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Baby Shower Decorating Tips
Planning a baby shower can be a great deal of work. You want everything to be nice for the mom
to be and the guests. Here are a few tips to make the experience a memorable one.
Plan a Theme
The easiest way to plan a shower theme is to find out what the mom is decorating her nursery in. Each nursery theme opens up enormous possibility of themes. A ladybug nursery could lead to the theme Ladybugs in Spring.
A Noah’s ark nursery could lend the theme of Noah’s Ark Launch. The circus could be a Circus Parade. A teddy bear nursery could be Teddy Bears Snuggle. A Pooh nursery could be Winnie’s Honey Pot and the list goes on.
When you plan a theme for your shower, it makes it so much easier to decorate, plan favors and games, and buy invitations, paper goods, etc.
Before you make any purchases sit down and determine your budget. Do you want to spend more money on favors or decorations? Would you rather use plates you already have or purchase paper goods?
Could you borrow glasses and serving pieces from a friend? Knowing how much money you have for decorating, the food, a gift, etc. is important.
Decorating the Place
Now that you have a theme and a budget you can begin your basic decorating. One of the easiest and cheapest ways to decorate is to use what you have. