mother-to-be with a flute filled with sparkling champagne it would only be fair for her to have a glass to lift in response. To avoid the possibility of an awkward moment without pressing mom to go against her doctor's orders, you should take a look at this tasty recipe for mock champagne or Martha Stewart's picture gallery of non-alcoholic drinks to see if you find one or two that you might want to add to your portfolio of baby shower ideas because there will always be need for recipes for non-alcoholic drinks for a baby shower!

FREE OWL BABY SHOWER DECORATIONS

2011-01-30T09:00:00.000-08:00

I just found a downloadable template that will show you how to make your own FREE owl baby shower invitations. Well, the printable download is free but you should add the cost of the colored ink cartridges for your inkjet printer and the paper that you will be using to make this delightful little forest creature. And I DO so love the colors that were used in the example on 3EYEDBEAR.

You could use these decorations instead of store bought lanterns for a wise old owl baby shower and coordinate the little hoot with your owl baby shower invitations by altering the color combinations. The example on the paper craft website, at first glance, seems to be gender neutral in design because of the predominance of yellow. But after taking a closer look I noticed that the owl's beak, feet and the circles around the eyes had lots of baby blue making it more suitable for a baby boy shower than a baby girl shower. If you think these paper birds are as cute as I do but need decorations for a girl's baby shower, you could substitute pink in the blue areas to give your free owl baby shower decorations a more feminine look. Use green ink for gender neutral owl decorations!

FILL the DIAPER BAG BABY SHOWER THEME

2011-01-25T10:27:00.000-08:00

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A fill the diaper bag baby shower theme isn't just about buying enough pacifiers, diapers, baby wipes and toys to cover baby's needs for a quick trip out on the town. It's a wonderful opportunity for close friends to gather, have a relaxing sip of their favorite beverage, have some good food and share tips on what every mom MUST have in her baby's bag.

New moms need lots of advice and who better to help her build her diaper bag checklist than her besties? Who else would know how particular the mother-to-be is bound to be about her baby's bib or that if a stiff breeze comes up that she will insist that her baby's head and ears be covered with a cute hat immediately?

FILL the DIAPER BAG BABY SHOWER INVITATION WORDING

Beyond the usual details of when, where and what time, the hostess should indicate that each guest jot down their ideas of what items are necessities that must be in every well-stocked baby bag and that they present a few of inexpensive items as gifts in keeping with the "Fill the Diaper Bag Baby Shower Theme" and if your budget allows; the new mother would surely appreciate a spare diaper bag or two.

DECORATIONS for a FILL the DIAPER BAG BABY SHOWER

This would be a super time to use those vintage baby shower decorations that your mom (or grandmother?) have packed away. Floral arrangements in old-fashioned pink or blue ceramic baby shower or pacifier shaped flower vases would be perfect! The idea is to decorate the venue with items that are staples in baby bags and back in the day florists primarily used ceramic planters shaped like diaper pins, diapers and booties.

BRING A BOOK BABY SHOWER IDEAS

2011-01-22T09:30:00.000-08:00

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After spending a few hours brainstorming bring a book baby shower ideas and looking at some pictures of beautifully styled baby showers, I decided to throw a WISE OWL BABY SHOWER THEME. Baby owls are very trendy at the moment and popping up in all areas of the baby's nursery including the crib bedding, quilts, blankets and anything else big enough to carry images of these cute little critters.

Bird theme showers and nursery decor were all the rage for awhile, and owls are a kind of bird, right? So, it was just a matter of time before we re-visted the late 1970s and brought owls back into the spotlight. And once the ball got rolling, we brought them back in a big way.

If you are wondering how owls figure into my "Bring a Book Baby Shower Ideas", the best expanation I can give is what is more bookish than a wise old owl?

I made my own owl baby shower invitations and I used a short poem as baby shower invitation wording indicating that the guests bring books to build the baby's library as gifts. To give the books a personalized touch, everyone was asked to (at the very least) write their names inside and hopefully they will take a minute to write a note wishing the little one well.

The inspiration for my combination bring a book/owl baby shower came from here and here if you want to take a look and see pictures of the baby shower decorations and get some food and menu ideas!

BLACK and WHITE BABY SHOWER

2011-01-21T08:37:00.000-08:00

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Have you seen pictures of the baby shower that Oprah hosted? I did AND I found some amazing black and white baby shower ideas in the process! To give you some background, Oprah hosted a baby shower for Catherine Shranks in December last year (sounds like a long time ago, but it was only a month!) while she was in Melbourne. It was hosted at a local baby boutique, Bebe, and styled by Sharnel the web-mommy of My Life My Loves blog and you can see pictures of the "to die for" pink baby shower that Oprah hosted right there on her blog!

And what a delightfully pink affair it was! I enjoyed looking at each and every one of the vendor's websites and when I was checking out the bakery that made the baby shower cupcakes, I hit pay dirt!

You see I am styling a black and white baby shower in the next couple of weeks. The invitation that you see above was picked since the mother-to-be showed a strong preference for black and white baby shower invitations and a shower color scheme of black, white and red! I was in the process of checking into black and white baby shower decorations when I found the perfect cupcakes for the shower right there on Sweet Cupcakes and Treats which is the bakery that created the pastel pink, floral cupcakes for Oprah's party.

The black and white cupcakes are called "Fred Astaire". They are in shiny silver jackets, and have thin, black stringwork bows with a silver, edible bead decorating the center. Alongside them are white on white cupcakes in silver cups with silver decorations. They remind me of a tuxedo and are VERY elegant; just perfect for the black and white baby shower invitations. And if I'm right, my red camellias should be in bloom right in time to provide free flowers for my floral centerpieces! What can say? Sometimes just the perfect inspirations just falls in your lap and when it does; I would be the last person to complain!

CYBER BABY SHOWER IDEAS

2011-01-17T13:43:00.000-08:00

With so many families miles apart, I get more and more requests for cyber baby shower ideas. If you aren't familiar with this kind of baby shower, it's not actually a baby shower theme. It's a baby shower that takes place via the internet using a service like Skype or Facebook or some other virtual location in cyberspace.

Needless to say when all the visuals and communication take place via a webcam or through keystrokes, hostesses have to really focus and be creative to give the affair a festive atmosphere and to make all of the virtual guests feel like they are taking part in the celebration.

CYBER BABY SHOWER INVITATIONS
Just because the shower is taking place on the web does NOT mean that your invites should be delivered by email. Budget permitting, I believe that cards delivered the old-fashioned way using the United States Postal Service is one tradition that is well worth keeping.

CYBER BABY SHOWER DECORATIONS

No mother-to-be can feel properly showered without decorations. One of the best cyber baby shower ideas I've seen was to have a cute banner made with the baby's name on it and pop them in the mail in time for the guest of honor in time for the party! The banner will make a nice backdrop and the guests will be able to see it while mom is opening her gifts.

CYBER BABY SHOWER GIFTS

And speaking of gifts, it's a great idea for the guests to choose items from the guest of honor's registry, have all gifts shipped directly to her and then she can open them while her cyber guests watch!

I'm sure as this type of shower becomes more commonplace, there will be more and more cyber baby shower ideas to share. Meanwhile, the best advice is to forget that you are chatting via the internet and behave as though everyone is together in the same room and have a great time. Appreciate the times we live in and enjoy that distance doesn't keep you from celebrating with your friends and taking part in important events! Isn't it nice to know that with today's technology, we're never far apart!

CLOTHESLINE BABY SHOWER THEME

2011-01-16T10:37:00.000-08:00

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There are lots of ways to make a CLOTHESLINE BABY SHOWER THEME memorable, fun and filled with joy. As with all successful baby shower themes, the tone of a clothesline shower is set with the invitations.

If you know the baby's gender, a background of pink or blue lets your potential guests know right away whether their shower gifts should be for a baby boy or a baby girl! And speaking of clothesline baby shower invitations, I just read a very cute idea that will give your friends an opportunity to show off their creativity AND will provide you with some very original and unique baby shower decorations!

Choose your clothesline baby shower invitations and then tuck a paper onesie, dress or t-shirt (depending on whether the shower is for a baby boy, girl or a baby whose gender is unknown) inside each one of the invites' envelopes. You can GO HERE to find a t-shirt template as well as a baby onesie template that you can use as a pattern for your drawing.

You will then tuck one of the baby onesie or t-shirt shapes inside each envelope along with a note with wording indicating that your guests are to decorate the front of their paper baby clothes, write a note to the mother-to-be on the back and bring their artwork with them to the shower.

When the guests arrive, have a hostess greet them, collect their artwork and clip their paper baby outfits to a special clothes line using color coordinated wooden clothes pins. You will find that the display quickly grows in size and becomes a charming, decorative focal point for your clothesline baby shower theme.

When the party is over, all of the paper baby clothes can be collected and put into a scrapbook as a keepsake for the mother-to-be along with pictures from the shower to preserve those special memories that she, and the baby, will enjoy for many years to come.

To show your appreciation to the guests that shared in the celebration, t-shirt or onesie shaped cookies in a special goodie bag will make excellent clothesline baby shower favors.

DUCK BABY SHOWER CAKE IDEAS

2011-01-15T09:17:00.001-08:00

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Just when you think you've seen all of the ducky or rubber duck baby shower cake ideas, in slips something unique that you never have seen before. As I mentioned in a previous post, I was recently hostess of a neutral rubber ducky baby shower and spent more than a little amount of time shopping for cute baby shower decorations and centerpieces. Not meaning to pat myself on the back, but I really hit it out of the park in both categories with the help of a very savvy florist here in town. Ok, that's enough about the cute table decorations.

The purpose of this post is to showcase this duck themed cupcake display for a baby girl. Usually yellow duck baby shower themes are chosen because the mother-to-be doesn't know or doesn't want to know the gender of her unborn baby and most duck baby shower cake ideas completely exclude gender specific colors of pink and blue. But here we have
a cute little, white duck cake topper swimming along on a small island of baby blue floating on a large sea of cupcakes with pink frosting. What a wonderful duck baby shower cupcake idea for boy and girl twins!

The collection of cupcakes gives the same visual as a sheet cake only requires no special serving tools. It's kind of a "pull apart" baby shower cake that could be adapted to many different baby shower themes. This one is going in my folder of baby shower ideas for sure!

RUBBER DUCK BABY SHOWER DECORATIONS

2011-01-10T11:56:00.000-08:00

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Would you believe that these rubber duck baby shower decorations cost less than $5? I can't take all the credit for the ideas though. You see, I needed a yellow ducky baby shower centerpiece and went to the florist to pick out flowers and she gave me the instructions. The floral designer is not only a personal friend of mine but baby shower ideas are her specialty. When I told her the theme of the shower, she asked me right away if I had my heart set on a centerpiece of flowers. The puzzled look I gave her called for a little clarification and she then shared her ideas for the homemade centerpiece that you see in the above picture.

The bottom line is that I saved a bundle on rubber duck baby shower decorations by following her advice. In fact, the money I saved more than covered the cost of my baby shower invitations! And in case you're worried that she got in trouble with her employer or that she is putting her own store out of business by handing out decorating advice that sends hostesses out the door, don't worry. Her shop has so many cute wreaths, floral arrangements and handmade baby shower decorations that you could never find anywhere else that she can easily afford to give cost-cutting tips from time to time. She knows that most of her customers never leave the store empty-handed!

VINTAGE FROSTY BABY SHOWER THEME

2010-12-16T11:53:00.000-08:00

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I just saw some pictures of the sweetest vintage frosty baby shower theme and no..the decorations or theme of the party didn't have anything to do with Frosty the Snowman as you will see if you visit Meg Kat's blog as I did.

The pictures of old-fashioned floral arrangements include a combination of ivory white and red roses and hand-glittered pine boughs that are both elegant, "frosty" and right out of days gone by. The decorations are sentimental by design but there's a twist; handmade, pleated signs that were made from pages from old books that are edged with yet MORE glitter and a sweet center medallion that says "BABY"!

The savvy crafter who made the centerpieces also created a matching banner that repeats the theme of the centerpieces as well as some more of the fluffy, white coffee filter balls (I have seen lots of these at showers lately) suspended over the snack table.

This vintage frosty baby shower theme is filled with affordable ideas for a holiday celebration and I can't wait to try making some of the baby shower decorations out of the pages of some old books myself. These pictures were posted just in time because I was about to throw the vintage books away (less some of the pictures that I saved) because the pages were coming loose from their bindings and the covers were not in good shape. But don't wait on me; go over to Meg Kat's blog and see the pictures for yourself!

PEA POD BABY SHOWER THEME

2010-12-14T08:20:00.000-08:00

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Aren't these sweet pea baby shower invitations absolutely perfect for a pea pod baby shower theme? I am co-hostessing a shower for a friend who is expecting twins and the other hostesses agreed that this was the best of all the baby shower themes for twins that we had to choose from since the babies' nursery is decorated in green and yellow!

We have some 2 Peas in a Pod balloons ordered and I just read a blog with some great ideas for a very practical centerpiece that is chock full of baby blankets and diapers that mommy gets to take home as a gift! Orange It Lovely also helped put together a peapod baby shower theme recently and she posted some excellent instructions on how to make CUTE diaper bundles for centerpieces.

She said that she wasn't sure if the actual name of her sweet pea decorations was accurate, but when I saw how precious the diapers wrapped in receiving blankets were...I could have cared less what anybody calls them! I just knew I wanted to include everything needed to make them on my list of sweet pea party supplies!

If you want to get a supply list and read how she made the arrangements, I highly recommend that you make a visit to her blog!

WARM n COZY BABY SHOWER MENU IDEAS

2010-12-13T14:15:00.000-08:00

Writing about food and warm n cozy baby shower menu ideas seemed like a good topic today since we are smack dab in the middle of the Artic Express (read: it's FREEZING)! When the weather outside is frightful, there's nothing like walking into a warm and welcoming home that smells like Heaven.

And you don't have to be a gourmet cook or hire a fancy catering service to have your baby shower venue smelling like a dream come true. Comfort food is always appreciated, SO easy to make and there's an added bonus. Most of the recipes have ingredients that are staples in any kitchen's cupboard which leaves more of your budget available for buying baby shower gifts and party decorations!

The stars of my warm n cozy baby shower menu ideas are none other than grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup and some homemade Danish Wedding cookies. If you were expecting a list of foods that was just a bit more exciting you should know that
I didn't just pull this winning combination out of my hat or my need for something easy to cook for supper. I went to a friend's shower yesterday and on the food table, she had star shaped sandwiches, two tureens full of soup and plates of the most delicious cookies ever!

Her decorations were homemade paper snowflakes and huge, fluffy balls that she had made out of coffee filters. They looked a lot like the tissue paper balls that Martha Stewart inspired everybody to make only she said that the coffee filters were much easier to manage with the only drawback being that you didn't have the color choices that you have using tissue paper.

RUBBER DUCK BABY SHOWER IDEAS

2010-12-11T15:20:00.000-08:00

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Here are a few rubber duck baby shower ideas that will make a big "SPLASH" without draining your wallet dry. If you will excuse all of my attempts to make rubber ducky funnies let's get on with it!

YELLOW DUCK BABY SHOWER DECORATIONS

There's no need to spend money at the florist for expensive centerpieces for the tables. Visit either your local craft supply store or even the local hardware store (depending on the size of the washtub that you are looking for) and buy enough round,tin tubs to have one for each table that you will be decorating. If you find a good deal, you may want to buy extras because there are several ways you can use them for your duck baby shower like as a substitute for a gift basket or you could fill small buckets with favors instead of a goody bag or box. After you center the galvanized tubs on each table, fill them 3/4 full with water and float several rubber duckys on the water. VOILA! Instant duck theme baby shower centerpieces!

YELLOW DUCK BABY SHOWER FAVORS

Buy a duck shaped cookie cutter and bake your own sugar cookies. Fill your guests' goodie bags (or tins if you read the above paragraph) with delicious treats that are just...DUCKY!

These are very cheap rubber duck baby shower ideas considering that you will be making your own baby shower favors and centerpieces!

EASY HOMEMADE BABY SHOWER GIFTS

2010-12-11T14:17:00.000-08:00

I'm always looking for easy homemade baby shower gifts ideas to share with all of you AND to add to my list of stuff that I want to make myself when and if I ever get time to unpack all of my knitting and crochet yarn, fabric and crafts supplies. If I could ever get around to that, there's just no telling how many cute homemade baby gifts I could churn out...but I digress and I will have to use what what I already have unpacked and in my closet before I dig out any more. Storage is at a premium in my crafts room, people!

Awhile ago, I got an invitation to a friend's baby shower (who should be delivering a sweet baby girl anytime now!) and I know how this mom loves to get gifts that are handmade. She would never put a lot of pressure on me, but let's just say she hinted and winked quite a bit!

Anyway, with all that hinting, I got moving and managed to produce some cute things made from some FREE BABY PATTERNS that I found and got them wrapped in time for her shower. I don't have any pictures to upload because my hard drive crashed but I want to tell you about the precious baby bib that I made out of some quilted fabric, a pair of pants that I made from soft fleece AND by jingies I managed to knit a cute, pink ribbed baby hat out of some Wool Ease Chunky yarn in a HURRY so that I could call it a set!

These were all super easy homemade baby shower gifts that I would have enjoyed making if I hadn't been so rushed. The picture on the baby hat shows it knitted with blue yarn, but don't let that put you off if you need a gift for a baby girl. Go here
to see the picture and read the instructions which are geared for knitters that have skills somewhere between the beginner and advanced level.

The bib pattern worked up so fast and easy that anybody could make it and I plan to make many, many more to have on hand in my stash of gifts and baby shower decorations. And the pants pattern is also one that I will use over and over again because it can be resized as my kids grow and not just used as a pattern for baby gifts for others.

CHRISTMAS BABY SHOWER FAVORS

2010-12-06T10:52:00.000-08:00

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Are you planning a December baby shower? Will you be giving Christmas baby shower favors or will you proceed in the same way that you might if the shower were planned for any month of the year? Some hostesses prefer not to bring the holidays into their baby shower theme because of religious reasons or in consideration of the religious beliefs of others.

If that's the case, you probably should visit one of our other pages to find the best baby shower favors for your theme. But for those of you who can't get enough holiday fun, HO HO HO and references to all things Santa Claus, we have a few suggestions for cheap, affordable Christmas baby shower favors!

CHRISTMAS ORNAMENTS

What with breakage and all, you can never have too many Christmas ornaments.

GUEST SOAPS & HAND TOWELS

Santa isn't the only guest that will be dropping in during the holidays! Your guests will appreciate some festive soap and a hand towel to dress up their bathroom. This gift makes a lovely presentation and if you shop smart, you can buy the set for less than $5!

CANDLES

In my opinion, Christmas is a season best enjoyed by candlelight. Distribute decorative candles (unlit of course!) along with the rest of your baby shower decorations throughout the venue that have been tagged with the names of your guests. As the festivities are winding down, instruct your friends to pick up the candle with their name on it as they leave with your sincere thanks for sharing in the celebration.

I've been cruising through some of the most wonderful crafts shows lately and still have a few more yet to come. So, expect more recommendations for festive Christmas baby shower favors in the days to come!

ARE BABY SHOWER GAMES NECESSARY

2010-12-06T09:01:00.001-08:00

Are baby shower games necessary? Have you ever wondered why we play those silly baby shower games? I hear from so many of you that say you would rather not play games at your friends' baby showers and who hasn't seen at least one mother-to-be cry over the string game where everybody guesses the measurement of her waistline?

One of the worst experiences that I ever had in my life was when a co-hostess decided at the last minute that the string game would lots of fun to play at a coed baby shower. In front of the guys? Really? I could have died but luckily the guest of honor was a good sport and had a VERY supportive husband who made the announcement in front of everyone that he considered himself to be the luckiest man alive to have such a beautiful wife! Awww.....how sweet!

But getting back to why we play baby shower games, they can be lame or even downright upsetting, but they are also an excellent way to break the ice at a party where all of the guests don't know each other well. If the celebration involves family that already knows each other, you probably don't need this especially if one or more members of the group say they would rather skip them. If some of the guests seem disappointed and want to play maybe you can suggest that they only do one or two games or giving those who would prefer a chance to opt out of playing if they really don't want to play.

ARE BABY SHOWER GAMES NECESSARY AT MY SHOWER?

What should you do if you are the guest of honor and would like to make the suggestion that the hostess not make plans to play baby shower games? Is there a way to make this request without sounding like an ingrateful, spoiled brat? Well, you might start with compliments on her menu selection, her creative baby shower decorations and tell her how very thankful you are that she wanted to throw the shower for you. After you have expressed your sincere appreciation, then you can test the water to see if she would be insulted. If there is the slightest hint of hesitation, my answer to your question, "Are baby shower games necessary?" would have to be (in this case), yes.

To avoid hurt feelings and the possibility of losing a friend who cared enough to spend time to bring together a group of people, feed and entertain them I would stand on my head much less play baby shower Bingo, wouldn't you?

ANGEL BABY SHOWER INVITATIONS

2010-12-04T09:51:00.000-08:00

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Even though there are lots of angel baby shower invitations mailed throughout the year, during the holidays an angel baby shower theme takes on a more spiritual or religious meaning. It goes without saying that every child is a gift from Heaven above whether they are born in December or on the 4th of July. But where the baby shower decorations and invitations for a celebration at other times of the year for an angel themed party might be whimsical and cute, devout parents expecting a baby to be delivered near the date when Christians celebrate the birth of Christ our Lord and Savior may prefer their newborn to be welcomed in a manner that is reverent with consideration to the family's beliefs.

ANGEL BABY SHOWER INVITATIONS

A favorite Bible verse is a favorite way to personalize cards of all kinds in all seasons, but it would be especially appropriate to include a passage referring to the angels heralding the birth of the Christ child on an invitation for a celebration during the holidays.

Instead of scripture, you might include a short poem. Here are some examples of generic angel baby shower invitation wording that will be super to use during the Christmas season:

Our own little angel will soon be here

That will bring his or her special brand of Christmas cheer

or

Our special little Angel is on his or her way

And is expected to arrive somewhere close to Christmas day

Please join us to share some gifts and have some holiday fun

And celebrate the arrival of this special little one

And as far as color is concerned; white cards with gold letters would be very elegant as well as midnight blue cards with gold lettering.

CHRISTMAS ANGEL BABY SHOWER DECORATIONS

Angel baby shower ideas that are lighthearted and fun might include baby shower decorations on the gift and serving tables like clouds of cotton wool or if you prefer edible decorations, cotton candy in your choice of pink, blue or solid white anchored by inexpensive holiday decorations reflecting the color scheme of your choice. Silver or gold would add sparkle and provide a festive atmosphere.

CHRISTMAS BABY SHOWER FAVORS

Silver or gold cherub figurines or personalized votive candles can be used to decorate tabletops and sent home with your guests as a remembrance of the day and a token of your appreciation. The angelic cherubs with their wings would be a perfect match for your angel baby shower Heavenly inspired invitations and completely gender neutral if a unisex baby shower theme is needed.

SNOWMAN BABY SHOWER

2010-12-01T07:42:00.000-08:00

SEE MORE HERE

These baby blue and white snowman baby shower invitations are just the perfect announcement for a baby boy's shower! It's true that a holiday or Christmas baby shower theme comes to mind when you see invitations with a snowman on the front of the card. But I can't see why they should be used exclusively during the holidays especially since the best snowfalls and chances for playing in the snow (at least in my location) in big, fluffy drifts that are over a kids' head and making a world class snowman usually comes after Christmas and New Year's!

BLUE AND WHITE CHRISTMAS BABY SHOWER THEME

Every few years, I drift away from traditional red and green Christmas colors. There are times when nothing but holly berries and pine boughs as decorations look just right to me. But for those times when red and green don't strike my fancy, I have a white flocked Christmas tree and lots of blue Christmas ornaments to fall back on. When I found these festive, blue and white snowman baby shower invitations, baby shower decorations and plates...I knew that I would be adding them to my stash ready for the next Christmas party for a baby boy! If a baby girl is expected, I hope that I can find some cute, pink little snow girl invitations and tableware!

CHRISTMAS BABY SHOWER GAMES

2010-11-28T07:07:00.000-08:00

SEE MORE HERE

It's certainly not limited to baby showers, but Dirty Santa is one of the best, fun Christmas baby shower games EVER! Some people call this wild game the Gift Takeaway Game or Pass the Present, Please but I just call it loads of fun. It's a perfect game to play at a Christmas themed coed baby shower. The guys as well as the girls get a real kick out of "taking away" each other's gifts.

HOW TO PLAY

When you send out the Christmas baby shower invitations, instruct each guest to bring a wrapped gift so that there will be one per person under the Christmas tree. You might indicate the kind of gift they are to bring such as a gag gift, a baby gift or even a sexy gift (which is hiliarious at a coed shower) or set a price limit.

As the guests arrive, tag each gift with a number before placing it underneath the tree or in the gift pile in the center of the venue if a tree is not part of your holiday baby shower decorations. You will also write a corresponding number on a folded piece of paper for each gift and put it in a bowl. These pieces of paper will be drawn by each guest to indicate which gift they get when the Christmas baby shower games begin.

When it's time to play, arrange chairs in a circle and pass the bowl with the folded pieces of paper to each guest and have them draw a number starting with a guest seated on one side of the circle and taking turns to the left working your way around the group.

Each person (other than the first player which must draw a number and get a gift from under the tree to start things off) has the option to draw a number and take a gift from the pile or steal a gift that was previously drawn from someone else.

It's a good idea to set some rules for taking each others' gifts, such as a limit to the times each gift can be stolen. The gifting atmosphere is just perfect for a Christmas theme baby shower even though Santa takes a turn at playing Scrooge!

TOP BABY GIFT IDEAS FOR 2010

2010-11-25T08:21:00.000-08:00

Here's my list of top baby gift ideas for 2010 that I know you all have been anxiously awaiting! I wracked my feeble brain to come up with some new baby gift ideas for those of you who have no clue what mom already has bought for her neworn.

Perhaps you live on the other side of the country (or the world?) and want to send a new baby gift that will be appreciated no matter how many baby showers the mother-to-be has already had or how well prepared her nursery may be. The gift list is geared towards family members and friends who may have no knowledge of what products that babies need or have no idea what new moms want!

TOP BABY GIFT IDEAS for 2010

1. Personalized Baby Bibs

2. Handmade Baby Booties

3. Baby bath products - Shampoo, soap and a personalized wash cloth

4. Burp Cloths

I really tried hard to come up with a TOP 5 NEW BABY GIFT IDEAS LIST, but my mind went totally blank at 4.

Are you wondering how I chose the baby gifts that made the list?

The answer is actually pretty simple; all of the gifts are something that a new baby needs, each gift that I suggested can be personalized thus making them very special AND all of the recommendations either tend to get lost, Mommy can't have enough of them or have a tendency to look worn or get stained rather quickly and need to be freshened up.

Just so you know, custom made hair bows for baby girls almost made my list of
TOP BABY GIFT IDEAS for 2010 since they have a habit of falling off and being lost but since they are gender specific, I skipped them.

Thanksgiving Baby Shower Ideas

2010-11-24T13:27:00.000-08:00

SEE MORE HERE

The shower that went to this afternoon had some interesting and tasty Thanksgiving baby shower ideas that were so traditional that they truly caught me by surprise! Although the tableware and decorations might indicate that the only reason this party would be classified as such was the timing there were certain characteristics that were Thanksgiving all the way!.

Thanksgiving Baby Shower Decorations

The tablecloth on the serving table was made of white linen with a rustic burlap fabric overlay. The chargers that were placed underneath tin serving platters that held a variety of crackers were round slabs of wood with the bark left on them. The floral centerpiece was a feast of fall colors and there were individual orange and gold tulips in clear vases. The paper napkins were bright orange and had an inspirational quote about being thankful printed on them. I can't remember the exact quote and darn it, I forgot to bring one home with me! There were no pictures of Tom Turkey on the plates or decorations but the fact that the shower was planned to take place the day before the Thanksgiving holiday and the quote on the napkin indicated that it was indeed a Thanksgiving baby shower theme. Otherwise, the color scheme would have been just fine for a Fall baby shower planned for the month of September, October or even earlier in November.

THANKSGIVING BABY SHOWER MENU IDEAS

The hostesses really went all out with comfort food that filled the venue with wonderful smells that brought back childhood memories of holidays spent at my grandmother's house. The scents that took me on that trip down memory lane were coming from traditional dishes that are normally not seen (and enjoyed!) at a baby shower but more in keeping with Thanksgiving and Christmas. There were wedges of apple pie topped with triangles of cheese, spiced cider and some amazing cranberry and pecan relish and perhaps the most amazing of all the Thanksgiving baby shower ideas of all was turkey sandwiches! I didn't expect to be enjoying those until noon on Black Friday!

THANKSGIVING CLOTHES FOR BABIES

2010-11-02T14:48:00.000-07:00

I love baby Christmas outfits but for the life of me can't forgive the lack of Thanksgiving clothes for babies! The only baby Thanksgiving outfits I can find are a few jumpers and long-alls that have a turkey embroidered on the bib. Now what's up with that, please?

And speaking of bibs, there are LOTS of Thanksgiving theme baby bib and burp cloth sets for sale. In addition to the selection of "Baby's First Thanksgiving" bibs, some of them have funny sayings on them like "MY FAMILY IS THANKFUL FOR ME!", "I'M THANKFUL FOR MY DADDY" and a couple even label the little doll as "MY LITTLE TURKEY"!

Thanksgiving is a holiday where most families spend a large amount of time around the dining room table reflecting on all their many blessings, doting on the new additions to the group and perhaps reminiscing of the good times spent with those that are no longer with us other than in spirit.

Some call it a "food based" holiday and I have to agree since I'm known to enjoy my turkey and dressing. But in my mind, Thanksgiving deserves just as much recognition as Christmas especially since I hear so many people say that they actually enjoy it more since there's not as much pressure. So, why are there not more Thanksgiving clothes for babies in the stores? Is it because the Pilgrims set the tone for a solemn celebration and Christmas is full of HO HO HO and cute little elves?

I suppose I will buy my oldest daughter a new chocolate brown corduroy jumper and have it personalized with a cute turkey and pass her old jumper down to the next one in line. Dark brown does a great job of hiding stains but I think I will still dress it up with a nice new bib just for fun.

For the record, I want to talk about Thanksgiving baby shower decorations just a little bit before I move on to Christmas baby shower ideas, don't you?

EASY HALLOWEEN CUPCAKES

2010-10-28T09:47:00.000-07:00

I stumbled into the ghost design of these easy Halloween cupcakes. Before I tell you the how and why of decorating the cupcakes, let me me warn you to NEVER, EVER let people know that you are learning to decorate cakes (or cupcakes) with fondant because they will come up with more requests for free cakes than you can shake a stick at!

These well meaning friends and family members will completely overlook the fact that you are a beginner that doesn't know squat about how thick or thin to roll the fondant sheets let alone the finer details of sculpting cute ghosts, witches or goblins to use as toppers.

Now, getting back to how to make these easy Halloween cupcakes I must confess that I took the quick and easy way out and used a yellow cake mix and store bought frosting to save time. Not being an experienced, professional baker that performs well under pressure this was the best route to take.

I colored the frosting that I used to cover the tops of the cupcakes black using gel food coloring. The frosting is no where near as smooth as it seems in the pictures, but it still looks presentable.

After all of the cupcakes were frosted, I tried to use a cute ghost Halloween template as a pattern for cutting out the fondant but the edges were not smooth and the outline of the ghost template was too small for me to use a cutter. In a panic, I started digging in my cookie cutter box and found a tiny angel which as things turned out, made a very nice ghost after using a frosting tip to make two spooky eyes. The fondant made these easy Halloween cupcakes much easier than if I had had to pipe the ghost topping. They are so cute and were so easy to make that I plan to keep these in my notebook of Halloween baby shower ideas along with my collection of Halloween baby shower decorations and menu ideas!

HALLOWEEN COSTUME IDEAS for PREGNANT WOMEN

2010-10-28T06:40:00.000-07:00

Here are some of the best last minute Halloween costume ideas for pregnant women that will get that cute little baby bump working for you that are both FAST and CHEAP! Why should you miss out on all the fun just because your waistline is temporarily expanded? Pregger chicks like to go Trick or Treating, too!

If this pregnancy is not your first you may have older kids who would be heartbroken if mommy didn't dress up and join them in the fun. If you have several kids to dress up, that's all the more reason you need some quick and easy pregnant Halloween costumes. These last minute Halloween costumes can be put together FAST plus they are comfortable enough to wear so that the mother-to-be can last until it's time for the last little goblin to go home.

Some of the outfits are funny and some are just downright hilarious and who can't use a good laugh(during pregnancy or any other time for that matter?). Choose the best Halloween costume for you and if you add your own cute decorations or use one of our suggestions to highlight a particular aspect of your own personality, please drop a comment and tell us all about it!

FUNNY HALLOWEEN COSTUME IDEAS for PREGNANT WOMEN

1. CAN YOU SAY MOOOOO? Trim the wrist and hand portion from a pair of rubber kitchen gloves (the thicker and pinker the better) keeping the finger portion in tact. Using a whip stitch sew the fingers onto a black maternity top on each side of your baby bump ala a cow's udders.

2. Cut a round opening in the front of a t-shirt (does NOT have to be a maternity shirt) making your pregnant belly visible after having painted it as:

A. a Jack o Lantern
B. a fish bowl
C. planet earth
D. a porthole with a baby peeking through.

HALLOWEEN COSTUME IDEAS for PREGNANT COUPLES

This Halloween costume idea requires that dad be a super good sport since he basically has to dress in "drag" for it to be effective. Your partner will dress up as a woman and the pregger chick will dress as a rough and ready guy with a huge beer belly. Clothing and supplies include worn out work pants, a tight, stained (a t-shirt with a redneck slogan or beer logo is cool!) shirt that accentuates your belly, a cap, leather boots and artificial facial hair. Appropriate accessories would be a can of snuff in the back pocket and a "spit can" if gross and disgusting is the way you want to go!

BEAUTY QUEEN in TROUBLE

Every baby is a gift from on high but evidence of an unplanned pregnancy might seem slightly "off" on a would-be beauty queen. Clothing and accessory requirements for this costume would be the most elaborate gown you can find that will accommodate your belly and personalize a satin sash with a funny saying like "Miss Planned Parenthood", Miss Ultra-Congeniality or "Most Popular". Throw in an addled escort and you have a funny last minute Halloween costume for pregnant couples!

HALLOWEEN BABY SHOWER IDEAS

2010-10-25T16:56:00.000-07:00

After posting the resource for free printable Halloween baby shower invitations a week or so ago, I got a few requests for Halloween baby shower ideas that were cute rather than macabre. Macabre? Who would ever dream that I would suggest that bloody, ghoulish baby shower decorations would be a good thing?

For those of you who are aware that I honed my party planning skills back in my sorority days I want you to know that I know the difference between decorating for a baby showers and decorating a sorority house! Back in the day, buckets of blood was one of my favorite themes but I know what's appropriate and what's not...thank you very much.

On that note, I don't see anything wrong with decorating the venue with a harvest moon theme, cute ghosts (kids in sheets) or even black cats. I'm on the fence about witches and one hostess balked at using spooky baby shower decorations altogether and I respect everyone's views but I just can't find anything offensive or evil about the cute little ghost cupakes in this video tutorial no matter how hard I try!

BABY SHOWER TEA BAG FAVOR

2010-10-22T13:49:00.000-07:00

A baby shower tea bag favor is a favorite item to tuck into goodie bags and favor boxes for many different kinds of showers and especially for a tea party baby shower. Since they have caught on in such a big way, you can actually buy tea bags that have tags to match your baby shower invitations which is a big time saver.

But, frankly, I like to make my own because I like to choose the tea flavors and to personalize them myself to match the colors of my baby shower decorations or with my own choice of wording (even if it's nothing more than the date of the shower or the name of the guest of honor).

If you want to make your own, HERE'S a free template and instructions for how to make baby shower tea bag favors (or tags) with a tutorial for how to decorate them to reflect your baby shower theme. After you print out the covers you can decorate the paper with ribbons, decals, tiny bows or whatever you like and then embellish any kind of tea you choose. Some hostesses recommend white, LaserJet paper but you can experiment using any kind of paper you have on hand so long as it's thin enough to fold and thick enough to hold up to whatever kind of decorations you plan to glue onto it.

DECORATING YOUR HOMEMADE BABY SHOWER FAVORS

After you decide what kind of writing you want on your tea bag favors, you might consider adding a printed border to really dress things up or to use scrapbooking edges as a border to embellish the seams.

Some crafters say to take it easy and quote "Less is more" but my motto is to let no part of my cover go undecorated so long as my decorations don't look crowded or cluttered. I usually decorate the back of the cover just as elaborately as I decorate the front with a note of thanks to my guests for attending the party or some catchy verse with a pretty scroll underneath.

FINISHING UP

After you have covered your tea bag covers with profound wording, names, dates and decorations you will now fold it around the actual tea bag and glue the flaps in place.

Is making your own baby shower tea bag favor easy or child's play? I can't say that this is a easy craft but if you throw many baby showers it's one that is worth mastering because they make such an impressive presentation for such a cheap price. And in my world, anytime that you can make your own cheap AND attractive favors it's worth all the effort it takes to get it right!

STAR BABY SHOWER THEME

2010-10-19T15:55:00.000-07:00

A star baby shower theme is one that is super for the winter holidays and all year round when a gender neutral theme is needed; we may not know if the baby will be a boy or a girl but one thing is for sure and that’s that the baby will be the STAR of the SHOW! You can just count on that every time a newborn bounces into the world "A Star is Born".

Whether he or she will be a movie star or a rock star...well, who knows and frankly who cares since the little one is sure to put a twinkle in mom and dad’s eyes!

STAR BABY SHOWER IDEAS

Did you ever go outdoors at night, put a blanket on the lawn and do your best to count the stars and try to find the hunter, the Big Dipper or some of the other constellations with some help from an older brother or sister. I know I did and maybe that’s the reason that I’ve got more star theme baby shower decorations packed away than any other kind!

You see, star party decorations don’t just belong at a shower! Here are some of my favorite star baby shower themes and party themes. I’m sure that after you see my list, you will start to build your own inventory of silver and gold star decorations!

Twinkle Twinkle Little Star Baby Shower
Hey Diddle Diddle Baby Shower (You will need a moon AND stars to decorate for this themed shower!)
A Star is Born Baby Shower
Rock Star Baby Shower

And there’s one that I’ve been brainstorming for awhile that I just can’t wait to try and that is a Starry Starry Night baby shower theme! Vincent Van Gogh’s masterpiece as a baby shower theme...who knew?

MINUTE TO WIN IT BABY SHOWER GAME

2010-10-19T06:04:00.001-07:00

The "Minute to Win It Baby Shower Game" brings an element of mystery into your planned entertainment since your guests never know who they will be competing against until the names are drawn from a large, glass fish bowl or other receptacle holding the names of all your guests.

Suggested competitions are to see which of your guests can drink all of the water (or other beverage of your choosing) in the baby bottles first or who can successfully organize a set of alphabet magnets on the refrigerator doors or a magnetic message board first and finally who can pin a cloth diaper on a baby doll blindfolded before anyone else.

All of the above challenges should be performed in a minute or less. Not only is this one of the most exciting and fun baby shower games I've played in awhile, the necessary supplies for the Minute to Win It baby shower game are common items that most new mothers already have lying around the nursery or the kitchen making it qualify to be on my list of FREE baby shower games since I have rarely had to buy anything other than prizes for the winners.

Preparation for the game is quick and easy as well! All you have to have is the guest list for the baby shower in order to fill the bowl with names written on folded slips of paper, baby bottles filled with water, a set of magnetic letters, a length of fabric to use as a blindfold, a cloth diaper and a baby doll.

This game will work with any baby shower theme that you have planned and to make things interesting, you can easily come up with your own competitions in addition to or to replace the ones that I have suggested here.

HILARIOUS BABY SHOWER GAME

2010-10-15T11:10:00.000-07:00

The "How Babies are Made Baby Shower Game" is an HILARIOUS baby shower game idea that is suitable for a casual shower where the goal is just to have FUN! It's ideal for a celebration where the guestlist includes a group of close friends that don't embarrass easily. Some of my friends have included it as part of the entertainment at a co-ed baby shower, but you really need to watch the video not only to get instructions on how to play the game but to see if the couples that will be attending would be on board.

SUPPLIES

You will need to have one roll of bathroom tissue and one toilet plunger for each couple that plays the game.

HOW TO PLAY

Have half of the guests line up on one side of the room with plungers between their knees and the other half facing them on the opposite side of the room with a roll of toilet paper between their knees. The object of the game is for the partners to meet in the middle and manage to get the handle of the plunger inserted into the roll of bathroom tissue and then "waddle" their way back to the starting point. The first couple who manages with dropping either the plunger or the toilet paper is the winner!

When you refer to this video too get a demonstration on how to play you will see why this hilarious baby shower game idea might be a little too risque for a baby shower where the guests don't know each other well. The upside of this game is that the supplies don't cost much, the plungers and tissue can be recycled for other uses making up for the money spent on cute baby shower decorations!

PERSONALIZED VINTAGE BABY SHOWER INVITATIONS

2010-10-15T10:47:00.000-07:00

The one drawback of retro or vintage baby shower themes is that when mom wants personalized vintage baby shower invitations it takes me from cruising the flea markets for real old-fashioned cards to spending (more) time in front of the computer looking for templates and clipart to use in making my own invites that "look" old.

I have found that the best way to do this is to scan and use the portions of an old invitation, make my own template and then print it out with a personalized poem or wording. To say that the process of making your own baby shower invitations is time consuming is an understatement and I would frankly rather skip personalizing and use a real retro invition or buy cards from a printer already personalized than spend the time. Call me lazy, but time is something I don't have a lot of and I can better spend it decorating the venue or cupcakes to complement the baby shower decorations, theme or colors.

FREE PRINTABLE VINTAGE BABY SHOWER INVITATION TEMPLATE

There is a free printable vintage baby shower invitation template here
that features a retro styles picture on the inside of the card and colorful diaper pins and lettering on the outside.

You have the option of personalizing the wording of the invitation by cutting and pasting your baby shower invitation from word processing program adjusting the size and type of font and color before you print the invitation.

I'm not crazy about the colors used in the graphics on the outside of the card. If you could adjust the color of the letters and the diaper pins it would give the personalized vintage baby shower invitations a more authentic look.

ONESIE BABY SHOWER

2010-10-10T13:06:00.000-07:00

GO HERE TO SEE MORE!

The great thing about having a onesie baby shower is that your guests create a cute gift that the mommy-to-be gets to take home and the activity doubles as entertainment. From comments that I've overheard lately, decorating a onesie is more appealing than baby shower games to lots of people.

But what about those of us who aren't that artistic and don't have a clue as to what's considered cute on the front of a baby's shirt? Not everyone pays a lot of attention to details like that. I know that even I didn't take to peeking inside of strollers and admiring infant outfits until I reached a certain age and started to imagine myself as a mother. I feel for single friends who aren't in the know about trendy baby clothes that are frankly in over their heads at a onesie decorating shower.

I actually considered making this blog post a tutorial or a printable that hostesses could print out to help those poor individuals until I found Oodles of One-Piece Designs for Babies that shows some of the cutest artwork I've ever seen on the front of a baby's body suit and you can buy the book for less than $10!

Why don't you do yourself a favor and buy this book to have on hand for your next clothesline baby shower or onesie baby shower and you can even pass it on to the mother-to-be as a baby shower gift.

OWL THEME BABY SHOWER

2010-10-02T06:07:00.000-07:00

We used to get a lot of searches for owl theme baby shower ideas in fall. It should come as no surprise to those of you who pay close attention to baby shower themes that since we have come to accept these beautiful birds in colors far beyond what Mother Nature intended that their popularity is now year round.

Traditional color schemes of brown, orange and cream or beige are best for showers after Labor Day and since this post is within that time frame, I wanted to direct your attention toward the free owl craft ideas and printables that can be found on the web as I speak AND to tell those of you that are Vera Bradley fans that one of the best (read: cheap!) owl theme baby shower ideas that I have beyond the article that I mentioned earlier is that a diaper bag in the Vera Bradley Night Owl pattern would make a lovely gift for a mom with an baby owl nursery theme! Or a smaller Night Owl Maggie bag (less than $15!) filled with samples, baby formula coupons or a cute pacifier would look super displayed among the hostess' baby shower decorations and be a big hit with the mommy-to-be!

FREE PRINTABLE HALLOWEEN BABY SHOWER INVITATIONS

2010-09-30T13:31:00.000-07:00

The frost is on the pumpkin and the search for free printable Halloween baby shower invitations is afoot! Clip art of witch hats, jack o lanterns and things that go bump in the night like spooky ghosts and the occasional black cat that in any other season would be totally out of place on a baby shower invitation are becoming the center of attention... at least for the next several weeks.

FREE HALLOWEEN CLIPART

Nothing says "Trick or Treat" like the silhouette of a witch on her broomstick illuminated by the light of a full harvest moon. A baby girl's shower might be just the occasion to find some witch graphics to decorate the front of your Halloween baby shower invitations.

PUMPKINS

If something less sinister is more your cup tea, pumpkin clip art can be used for so many fall baby showers! From early September on through Thanksgiving I never get tired of seeing pumpkins, do you?

FREE PRINTABLE HALLOWEEN BABY SHOWER INVITATIONS

Vintage Halloween invitations are my all-time favorite. The images on those old-fashioned cards are just delightful. One little trick that I've used in the past was to scan one of the vintage Halloween cards from my personal collection (yes, I have one) and replace the existing greeting with my own baby shower invitation wording or a short spooky verse like:

Join us to celebrate the arrival of our little pumpkin!

and then print it out on whatever card stock that I choose! If you start shopping early you may be able to find some vintage Halloween baby shower decorations to complete the theme!

Alice in Wonderland Theme Baby Shower Ideas

2010-09-15T15:18:00.000-07:00

I just had an idea of how an Alice in Wonderland Theme baby shower could be styled for a baby boy! Actually, I found the baby shower ideas here. The article didn't indicate whether the shower was for a baby boy or a baby girl, but after giving a shower a few weeks ago for a baby girl the thought had crossed my mind that it was such a cool theme that there had to be a way to tweak it if the guest of honor was expecting a boy and then I find the answer...a Mad Hatter baby shower theme!

The baby shower favors that they presented were mini-teacups with dainty floral arrangements in them and there were oversized tea cups used as flower pots scattered throughout the other baby shower decorations including glitter covered bunny rabbits, kittens and mushrooms.

Out of all the creative hostess' Alice in Wonderland Theme baby shower ideas in my opinion the unique baby shower invitations were the show stoppers. The invitations, designed by Sherry at Creative Works designs included a note from the Queen of Hearts and an 'open-me'. It was requested that the guests wear hats and the mother-to-be was sporting a mini top hat.

I can't wait until one of my friends announces that she's expecting a baby boy so that I can plan a Mad Hatter baby shower!

SPA BABY SHOWER IDEAS

2010-09-08T11:11:00.000-07:00

I've noticed lots of spa baby shower ideas being tossed around including recipes for avocado facial masks, how to instructions for setting up a virtual production line of manicure and pedicure chairs and tips for where to have the masseuse set up their tables so as not to interfere with the flow of traffic or the feng shui of the venue. The only part of the planning process that I haven't seen discussed in such detail is menu ideas.

Is this because mommies that are interested in a pampering shower are all watching their weight and don't have much interest in loading up on even low calorie, low carb baby shower food?

Not that I don't have to watch my weight, but I kind of look forward to showers with anticipation using them as an excuse to blow my diet. Yeah, I know that's not a pretty confession to have to make but the truth is the truth.

So, tell me if I'm the only person in the whole wide world that would be taken aback and feel really let down to find that I've been invited to a shower that offers facials rather than food and the only decorations are massage tables and manicure stations.

Please send in your votes as to whether you think that baby shower decorations and food should take second place to beauty treatments and while you're at it, you can share your own spa baby shower ideas and tell us what your favorite baby shower theme may be.

VINTAGE BABY SHOWER INVITES

2010-09-01T08:34:00.000-07:00

If you are toying with the idea of finding and sending out vintage baby shower invites that are truly from back in the 1950s and 1960s, you might be in for a bit of a surprise meaning that you may only be able to find gender neutral invitations. You see, long before the word "unisex" was on the radar of expectant moms, that was the route they had to take when planning a baby shower that was to take place before the birth of the baby.

Remember, that the only way of determining whether the blessed bundle was going to be a baby boy or girl in the old days was to take at the mommy-to-be's tummy to see whether the baby was being carried high or low. If that failed, retro moms might go at it by following instructions given in old wives’ tales that had at best a 50/50 rate of accuracy for the obvious reasons.

Since there was no way to know the sex of the baby, most vintage baby shower invites were in gender neutral colors and designs with a delicately balanced color scheme of pink, blue, yellow and green. The same went for the baby shower theme, hence the abundance of stork motifs and baby shower decorations that featured a stork (often with an uncanny resemblance to the family doctor) delivering the new baby cradled in a cloth diaper to the arms of excited parents.

MODERN VINTAGE BABY SHOWER INVITES

If gender neutral baby shower decorations and invitations are not your cup of tea but you had your heart set on old fashioned or retro baby shower themes, take heart. There are companies that specialize in printing invites that have an old time-y look and feel to them. The benefit to using these cards rather than digging through piles of stuff at the flea market or at garage sales is that you get to use decorations and baby shower ideas that clearly are for a boy or a girl and you have complete control over the baby shower invitation wording.

Fall Themed Baby Shower Ideas

2010-08-29T10:44:00.000-07:00

The window of opportunity for fall themed baby shower ideas is VERY tiny when you consider that it's too hot to enjoy baby shower decorations in warm colors until late September. In my part of the country, summer has been known to hang around until mid-October and we have often waited until almost Thanksgiving to see the highly acclaimed "frost on the pumpkins".

What happens is that fall baby shower invitations decorated with scarecrows and cascades of swirling leaves in shades of brown, antique white and rust are edged out by Halloween baby shower decorations featuring pictures of Jack O' Lanterns and turkeys in honor of Thanksgiving.

What I like to do is make my own invitations and blend several of the fall baby shower themes with a scarecrow or a pile of pumpkins (that have not been subjected to the knife as of yet) as the centerpiece on the front of the cards and embellish the graphics by surrounding the bright orange pumpkins, turkeys or scarecrow clipart with some colorful autumn leaves that I stick on with my hot glue gun.

I usually choose to use blank card stock so that I can change the baby shower invitation wording to reflect any fall themed baby shower ideas and baby shower decorations that strike my fancy.

ALICE in WONDERLAND BABY SHOWER INVITATIONS

2010-08-26T06:15:00.000-07:00

GO HERE TO SEE MORE!

After Katy Perry's bridal shower details were released, requests for Alice in Wonderland baby shower invitations are popping up everywhere. Being a lover of all things "storybook" (especially when such a theme might give me an opportunity to wear a costume!) I immediately started to look for ideas for an Alice in Wonderland baby shower and comparing store bought invitations with possibilities for homemade cards.

What I came up with so far is that there is a virtual treasure trove of graphics to be found online that can be used to make your own invitations or you can buy spectacular colored ones that (in my opinion) would be cool for kids' birthday parties. I actually prefer the vintage images because they remind me of the illustrations in not just this book but many of the storybooks that my mom read to me when I was a child.

There's no way that I'm the only hostess that enjoys a party with lots of old fashioned atmosphere. If you are of a like mind and want your shower to have an authentic, vintage feel you will probably want to make your own Alice in Wonderland baby shower invitations and start your search for baby shower decorations in the local consignment store, garage sales in older neighborhoods or perhaps a flea market!

Baby Pacifier Necklaces

2010-08-20T07:04:00.000-07:00

I remember an Hawaiian themed baby shower that I went to where baby pacifier necklaces (or leis decorating with crystal pacifier favors) were draped around each guest's neck by the hostesses who welcomed them as they entered the door. The girls were dressed up like hula girls complete with grass skirts and lovely floral leis decorated with multi-colored crystal pacifiers.

If I were pushed to put a name to the baby shower theme, I would have to call it a pacifier themed luau or maybe a luau with a focus on pacifiers! The creative ladies who styled this event spent a lot of time decorating the leis. I asked them how they did it and they told me that they attached each of the crystal pacifier favors individually using a needle and thread!

BABY PACIFIER NECKLACES

The leis at the doorway were very effective in setting a festive tone for the shower from the very start but...talk about time consuming! They were so nicely done and festive that in my opinion it was worth every minute but some of you don't have endless hours to spend making your own baby shower favors.

HELP IS ON ITS WAY!

If it's all you can do to come up with baby shower ideas and buy the needed baby shower decorations, there is an easier way to make your own baby pacifier necklaces. Simply buy cord long enough so that your guests can easily slip it on (I'll tell you why in just a second) and attach a single pacifier charm or you can buy ready made, (cheap) candy pacifier necklaces. They are cute, colorful and who doesn't like Lifesavers?

PACIFIER BABY SHOWER GAME
Present each guest with their necklace as they arrive then gather everyone together to make the announcement that the rules are that if anyone is spotted crossing their arms or legs throughout the shower, the person who catches anyone doing so gets to take the other person's necklace. The goal of the game is to "steal" as many of the necklaces as possible with the person who has the most necklaces at the end of the shower declared the winner.

BABY SHOWER GIFTS
With pacifier baby shower invitations, baby shower favors and games, a similar gift is in order. Present the guest of honor with a silver pacifier charm, a few fancy pacifier holders or even better, a basket filled with a huge number of pacifiers because we know you can NEVER have too many!

PINK BABY SHOWER IDEAS

2010-08-19T06:46:00.000-07:00

Here are a few pink baby shower ideas that even those who have never been a big fan of the color pink might enjoy. You might not have a single item of pink clothing in your closet and you may never, EVER think of actually decorating a room in your home using the color, but when a baby girl is expected, of course, there will be lot of pink.

The funny thing is that the mommy-to-be may who once shared your aversion to what some might consider a color best left in nature may now, with a little girl on the way, may have changed her opinion and not seem to mind it in the least!

As the hostess, what should you do? Should you:

A. Try your very best to talk her into a less "PINK" girl baby shower themes

B. Avoid a consultation with the guest of honor and decorate as you choose

or

C. Bite the bullet, and come up with some pink baby shower ideas that are tasteful and that won't transform the venue into an area that brings a big blob of chewing gum to mind.

DING, DING, DING
....We have a winner! Give mommy the little touch of pink that she craves as an accent color rather than buying baby shower decorations that leave your guests with the feeling they've been swimming in a big pink punch bowl.

Color combinations that you might consider for everything from your girl baby shower invitations to colors for the cake would be pink and green, pink and brown and save pink and white for hostesses who embrace the chance to surround themselves with cotton candy colored decor with reckless abandon.

WHO DO YOU INVITE to a BABY SHOWER

2010-08-01T07:07:00.000-07:00

With the stork visiting on a regular basis the question of who do you invite to a baby shower is the topic of many a conversation taking place at the water cooler, the neighborhood coffee klatch or the family dinner on Sunday. Choosing the baby shower invitations and baby shower decorations for the celebration is the fun part of shower planning. Determining who to invite to a baby shower can be a little more complicated.

We don't want to leave anybody out, nor do we want to bring Cousin A face to face with Cousin B for the first time since their feud began over twenty years ago just so they can have the final showdown at the party. Is it your responsibility as the hostess to be sure that family members don't duke it out over the punch bowl? Certainly, you would want to do everything in your power to keep any awkward situations at bay but keep reading and you will see that baby shower etiquette takes this burden from your shoulders.

THE BASICS

For starters, the people who are usually invited are family members, friends and occasionally co-workers. And remember, even though the hostess is who pays for the baby shower, the guest list is not her responsibility and that she should always consult with the mother-to-be for a list of whom she wants to attend.

LIMITATIONS

Since you will be footing the bill; it's perfectly alright to set some limitations as far as the number of guests that you can entertain. This is a very touchy step in the shower planning process but it's a fact of life that budget must be considered when determining who do you invite to a baby shower.

Hostesses should be very cautious in how they tell their pregnant friend that her guest list can only have X number of people on it. Perhaps the best way to avoid an uncomfortable moment is to mention when you tell her that you would like to throw a baby shower for her that you can only handle a certain number of guests. You might also indicate at this time that you would like to focus on a particular circle of friends, family members or co-workers.

Be prepared to present your case citing money issues or lack of space to accommodate a large number of people. If the number of people that you can handle and the number that your friend had in mind were worlds apart you might want to suggest that she have more than one baby shower, one for friends, one for family and another for the people that she works with rather than one huge party. Be warned that this is a very sensitive area where you should tread softly I have known friendships to be stressed to the point of fracture.

The bottom line of who do you invite to a baby shower is not really up to the hostess; it's up to the guest of honor. And once the guest list is agreed upon the mother-to-be should provide you with not only the name of her guests' but their mailing address, phone number or email address so that you can contact everyone to invite them to the party.

THE HOSTESS'S RESPONSIBILITY

Your responsibility is to get the invitations to everyone on the list. The purpose of a baby shower is to bring together a group of individuals to surround the mother-to-be with people to share in her joy and to be there for her at this time of her life. You are merely the facilitator that forwards the necessary details to her chosen guests. So now you see, who is invited to a baby shower is up to the mother-to-be not the hostess.

HOW TO THROW A VIRTUAL BABY SHOWER

2010-07-28T15:14:00.000-07:00

Before I tell you how to throw a long distance or a virtual baby shower, maybe I should tell those of you that are less high-tech by nature exactly what I'm talking about. A virtual, online or long distance baby shower is basically a baby shower that takes place on the worldwide web, the internet or whatever you want to call it.

Just like a regular shower, it can be a simple affair where a few friends who are physically miles apart gather in a chat room to offer best wishes to the mother-to-be or a more elaborate celebration might have its own website or take place in real time!

Here are some of the many ways that you can do a long distance baby shower:

SET UP A BLOG

Give your virtual baby shower its own "home page" using a free blogging service like Google Blogspot. You can customize the theme and wording and use popular colors. Think of the colorful background and themes as modern baby shower decorations!

USE A SOCIAL NETWORK

Take your pick of Facebook, Myspace or one of the many free websites focusing on pregnancy. Any of these services will give you freedom to post videos, pictures and details for your long distance baby shower as well as links to the mommy-to-be’s baby gift registry.

LIVE VIRTUAL BABY SHOWER

Get everybody together no matter how far apart they may be using Skype or Freeconferencecall.com.

BABY SHOWER GIFTS

How the gifts are delivered is completely up to you and the mother to be but whatever you decide should be outlined in the baby shower invitation wording. If you will be hosting the shower live, you might ask the guests to mail their gifts to the mom’s address by a certain date so that she can open them and thank the giver in person. This is a detail that should be worked out between yourself, the hostess, and the guest of honor depending on what type long distance baby shower you are planning.

BABY SHOWER INVITATIONS

The hostess can have invitations printed to mail out for an online baby shower just like we’ve done for the old-fashioned kind for decades. Instead of a physical address, the wording should include details about how and where the online baby shower will take place and where the expectant mom has her baby registry.

If the virtual baby shower website requires everyone to register for a membership online, tell them in the invitation to do this ahead of time to reduce the possibilities of an unexpected problem on the day of the online baby shower that would cause them to miss the festivities.

To save money, she might send out free online baby shower invitations to the guests’ email box. The benefits of using email virtual baby shower invites are multi-fold as not only do you save money, but the time that you would normally spend licking envelopes and sticking on postage stamps. Plus, there’s no risk of invitations being lost in the mail.

VIRTUAL BABY SHOWER WEBSITES
I’m happy to say that there are many excellent websites that make an online baby shower more personal and warm than you might expect. There are several excellent ones that offer an array of services for a $50 charge including a photo album, a guest book, live chat features and even baby shower games that you can play with your friends at the virtual party.

UNIQUE BABY SHOWER FAVORS

If you plan to mail your invitations, you might send your guests a keepsake of the event like a personalized bookmark or a silver charm along with the card as a favor. Shower etiquette does not require that you have favors for any shower and certainly not an online shower but it is a nice touch if your budget allows.

Long Distance Baby Shower Thank You Cards

If the invites were sent through the postal service, I would advise that mom send her thank you cards the same way. If the guests were invited via free online baby shower invitations, an online thank you note would be appropriate.

There are new virtual baby shower websites and new ways to make these celebrations special popping up everyday. You are welcome to share your long distance baby shower ideas with us using the comments form on this page.

RADICAL BABY SHOWER IDEAS

2010-07-26T14:23:00.000-07:00

Ladies, get ready for some radical baby shower ideas! Yes, it's time for my annual Baby Shower DO list! I hope I'm not too late to save us all from many boring hours since the baby shower invitations are already rolling in!

From May to July, those of us with pregnant friends (who for some reason all have an August delivery date!) spend our time brainstorming baby shower decorations, menus and gift ideas each of us looking to throw a party that blows the one that came before it right out of the water.

That in and of itself probably should be the first DON’T on my list. But not wanting to start out with negative remarks I want to first share some modern albeit radical baby shower ideas voicing how I think a shower for the mother of today should be organized.

DO FORGET SPRINKLES

I never could understand why a mom was only supposed to have a shower for her first baby. C’mon people, unless she’s having babies back to back without a breather in between chances are she gave away all her gear and baby clothes in newborn size long ago...probably to you or one of your friends. So, don’t wonder if you should give this girl a party…find some cute baby shower ideas for second or third or whatever and get going!

DO PLAN SOMETHING FUN AND ENTERTAINING

Ask the mother-to-be what she and her friends might enjoy in the way of entertainment. This is one area that I’m totally in favor of throwing tradition to the four winds and letting it fly. Be it disco dancing or playing stud poker, a baby shower CAN be a chance for girls to get together and just have a blast.

I’m not a huge fan of baby shower bingo but for those of us who are into it, rave on! On the other hand, why should ladies who wouldn’t be caught dead in a Bingo be expected to play? Another baby shower game that loses its luster (in my opinion) after the first go round is any kind of dirty diaper game. There are times when playing silly games and watching grown men wearing adult diapers can be outrageously funny and if that tickles the guest of honor’s fancy, and then by all means DO IT!

DO POSTPONE OPENING GIFTS
This is perhaps one of the most controversial, radical baby shower ideas on my list. Ask if it might be acceptable with the guest of honor if she skipped opening the gifts at the shower.

If it’s a family shower, Grandma might raise an eyebrow at this baby shower idea but if it’s a party for the girls...well, they will probably be just fine with the idea of not having to watch while one gift after another is opened. I know it's your party, Mama, but seriously...

DO MAKE MOVIES, PICTURES and MEMORIES

The more pictures, the better in my book. HOWEVER, you should never distribute them via email, include them in scrapbooks and especially never post them on a social network without the permission of the mother-to-be.

DO HAVE WONDERFUL FOOD

Party mints, cheese spread and crackers do not cut it, my friend. You are not required to put on a spread but don’t insult people who take time out to celebrate with you by giving them snacks that you poured out of a box. Grill burgers or SOMETHING!

DO HAVE A PLAN

There are plenty of websites that offer wonderful baby shower ideas that will help busy moms throw a baby shower from choosing a baby shower theme to finding cheap baby shower decorations. Before you jump in with both feet and waste a lot of time and money, visit some of these websites and get some tips.

Now....what do you think about my radical baby shower idea DO list? Are my suggestions too over the top or extreme? Or are you giving me a big ol’ virtual high five? If you have a personal list of likes and dislikes or traditions that you would love to burn why don’t you just tell me about it? Just drop a line and tell me, what is your idea of the best shower?

By the way, I was going to have a list of stuff that you should NEVER do at a shower, but I ran out of room so I'll get right on that tomorrow.

FREE BABY SHOWER GIFT IDEAS

2010-07-25T08:18:00.000-07:00

Forget the cheap baby shower gift ideas, how about some FREE baby shower gift ideas? There are many ways that you can score free stuff that you can keep on hand ready and waiting to be put into service when baby shower invitations come in the mail.

COUPONS and PROMOTIONAL ITEMS

If some time has passed since you last spent your time scouring the magazine and newspaper ads for baby stuff, there is no better time to refresh your coupon clipping skills than right now! By taking advantage of freebies and promotions, you will have enough free diapers and samples to fill a gift basket in no time flat!

Set aside a special place in your linen closet (or some other pet free, smoke free location) and then, when it's time to load up and buzz over to take part in the celebration of your friend's little bundle of joy, you will be WAY ahead of the game.

HOW TO FILL A GIFT BASKET WITH FREEBIES

As soon as I open the invitation, I grab a gift basket (usually a cheap basket I pick up at Dollar Tree) and organizing my free baby shower gift ideas into those that are specifically for a baby boy shower, a baby girl shower or those that are gender neutral and start my arrangement. Presentation is everything and I don't want my gift basket to appear shabby when surrounded by all those cute baby shower decorations!

I usually have little packages of baby items like diaper shirts and onesies that I picked up for $1 on clearance sale (my last score had a retail price of over $5 and I bought it for less than a dollar!) that I decorate with bows that I make using pink, blue or neutral ribbon and use them as the centerpiece of the basket if I don't have a nice cloth diaper or diaper cover that I won in one of the giveaways that I enter. Then I surround the baby clothes with samples or freebies from my stash. I generally include around $10 to $15 worth of stuff like cute cases for baby wipes, baby wash, shampoo and baby lotion samples and free diapers if I have some on hand.

Yeah, these free baby shower gift ideas take a little more time than calling the baby boutique and asking them to gift wrap something that you pick up on your way to the shower, but we don't always have that option if you've been laid off from your job or have been hit with a medical emergency. Even if things are going great and you have lots of cash lying around, it's a fun challenge to put together a baby shower gift basket filled with free stuff that will be the standout on the gift table!

MIND BLOWING BABY SHOWER GAME IDEA

2010-07-22T15:18:00.000-07:00

Here's a mind blowing baby shower game idea that will appeal to the practical jokesters or tricksters among you. The great thing about this game is that you don't have to have a lot of supplies, it doesn't take a long to play so your guests won't get bored with it and we got a HUGE laugh out of it at a shower that I recently attended.

There really aren't many rules to abide by and you will have to do a little planning ahead of time but it's still an easy and fun game to play.

Before the guests arrive, load a tray or fill a basket with baby stuff that are in your baby shower theme or to match the colors of your baby shower decorations. You might buy some small items to present to the guest of honor at the end of the game (whether she actually wins or not).

When it's time for the baby shower games, choose one of the guests or one of your co-hostesses and have them walk from guest to guest showing them the items on the tray instructing them to study it and giving them a minute or so to do so. After each guest has had an opportunity to study the items on the tray, then have the person who is in charge of the to leave the room.

After she is safely out of sight of the guests, you will then pass out paper and pencils and instruct everyone to write down in detail what the person with the tray was wearing including jewelry, hair ornaments and eyewear.

It's so much fun to see how surprised everyone is when they are not asked to make a list of the baby stuff that they were told to study! The look on their astonished faces is totally hilarious because they were so busy committing all the items on the trait to memory that they completely neglect to look at anything else!

This baby shower game idea is a good one to play at co-ed showers because it's so funny to see the guys try to describe what the lady was wearing in their own words.

DAISY BABY SHOWER DECORATIONS

2010-07-21T14:21:00.000-07:00

If fresh daisies to use in your daisy baby shower decorations are just too expensive, make your own paper daisy decorations! Once you get good at it, you might try your hand at making your own daisy baby shower invitations decorated with cute, paper flowers that never droop, wilt or need water!

Whether you are making your own floral arrangements as a money saver when the budget is tight or just enjoy the challenge of tackling a paper flowers tutorial and showing off your craft skills. Whatever your reasons, if you (and some of your friends) care to take the DIY approach to making your floral arrangements to decorate the venue, paper baby shower flowers are a perfect alternative for pricey stems purchased at your local florist.

And HERE is a paper daisy pattern and easy to follow instructions to get you started. Who knows, once you master using this template and when you see what a big hit your daisy baby shower decorations are with your friends, you might want to make paper flowers to sell to other hostesses planning a floral baby shower theme and create your own cottage industry specializing in custom baby shower invitations and decorations made to order.

If you don't trust your artistic talents and are reluctant to jump in and make your own handmade flowers from the daisy template, you should call your local craft store and see if they have some lessons planned where paper crafters teach classes on how to make paper flowers. Making enough to complete all of your daisy baby shower decorations on time might be a little too much for a beginner, but that's all the more reason to get started now so that you will be ready for next time!

FREE Baby Shower Gift Idea

2010-07-20T10:37:00.000-07:00

I'm pretty pinched for money right now as are most of my friends so here is a FREE baby shower gift idea that I came across that is thoughtful and so very MODERN and high-tech! The cost of the gift is absolute nothing but your time even though I am well aware that time is money, it's not nearly as expensive as a baby gift basket or even a pair of booties PLUS if the mommy-to-be is less than computer savvy, she will really appreciate your taking the time to set up a personalized online scrapbook of her baby shower so that family members and friends can share in the fun from miles away.

So what IS this free baby shower gift idea? Get ready because you are about to set up a Myspace page dedicated to showcasing the hostess's baby shower ideas,the cute baby shower decorations and all the lovely gifts for the new baby.

And here are some tips on how to personalize your gift:

1. Use a sonogram picture or have the dad to be take some pregnant belly pictures for you to use as the profile picture.

2. The title of the page should be something to the tune of "Ann's Baby Shower" or "Ann and Bill's 1st Baby" or any personal headline that will best describe the baby shower theme or event.

3. Ask the hostess for a copy of the shower's guest list so that you can do a search for friends and relatives to invite them to be "friends" and post the first bulletin including the date of the shower, the due date and other information pertaining to the party.

4. You might also consider posting blog entries where you can announce details of the shower where loved ones can post comments and congratulations, etc.

If you want you can upload your own pictures of the shower as well as those taken by others but you can also add video complete with sound that everyone will enjoy.

This FREE baby shower gift idea gives the technologically savvy individual
an opportunity to create a personalized gift with infinite potential that may encourage the new mom and dad to start buffing up their computer skills.

Sweet Baby Shower Gift Idea

2010-07-20T10:13:00.000-07:00

I just read a sweet baby shower gift idea that I wanted to share with my visitors and the great part is that it's very touching and personal as only a homemade baby gift can be...plus, it's CHEAP and easy to make!

You won't need a whole lot of craft supplies, but you may have to visit the crafts section of your local discount store and pick up a cute "treasure box" that has a lid and a scented votive candle. If you can't find a pretty box at the craft shop, visit a flea market to find a vintage china ring box with a lid that is big enough to hold a candle or you might find what you want at a collectibles shop. After you have your box and candle, you will then need to ask the your friend's relative or the "dad to be" to snap a pregnant belly picture for you.

After you have all your supplies, place the scented votive in your pretty box and using a hole punch make a hole in the corner of the belly pic and use a color coordinated ribbon to tie the picture to the box. On the back of the picture or on a card you can write a short verse that goes something like this:

Close your eyes and say a prayer,

And when (baby name here) is finally here.

Light this candle out of love,

To thank God for sending this angel from above.

I thought this is such a sweet baby shower gift idea that you can easily personalize with the baby's name. The wording of the poem on the card would be appropriate for an angel baby shower theme or pretty much any baby shower. You might change the wording around a bit to make it even more personal if you like.

Another possibility would be to buy enough boxes and candles and use them as baby shower decorations during the festivities and then send them home with your guests as favors.

Eco Friendly Baby Shower Favors

2010-07-18T09:59:00.000-07:00

You might laugh but the inspiration for these eco friendly baby shower favors was the oil spill in the gulf. We never truly appreciate what we have until it's gone (sounds like I'm writing lyrics to a country song), right? And the idea of tar balls all over our favorite white sugar sand beach seems to have put us all in a "Save the Planet" frame of mind. To think that babies born today may never see those pristine beaches just breaks my heart and if we have to plan parties for environmental awareness, then count me in!

The key to choosing the best "green baby shower favor" is timing. For instance, if your Mother Earth baby shower theme is planned for the middle of the holiday season, a packet of wildflower seeds would not be the excellent choice that it might have been if the shower was scheduled for prime growing season (say early spring) in your area.

On the other hand pot plants or seedlings make excellent eco friendly baby shower favors for the winter months. Buy an (or make your own) attractive pot or coffee mug and some potting soil and either plant a small plant inside the "pot". For a bridal shower, you might consider using inexpensive champagne glasses to hold your plant.

You don't have to buy (or make) large flower pots or coffee mugs to make a lovely presentation. In fact, if you are pressed for time and handmade baby shower favors are out of the question you can visit the crafts and candles section in your discount store and buy small votive cups. Your eco friendly baby shower favors will have cost you less than a dollar ($1) leaving more of your budget free for cute baby shower decorations and food.

FATHER TO BE BABY SHOWER IDEAS

2010-06-05T16:13:00.000-07:00

Here are some really cute invitations and father-to-be baby shower ideas that will start him off right knowing how wonderful it is to be a dad! For starters, start cruising the party supply stores for Father's day party supplies that you can use for baby shower decorations. So what if the date of your event is nowhere near June or the 4th of July. In fact, that may even be better because you might just luck up on some cheap tableware and decorations on the discount table!

FATHER-TO-BE BABY SHOWER DECORATIONS

If the baby shower for dad is scheduled during the summer months, the back yard is one of the best venues ever for a couples shower. If the guest of honor is a grillmaster, you might want to buy some of the large mylar balloons in the shape of a barbeque grill. If he doesn't fancy himself a chef, focus your father-to-be baby shower ideas on whatever his hobby happens to be and buy plates and cups that are designed to honor the proud papa's favorite sports or activities!

Personalize the event with special couple baby shower invitations, personalize banners for the entry to the shower and if you want to give dad a real surprise, have a life size cardboard standee of the man-of-honor custom-made!

DAD BABY SHOWER GIFTS

A diaper bag for dad, a masculine baby carrier or a baby stroller with handles that are the perfect height for tall men are all lovely gifts that will make him feel a part of the baby's life from the very start.

FATHER TO BE BABY SHOWER FAVORS

You might present all the guys with their very own personalized BBQ apron as a baby shower favor or keepsakes like personalized coffee mugs or beer mug shaped candles. These cool candles make excellent centerpieces for the tables if your party is being held at night.

Sunflower Baby Shower Invitations

2010-05-17T07:39:00.000-07:00

Don't you love these sunflower baby shower invitations? A friend recently asked for my help in making her own flower shower invitations and I ended up helping her shop for favors and decorations, too! When we were shopping for ideas, we decided that in addition to the flower centerpieces for the baby shower that sunflower seeds should play a part. And don't you think that surrounding the silk sunflowers with sunflower seeds is just ideal? After the guests have come and gone your birds get a tasty treat!

SUNFLOWER BABY SHOWER INVITATIONS

I considered using a homemade invitation using this template but somehow I never could make it look cheerful and inviting like a sunflower ought to be. So, I ordered personalized invitations and was so happy that I did because they are so cute with the bright colors including pink and yellow that are so hard to print yourself.

In addition to the invitations I got address labels, and thank you cards that we ordered at the same time we ordered the invitations.

THEN we made a banner with lettering that said "SUNNY DAYS" with little birds on each ends that closely match the invitations and thank you cards. The banner turned out very nice and the mother-to-be took it home with her after the shower.

DECORATING THE TABLE

in addition to the sunflower centerpieces the table was decorated with cobalt blue and yellow plates and napkins. The brown, blue and yellow color scheme worked beautifully with the baby shower theme.

We bought tiny bird's nest baby shower favors with robin's egg soaps to use on each place setting that made lovely baby shower decorations and the guests were delighted that they got to take the nests and soaps home with them.

After we added the favors, we considered adding some cute wooden birdhouses to the side of our sunflower centerpieces, but decided against it because there wasn't really much room left on the tables.

THE PUNCH AND MENU

We looked for yellow punch recipes and decided that we didn't want to serve a yellow drink after we had a laugh about serving drinks that looked like urine specimens so we served yellow lemonade.

We wanted a crispy menu because we felt the sunflower baby shower invitations called for light and airy finger foods. The menu had fresh asparagus, crudite, chips and dip and delight fruit and pasta salads. We also offered sandwiches so that the guys wouldn't complain that they were hungry.

GAMES

We played the usual games and the guests' prizes were all in keeping with our bird's nest sunflower theme.

We played three games and the winners all got presents that were bird theme. One was a bird house, one was wind chimes with a bird house on top and the last one was a bird decoration to be used in the garden.

We thought it was a fun idea to have the gifts match the theme.

This was one cute baby shower and we were so flattered that several of the guests asked if they could "borrow" our baby shower ideas.

ONESIE BABY SHOWER GAME

2010-05-15T11:37:00.000-07:00

For a onesie shower, you will need onesie baby shower invitations, a onesie baby shower game and some cute onesie themed decorations which are easy enough to find in either baby boy or baby girl colors.

There are plenty of fun games using baby clothes where you can substitute a onesie to reflect your baby shower theme but I prefer a decorating contest to most onesie baby shower games. This is a great baby shower idea for venues where space is at a premium or for elegant baby showers where physical baby shower games might seem out of place.

All you have to do is set up a onesie decorating corner where the guests will gather to decorate onesies rather than playing traditional games.

ORGANIZATION

Set aside an area for seating and a craft station where your supplies are organized into convenient stacks.

SUPPLIES

Plain, white cotton baby onesies (varying sizes if there are more than 10 guests participating)
Permanent Fabric Markers
Templates, stencils
Scissors Fabric and iron on transfer paper
An ironing board and iron
Stiff cardboard squares to use as portable lap desks or enough craft tables and seating for your guests

At one shower where we played the onesie baby shower game, the hostess had Elmer's Painters instead of fabric markers. You can buy them at your local discount store. They come in lots of cute colors, with a wide variety of tip sizes, and in bright, bold colors that wash great.

WHAT TO AVOID
:
Two words on what to avoid...PUFF PAINT! If you decorate the onesies using puff paint, it's so stiff when it dries that it would be too uncomfortable and scratchy for a baby to wear.

Another suggestion would be to choose to decorate with markers or with iron on fabrics...not both. Keeping things simple always leaves more room for FUN!

Instruct your guests to include their signatures on their artwork they create. At the end of the party, mom will have a nice arrangement of decorated onesies (in many sizes!) and each time she dresses her baby in one of the personalized onesies she will remember what a lovely time she had at her shower!

Non-Alcoholic Pink Baby Shower Punch

2010-05-14T11:05:00.000-07:00

The last few baby girl showers that I attended had two punch bowls. One filled with non-alcoholic pink baby shower punch and the other with alcoholic pink punch that the servers let you know had a bit of a "punch" to it. Of course the mommy-to-be drank the virgin variety as much of an oxymoron as you might perceive that to be...

NON-ALCOHOLIC PINK PUNCH RECIPE

16 oz of lemonade (not pink)

2 Quarts of Ginger Ale

Cherry juice

Combine the first 2 liquids and perform a taste test. If it's too tart or sweet add more ginger ale. After you have it just how want it, it's time to add enough cherry juice to get the perfect color of pink baby shower punch.

ALCOHOLIC PINK PUNCH RECIPE

16 oz of lemonade (plain, not pink)

1 quart of ginger ale

1 quart of light rum

Cherry juice

Combine the first 3 liquids and perform a taste test (take it easy...or you'll be out for the party). If it's too sweet or tart add more ginger ale (or more rum if you dare). After you have the taste just how want it, you can now add enough cherry juice to get a oerfect match with the non-alcoholic punch bowl contents.

Before the shower, the hostess contacted me to ask me for pretty, pink baby shower punch recipes that, in her words, were not the color of Pepto Bismol. She indicated that she wanted a recipe that would be tasty, not too sweet, not too tart and that would have just the slightest touch of pastel pink so as not to clash with her baby girl shower supplies OR the alcoholic punch recipe that she planned to make.

My thoughts immediately went to a recipe that used pink lemonade and ginger ale as the main ingredients and then I wondered how on earth that a perfect match of the two recipes could be guaranteed and then it hit me...use all clear ingredients for the main recipe and then pour just enough cherry juice in each bowl to get just the right shade of pink.

Or you might use cranberry juice if you aren't particularly fond of cherry flavored drinks. The recipe above is I came up with for the non-alcoholic pink baby shower punch. I posted it there just in case the details of how I came up with the idea began to bore you.

If you have only one punch bowl and just need a single recipe for non-alcoholic pink punch, pretty much any punch using cranberry juice, cherry juice, pink lemonade or kool-aid pink lemonade as an ingredient will work with most baby shower decorations.

GIRL BABY SHOWER INVITATION IDEAS

2010-05-12T11:02:00.000-07:00

I'm always hearing from hostesses that need girl baby shower invitation ideas in cute themes and trendy colors. So, here are some tips for decorating and making your own baby girl shower invitations as well as recommendations for details to include in your invitations' wording or verses.

Custom laser cut pink bassinets and strollers are classics for girl baby shower invitations but the modern hostess should know that she also has many other options and that these traditional styles have been joined by cute pink onesie invites and cards shaped like frilly dresses if she’s into cards cut into shapes.

Beyond the rules of proper baby shower etiquette and the wording or verses that should at the very least supply all of the important details regarding the party, there are very few restrictions or rules that might prohibit the use of any kind of baby girl shower invitations that strikes your fancy. However, there are a few things to consider in the decision making process.

COLOR

Regardless of the theme, color is crucial. Color selection is not as rigid as it once might have been. As an example, a few years ago you would be hard pressed to find as much as a smidge of blue on a baby girl shower invitation. Today, an invite that is predominately baby blue is probably not the best choice but using touches of blue somewhere on the card as an accent color is not forbidden.

Gender specific colors aside, I like to choose an invitation that reflects the baby shower color scheme. If my decorations and party supplies are pink and green, I shop for a card in these colors.

GIRL BABY SHOWER INVITATIONS BY THEME

Choosing a cute baby girl shower theme is lots of fun! After I make this decision, I like to mail invitations that are in the same theme as the party. When the guests get the card in their mailbox, they get a preview of the celebration.

There are several ways to pick a theme for your invitations. You might do a little digging to learn the baby girl's nursery theme or the name of the baby girl's baby bedding collection.

If her room is decorated in a particular theme or color combination, the mother-to-be would probably be flattered to see that you approve of her taste to the degree that you based your baby girl shower ideas on her baby nursery decor. You might even give your guests a tip in the baby girl shower invitation’s wording that mommy would appreciate gifts in her chosen color scheme or theme.

DECORATING HOMEMADE INVITATIONS

If you are making your own girl baby shower invitations, in addition to considerations pertaining to color and theme, your girl baby shower invitations can be personalized with special wording, fonts, and decorated with sweet charms, ribbons and lace.

How you decorate them depends on the baby shower’s theme, color scheme or for that matter the mood that mommy was in when she woke up that morning and picked them out...which is perfectly OK because there are certainly enough girl baby shower invitations out there to accommodate the occasional mood swing or even the most unique and eclectic taste in baby shower ideas!

YELLOW BABY SHOWER CAKES

2010-05-11T13:44:00.000-07:00

Who wants corny, yellow baby shower cakes? Well, if they are cute cupcakes like these, you can count me in! I have to tell you that when I saw these little cuties, on More Cupcake Designs I did a complete double take!

The little yellow baby shower cupcakes look incredibly like real corn on the cob but they are made using light yellow cake frosting, jellybeans and Laffy Taffy.

I'm filing this recipe in my barbecue baby shower ideas file folder but they would be lovely for a 4th of July baby shower theme or any backyard party.

The dishes and corn skewers do a lot to add an air of "corncob" authenticity to the treats, but even if I were able to duplicate the dishes to the letter, I wasn't sure that I could pull it off. You see, I'm not the most accomplished baker and certainly not a professional when it comes to baby shower cake decorating ideas.

But WAIT...the website has step-by-step video instructions that puts trying my hand at baking these little, yellow baby shower cakes at the top of my "to do" list.

BABY SHOWER DIAPER GAME

2010-05-09T09:16:00.000-07:00

I was looking around for a video to share that would show moms playing the baby shower diaper game when I came across this and thought that it might be useful for your next shower planned for around the swimming pool. I'm not sure that this was a dad's baby shower that we see in the film or if it was just a bunch of guys hanging out and having a good time but I believe we can pick up some fun baby shower ideas from watching it!

The supply list for this baby shower diaper game would be incredibly short..a box or two of adult diapers and buckets and while we're unable to see the baby shower decorations (if there were any?) but it seems to me that this kind of party would not require anything elaborate. It seems to me that the dads at the party were having a total blast posing in their diapers even before the competition began so if you plan to play this game, don't forget to have plenty of cameras and maybe a video camera handy!

The object of the game was to jump into the swimming pool, let the diapers absorb as much water as possible and then see who gets the most water in their bucket by wringing out their diapers. I found it amazing to see that after a dip in the pool the diaper dudes resembled babies sadly in need of a diaper change not to mention what good sports the guys were that were playing!

This game would be a great coed shower idea for a backyard barbeque where you needed some fun coed baby shower games or games for a "guys only" shower.

BABY SHOWER GOODY BAG IDEAS

2010-05-08T10:57:00.000-07:00

Here are some baby shower goody bag ideas that will inspire the hostess with far too little time on her hands to decorate the venue, much less time for brainstorming on what to put in favor boxes and bags.

THE CONTAINERS

One thing I want to mention is that the term "goody bags" does not always have to be an actual paper bag. This is more of a reference to an assortment of homemade items in a single container of some sort rather than one individual item. You can use jars, boxes, paper, cellophane bags or even a beautifully wrapped platter to hold the array.

You can order bags or boxes from a party supply store or better yet order them from the same place you get your invitations. You can order personalized baby shower invitations and get the favor container to match.

Your other option would be to make the bags yourself and decorate them using rubber stamps or stickers. FWIW, you can often get stickers from the same place you buy your invitations.

GETTING DOWN WITH THE BABY SHOWER GOODY BAG IDEAS

after you have chosen the ideal container (hopefully it's not too big) you can get to work filling it with homemade pretties or treats that will undoubtedly tickle your party guests.

EDIBLE GOODIES

The quick and easy way to fill your favor boxes with treats is to take them down to the local candy shop and buy an assortment of colorful candies or delicious chocolates.

OR

Visit a candle store and fill your bag with scented votives, a votive cup and a package of matches. Coordinate the colors if at all possible or tie a pretty ribbon around the votive to reflect the baby shower's color scheme.

These tips are without a doubt not a cheap route to take but then there are those occasions when time gets away from us and we simply do not have time to spend on crafts and baking.

HOMEMADE FAVORS

If you DO have the time to make your own favors, here are some baby shower goody bag ideas that won't keep you in the kitchen or at the work table too long.

Bake several batches of your favorite brownie recipe in shapes that reflect your baby shower colors or theme
Mold your own chocolates and include a chocolate mold in each goodie bag

LASTING KEEPSAKES

Brownies and chocolates probably won't last the car ride home from your shower, but a silver or crystal keepsake will last forever. Ornaments in the shape of baby strollers, baby bottles and pacifiers always have a place on the ornament or Christmas tree and your friends will think of you every time they see them. And isn't this what favors are for; to remind your guests what a wonderful hostess you are?

SOMETHING FOR MOMMY

Mommies who put the needs of their babies ahead of their own can always use a little something for mommy. Pampering items like mirrors, personalized purse caddies and skin care products are excellent baby shower goody bag ideas because they are not something that ladies buy for themselves.

SPORTS THEME BABY SHOWER DECORATIONS

2010-05-05T12:59:00.000-07:00

No matter when your shower is planned, you may be looking for some sports theme baby shower decorations that are appropriate for the season. Whether your (or your friend’s) little All-Star is due to arrive in the spring, summer, winter or fall you can just bet your bottom dollar that there is a ball bouncing of one kind or another and that there are plenty sports theme baby shower invitations, decorations and ideas for sporty cakes, too!

ALL SPORTS THEME BABY SHOWER DECORATIONS

To cover all the bases (no pun intended), some hostesses plan an all sports shower rather than narrowing the focus to a particular sporting activity. For instance, on the cake you may find football, baseball and even soccer decorations. On the guest tables, the sports theme baby shower decorations might include hockey sticks, baseball bats and even a small football helmet. The All Sports theme is especially appropriate if the baby is born into an athletic family where mom or dad may have excelled at more than one sport.

SPORTS THEME BABY SHOWER DECORATIONS FOR BABY BOYS OR GIRLS

Traditionally, sports themes are for couples who are expecting boys. However, that tradition is fading fast with the number of females involved in competitive sports. If this is the case you might consider a hefty sprinkling of the color pink in your decorating.

CO-ED

You are going to love decorating your venue for this kind of shower. And your husband will, too if you pay him the compliment of putting all of his high school, college or even little league baseball trophies on display. Men love to remember their glory days. Sports themed baby showers are a great way to insure that the guys won’t groan when their significant other opens the invitation for the couples shower. A shower decorated in such a manly fashion could never be boring, right?

If you can’t get reach all those boxes of sports memorabilia from hubby’s boyhood, beg and borrow stuff from your friends or you can buy balloons, decorative pennants and other decorations at your party store. Team loyalty can play a part in picking a color scheme for your shower so ask ahead of time if any exists that should be considered.

Those are just a few sports theme baby shower ideas to get you started that will make the crowd go wild!

CHEAP BABY SHOWER IDEAS

2010-04-30T17:19:00.000-07:00

If you’re wondering why anybody needs cheap baby shower ideas when a shower is supposed to be a welcoming occasion of giving and celebration I suppose it’s safe to say that you haven’t researched the cost of cakes and decorations. After you do, throw in the price of a decent gift and the cost of a baby shower can be shocking. For this reason, hostesses on a budget are clamoring to discover ways to throw a cheap baby shower without looking well....cheap.

After doing some checking I found that I didn’t know as much as I thought I did on how to save money when hosting a party. For one thing, the biggest advantage to making your own baby shower invitations is that you get to boast about how you came up with the design. Bragging rights are important, but right now we are going to focus on how to throw a cheap baby shower, not stroking our egos and building a reputation for being the "hostess with the mostess" so keeping reading because I have a few tips that will save you some money.

CHEAP BABY SHOWER INVITATIONS

If you have an endless supply of colored ink cartridges and card stock lying around, but all means, make good use of those free printable baby shower invitations online. But if doing your own printing involves buying ink and supplies, not to mention eating up a fair amount of your precious time, do yourself a favor and head out to the party supply store and see what they have on their discount table. To save money on postage, take a walk and hand deliver the invites to friends within walking distance.

INEXPENSIVE BABY SHOWER DECORATIONS

Again, the discount table at the party supply store is your friend. Even if you hit the mother lode of discontinued decorations, keep it simple by filling the space with lots of balloons and crepe paper. Buy the least amount of tableware that you can get by with. A pile of leftover plates and cups is a reminder of money wasted.

SAVE MONEY ON THE MENU

Be sure that your invitations arrive ten to fourteen days before the date of the party asking the recipient to RSVP so that you can know the exact number of guests that will be attending. This is invaluable information to have on hand when buying refreshments.

THE BOTTOM LINE

Eliminating waste is perhaps one of the best, cheap baby shower ideas that you will ever find. Buying only what you need will keep expenses down and you can host your party without looking like a tightwad.

BLUE AND BROWN BABY SHOWER FAVORS

2010-04-24T08:29:00.000-07:00

You can easily make your own homemade blue and brown baby shower favors that are unique and your own design right down to the initials or personalized touches. You can print or buy candy bar wrappers or mold your own robin's egg blue scented soaps tied with a chocolate brown ribbon that matches your baby shower invitations to a "T".

If you don't have the time for making your own favors from scratch, buy some elegant favor boxes and put something delicious inside. Tuck some delicious chocolates or guest soaps in a blue and brown baby shower favors box that has been personalized with the baby's or the mother-to-be's monogram and believe me when I say that your guests will not care whether you made your own soap or chocolates!

Their attention will be riveted on the elegant presentation that projects a classy, confident sense of style. You can find such a box with personalized labels that are visible through the die cut opening secured with a lovely ribbon. Your friends will be impressed with your baby shower ideas, just you wait and see!

Kentucky Derby Baby Shower

2010-04-13T15:05:00.000-07:00

SEE MORE HERE

The timing for my Kentucky Derby baby shower tips are being posted today because it struck me that in a few weeks we'll be hearing the announcer bellow "And DOWN the stretch they come!" Ahhhh....when it's springtime in Kentucky, everything is about racing horses, and a horse themed baby shower is a lovely way for the rest of the country to take part in the excitement.

This sports shower will make a lovely spring co-ed shower theme. If you're worried that you don't know enough about the traditions surrounding racehorses or Kentucky to successfully pull it off never fear because I can direct you toward two websites that have some suggestions. You can adapt many of the menu and decorating ideas that are commonly used for Kentucky Derby parties for your Kentucky Derby Baby Shower and horse baby shower invitations to carry out your theme to perfection! Your ideas will appeal to sports fans, racing fans and riding fans! I know of very few baby shower themes that cover that much territory, do you?

BABY SHOWER TRENDS

2010-04-04T11:16:00.000-07:00

Pregnancy is a time when we're taking in lots of new information including baby shower trends! Yes, being pregnant is glorious and then come the showers and well-meaning friends who want to celebrate your new baby by having parties in your honor.

Don’t be surprised if the hostesses ask for you to have input in the planning of the event. It’s not that they are being slackers or lazy, they want you to have the celebration of your dreams. Baby shower etiquette prevents the guest of honor from sticking their noses in and offering advice if they are not asked but it’s a good idea to be prepared with answers if approached with the most common question, “Is there a particular baby shower theme that you would like?”
Often mommy asks for a theme or color scheme that reflects her preference in nursery decor. Then again, some moms just want something trendy and fun!
Here are a few baby shower trends for 2010 that you may want to consider.

BRIGHT COLORS

Bye bye, baby blue and pink baby shower decorations. Hello, bright, bold baby shower supplies! This spring the baby shower trends are all about bold, vibrant colors and modern designs.

Martha Stewart’s baby shower ideas are still very traditional and who is going to argue with the reigning diva of home and party decor...not me! The all white baby shower with touches of pastel accents that Martha Stewart has suggested is elegant but please don’t invite the men if this is your preference or they will never darken the door of another co-ed baby shower as long as they live!

BABY SHOWER THEMES

As far as baby shower themes go, the more baby shower trends change the more they stay the same. This year you will still see lots of ladybugs, monkeys and yellow ducks as well as the occasional stork. However, expect those old standards to have a shiny, new look. The baby ducks will be bigger and a brighter shade of yellow than ever before. Funky monkeys may come in hot pink and be funkier, sillier and have lots of personality.

IN CLOSING

All in all, baby shower trends seem to be leaning in a more relaxed and casual direction with a focus on FUN!

EASTER BABY SHOWER GAME

2010-04-03T15:58:00.000-07:00

Here's an idea for an Easter baby shower game that will be lots of fun for moms and kids and if you've waited until the last minute, don't worry because you probably have all all of the supplies in your kitchen drawer.

You will need to cut strips of white cotton cloth about two feet long that you loop together in a rubber band to resemble a fluffy bunny tail. Cotton balls or even white satin gift bows and scrunched up paper towels will work in a pinch.

Each person who participates in the competition will need a "tail". The tails should be passed out and taped with double sided sticky tape or stuck in place upon the guests' arrival at the shower preferably while they are signing the guest registry and complimenting the hostess on her lovely baby shower decorations.

The rules: The object of this Easter baby shower game is for the guests to collect as many bunny tails as possible without alerting the owner. If the "owner" of the tail catches you in the act, you do not get to add this tail to your collection.

Each time a bunny tail is taken from a guest, it is added to the player's stash of "bunny tails".

Who wins: The guest with the most bunny tails at the end of the party is the winner.

Personalized Baby Shower Candy Jars

2010-03-25T10:52:00.000-07:00

Corner Stork Baby Gifts

Personalized baby shower candy jars only cost about a dollar (or less) each and offer a hostess a fabulous return on her investment. The labels can be chosen to complement the shower color scheme or the baby shower theme and they are so cute that they can be counted as part of the decorations when you cleverly arrange them as centerpieces.

COUNT THE CANDY BABY SHOWER GAME

For their second act, they can play a part in the baby shower games. Before the shower fill your personalized candy jars with colorful treats that are easy to count like gummy bears, jaw breakers or gumballs. Then have your guests guess how many pieces of candy (or whatever) are in the jars. The lucky lady (or guy if the shower is coed) whose guess is the closest without going over is the winner! I have personally used the "count the candy in the jar" game at many bridal and baby showers and it never gets old!

CANDY JAR BABY SHOWER FAVOR IDEAS

Then for the grand finale, your personalized baby shower candy jars make lovely baby shower favor ideas. You can fill them with candy, cookies, roasted nuts or even pretty bags of tea. Or you can set up a buffet featuring an assortment of treats and invite your guests to fill their candy jars themselves.

PEA IN A POD BABY SHOWER FAVORS

2010-03-04T10:10:00.000-08:00

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There are lots of cute sweet pea in a pod baby shower favors that you can buy in stores that are cheap without looking like it, if you know what I mean. There are cute sweet pea shaped candles and green pea salt and pepper shakers that are very practical and in keeping with your pea in the pod baby shower theme.

The problem with this is that if you are put in charge of hosting more than a couple of sweet pea showers you have to come up with something new. No matter how precious your baby shower favors are, you can't give the same ones to your guests over and over!

These homemade pea in a pod baby shower favors are just the thing for a hostess who wants something new and unique. And if you knit you can make your own or have a friend who does knitting help you out! And not only are they unique baby shower ideas for a sweet pea theme, but you could easily use pastel yarn rather than lime green and they would be perfect as Precious Moments baby shower favors!

If you use this knitting pattern to make these sweet pea favors, I hope that you will stop back by Unique Baby Shower Decorations, Party Supplies and Decorating Ideas and share your pictures.

DUCK BABY SHOWER FAVORS

2010-02-19T07:02:00.000-08:00

Ducky baby showers are so nice for spring especially around Easter. Duck baby shower favors
are available at any time of the year but you may find that the candy and decorations that can be found on the special occasion aisle of your local discount store present more opportunities.

The party supplies decorated with baby ducks around the Easter holidays are cuter than most anything that the average party supply store stocks at any given time. And chances are that you can find plates, cups and tableware to complement your theme as well as cute duck baby shower favors.

Here's an idea for centerpieces that may help you with your budget. Fill inexpensive Easter baskets with arrangements of green grass, marshmallow peeps and your yellow duck baby shower favors which could be any one of the following items. If you start early enough you might consider these homemade baby shower favors that will be very easy to make yourself:

Fill your favor boxes with homemade duck cookies (mini copper duck baby shower cookie cutters attached to the favor boxes would make a real splash!)
Make your own milk chocolate ducks using a chocolate mold
Rubber ducky soap

If you don't have time to make your own baby shower favors, Easter candy will make some of the best, cheap baby shower favors and your inexpensive baby shower and party decorations will be just ducky.

Black and White Baby Shower Favors

2010-02-09T11:18:00.000-08:00

There is no color scheme as glam as black and white. And black and white baby shower favor ideas are nothing at all, my fine fashionista friend, if not glamorous, sophisticated and just plain cute!

GO HERE TO SEE MORE!

Pick up a few of these cuties that match your black and white polka dot party supplies to go home with your guests and you had better increase the amount of food ordered from your caterer for your next soiree because the everyone on your list will show up and probably will call ahead to ask if they can bring a friend!

When you see this page filled with these elegant and fun baby shower ideas with themes that work well with black and white baby shower favors they will have you dreaming of a coed baby shower where the gentlemen arrive wearing tuxedos and top hats or going dotty with delight. There's even a little something there for our NASCAR loving dads to be. Please drop back by Unique Party Decorations, Party Supplies and Decorating Ideas and tell us which of the black and white favors were your favorites!

PINK JUICY COUTURE DIAPER BAGS

2010-02-07T11:02:00.000-08:00

Moms with baby girls are power shoppping in style with their pink Juicy Couture
diaper bags. The pink camo print baby bags are an alluring example of what happens with high end fashion meets function.

The cute Juicy baby bags are made of pretty, pink camo print fabric that is pretty and not only handles the needs of your future fashionista with ease but takes care of the adult diva's necessities as well. Mommy can pack her designer wallet and sunglasses and a bottle of water plus a little reading material and a lipstick. A few of the styles available come with a bib!

The shoulder straps take it easy on mom's weary shoulders and the cute details make it easy on the eyes. The request for moms to "CHOOSE JUICY" can be seen on the front of pink Juicy Couture diaper bags, but really; do fashion minded females really have to be told that they should carry only the best designer diaper bags?

Please drop back by Unique Party Decorations, Party Supplies and Decorating Ideas and tell us what you adore about these designer diaper bags!

MATCHING BABY GEAR

2010-02-02T06:31:00.000-08:00

I'm a huge fan of matching baby gear for lots of reasons. Not long ago the idea struck me that there may be benefits to carrying this obsession a step further and matching the shower to the baby's nursery theme if one exists. It seems to me that hostesses are missing out on a grand opportunity if they don't take the time to do their research and match the baby shower theme to the nursery's decor.

There's certainly no lack of baby shower and party decorations in every color under the sun. Even if the guest of honor has chosen to decorate with an obscure theme with a little dedication to the task at hand you should be able to come up with gifts and decorations that give a nod to what she chose for her baby's room.

The benefits of matching baby gear are that even if the stroller, the baby carrier or even the baby's clothes are stored in plain sight it almost seems that it's part of the plan and the nursery has a less cluttered look about it.

For instance, if mom has a ladybug nursery theme it's no trouble at all to find ladybug baby shower supplies and decorations and the guests can help mom build her stash of matching baby gear that's decorated with ladybugs. Here's an idea; you might want to tip off your guests as to the preferred color scheme as pink and brown ladybugs are just as if not more popular than the traditional red and black ladybugs these days.

A ladybug theme is just one example. It's also easy to find matching baby gear for jungle, cowboy, princess and lots of other common themes. If you give this idea a try, please drop back by and share your pictures and tell us how it worked for you.

Juicy Couture Baby Shower Theme

2010-01-30T15:21:00.000-08:00

A Juicy Couture baby shower theme is all the rage for mommy divas who are about to deliver. Pink and brown is a super color scheme for a shower even if the mom to be isn't into designer bags and pursuing fashion as a pastime and this brand takes those colors to a whole new level.

Here are some oh so very cute favors that I found on Etsy in sweetumspartyfavors store. The vendor, Sweetums, says that she will personalize them with whatever wording you need whether it's a birthday party for a tween who fancies herself a fashionista or a pink and brown Juicy Couture baby shower theme.

And speaking of wording, you might consider using Juicy Couture's slogan on your personalized baby shower invitations to fit your party's theme instead of a poem:

You might consider something like,

"Once upon a time in a land far, far away there was a baby and a mommy to be who liked stuff JUICY COUTURE swept the land and they lived happily ever after."

which is just a slightly re-worded version of the slogan printed on the front of many pink purses manufactured by Juicy. And then below the revised Juicy wording you might print something like

"Please join us on (date) to celebrate the arrival of (friend's name) baby."

If the soon to arrive baby is known to be a baby girl, you might consider some of their other buzzwords and slogans in your Juicy Couture baby shower theme like "Couture Baby to Be", "Crowned Princess of Everything" or "Fairest of Them All."

Any of these could be slightly re-worded and made to work with this particular theme in mind.

And don't forget to drop by Unique Party Decorations, Party Supplies and Decorating Ideas to share pictures of your Juicy Couture Shower or birthday party.

LADYBUG FAVOR BOXES

2010-01-16T06:57:00.000-08:00

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When shopping for ladybug favor boxes and bags, most hostesses take the easy way out and buy the ones that match their package of ladybug party supplies. Being a busy mom myself who has little time to create homemade party favors for each and every baby shower and birthday party this has certainly been my preferred practice..at least until I saw these cuties!

These ladybug favor boxes closely match the "Oh So Sweet" Pink Ladybug Party Supplies and Decorations to a "T" and the beauty is that you can have the label on each loot box personalized with the expectant mother's name if the occasion is a baby shower or the little girl's name if you are buying the favors for a kid's birthday party.

Sure, to order them from the vendor adds another step to your already lengthy "to do" list and you could probably generate the personalized labels and make your own ladybug favor boxes but when they are so cheap why would you want to put yourself under added pressure? They are cute, they are inexpensive and a click of a button away, go for it!

Pirate Baby Shower Decorations

2010-01-11T08:31:00.000-08:00

SEE MORE! PIRATE BABY SHOWER DECORATIONS
Yo HO HO! Here's a tip for some pirate baby shower decorations that won't be lounging in a landfill after the party is over! A personalized pirate ship wall decal is a super pirate theme party decoration that will do double duty as a baby shower gift if the mom to be has chosen to decorate in a pirate theme. Even if the nursery's decor is considered to be complete and ready for baby's arrival, chances are mom will make room to display a creative wall decoration.

How could she possibly resist since the ship it has her baby boy’s name or initials monogrammed right there on the hull? If the mother to be hasn’t chosen a name, you might have a famous pirate quote, "Ahoy Matey" or "YO HO HO" instead of a monogram.

If the vendor is local, you might ask for a gift certificate to have the nursery wall decal personalized after the baby is born.

Onesies are also items that would work well as pirate baby shower decorations when the hostess has personalized a pirate onesie with a Jolly Roger graphic or a pirate hat on the front. Use the pirate baby onesie in an arrangement along with a pirate pacifier and you have the makings of a lovely pirate themed baby shower gift basket that mom will enjoy using once her little buccaneer has made his appearance.

If you have questions or some pirate baby shower decoration ideas that you would like to share, please share them in the comments form below and above all you should return to Unique Party Decorations, Party Supplies and Decorating Ideas to see tips shared by other hostesses.

BORING but ESSENTIAL BABY GIFT IDEAS

2010-01-09T13:28:00.000-08:00

I would like to share some boring but essential baby gift ideas. To clarify this statement there was a time when I recommended frivolous shower gifts. This list was made during the time before the mom and dad's credit cards got maxed out.

Because of tough economic times, belt tightening has now extended to gift buying for newborns. A few years ago keeping up with celebrity moms was all the rage but now we see the elite focusing on the necessities with just a few designer items thrown in here and there.

The input I'm getting from mothers-to-be in my circle is that they would prefer to get the basics (no matter what the baby shower theme might be) and buy their own luxury items if and when they have the cash. This newsflash is what prompted me to start recommending some perhaps boring but essential baby gift ideas.

I asked over a dozen moms "What is THE baby gift you would love to get more than one of at your shower?" and every one of them mentioned cute baby onesies. They all said that they could always use more burp cloths, onesies and of course diapers.

The list is far from complete and I would appreciate it if you would return to Unique Baby Shower and Party Decorating Ideas and add your favorite boring but essential baby gift ideas to our list!

THE MODERN BABY SHOWER

2010-01-06T12:25:00.000-08:00

The key characteristic of the modern baby shower is fun! Color schemes, themes and furnishings are as dependant as ever on the hostess' decorative taste and today's hostess is a savvy shopper when it comes to ferreting out tableware and shower decorations with lots of style.

MODERN BABY SHOWER THEMES

Polka dots and stripes are exciting but themes are not out of style by any means. Just expect the old standbys to have a fresh new face. Teddy bears, monkeys and themes based on hobbies and lifestyles are still going strong.

BABY SHOWER INVITATIONS

A contemporary baby shower color scheme does not have to be a cacophony of bright and bold colors. Primary colors are not necessary to accomplish a timely atmosphere at the shower. If possible, I always recommend that you take your cues from the expectant mom's nursery decor if possible. If wild colors are working for her in her nursery, by all means follow suit when decorating your shower venue and choosing baby shower invitations. However, there’s nothing old fashioned about a peaceful, soothing color scheme.

PATTERNS

Stripes, polka dots and colorful graphics are all the rage in modern baby shower decorations so pick a color scheme and go crazy!

MODERN SHOWER DECORATIONS

Remember the old saying "The devil is in the details"? Well, in the case of contemporary or modern baby shower it’s the LACK of detail that makes all the difference. Leave fussy behind and take a minimalistic approach.

MODERN COLOR SCHEMES

Powder pink and baby blue are still appropriate at the modern shower so long as they are part of interesting color combinations.
Brown has become a welcome companion to both pink and blue as has bright lime green. Another trend is to jazz things up using hot pink or turquoise blue rather than the more sedate pastel shades.

THE BOTTOM LINE

It’s completely possible to give a nod to the old school way of decorating and still have a safe and stylish modern shower.

LITTLE GIRL BABY BEDDING

2009-11-25T16:18:00.000-08:00

I see more parents who want little girl baby bedding sets for their baby girl’s nursery that are not in what we have come to consider traditional colors and themes for those of the feminine persuasion. The way I see it, there are two possible reasons for this decorating trend.

The first would be that lace, ruffles and satin bows are perceived to be high maintenance. Modern moms have been forced to become masters of efficiency and have developed the ability to spot easy care fabrics and their counterparts from a mile away. Crib sets with gathered trims and embellishments have gotten a reputation for requiring a trip across the ironing board or to a professional cleaning service to keep them looking their best.

Another style of little girl baby bedding enjoying an increase in popularity is girls’ sports theme baby bedding. And isn’t it about time that mom felt good about decorating her baby girl’s nursery with soccer and softballs? Girls are now as involved in sports as boys and have been for quite a few years. However, sports baby nursery themes for girls is just catching on and there are plenty of little girl baby bedding sets for athletic minded parents to pick from.

Pretty pink and lavender little girls’ baby bedding sets covered in butterflies and flowers are still in vogue and that probably won’t change. Just be ready to see more variety out there in girls baby nursery themes and color schemes.

WHAT TO PUT IN A BABY GIFT BASKET

2009-11-04T05:05:00.000-08:00

Baby Gifts Under $25!

Do you wonder what to put in a baby gift basket to take to a baby shower or to the hospital to celebrate the birth of your friend's baby? Everybody agrees that baby gift baskets make great gifts but it’s so hard to buy items that look great together AND that are practical.
I have some suggestions and gift ideas that will help you fill your beautifully decorated basket with goodies that any new mom and dad will find delightful and useful.

Clothes – Personalized onesies and sleepers with a pair of matching booties will fill your space quickly. Personalized baby gifts and color coordination will be the key to making the best presentation possible.
Blankets - Carefully gathered receiving blankets in beautiful colors can be arranged to resemble a bouquet of flowers. Take care to including colors that complement the baby’s nursery in your faux floral arrangement.
Bib and Burp cloths –Utility items that are attractive make childcare fun
Cloth Diapers – All moms appreciate more cloth diapers, soakers and diaper covers
Baby bath products – Pretty bottles of shampoo, body wash and sweet smelling lotions and oils with a facecloth and a cute bath toy as a centerpiece are sure to be a big hit. If you wonder what to put in a baby gift basket for a little one with an environmentally aware mom, buy chemical free baby bath products and organic cotton robes and bath cloths.
Baby skin care products - Chemical free moisturizing lotions, shampoos to help prevent cradle cap and don’t forget infant safe sunscreen
Baby feeding products – BPA free bottles, bibs, a set of special dishes and a spoon
Music – If you want to know what to put in a baby gift basket for the baby who has everything, the gift of music is perfect. From white noise CDs to traditional lullabies, mom and baby will both appreciate a basketful of soothing music.
Toys – Crib toys, plush stuffed toys with an heirloom silver rattle as the centerpiece
Snacks – Packages of gourmet teething biscuits for baby with a bottle of wine, coffee, homemade cookies or cheese straws for mom and dad.

Those are just a few ideas for what to put in a baby gift basket that will make any new mom and dad's face light up with pleasure. Please return to Unique Party Decorations, Gifts, Party Supplies and Decorating Ideas to see more tips on how to decorate your baskets and arrange the contents in a tasteful way.

MONKEY NURSERY DECORATIONS

2009-10-31T11:14:00.000-07:00

GO HERE TO SEE MORE!

If these little jungle swingers are not the cutest monkey nursery decorations that you've seen in a while then I want to know where you were shopping! Monkey wallpaper covered in pictures of Curious George or little chimps with no name were once the height of jungle nursery decor. But lately, we see more decorators skipping this approach in favor of monkey wall decals and stickers paired with at most a border.

The reason for the switch in monkey nursery decorations could be that rolls of wallpaper are not what one might consider cheap. Plus, you either have to prep the nursery walls and hang the paper yourself or hire a professional to do the job for you. Is there any wonder that more and more families are using these inexpensive wall decorations?

They are so quick and easy to peel and stick that the job is done in less than an hour in most cases. And when you want to change the room’s décor, just remove them from the walls and replace them with whatever strikes your fancy. They leave no sticky residue that would cause you to have to clean or repaint the walls unless you wanted to.

I give these monkey nursery decorations a big vote of approval for being cheap, easy to use and just plain cute.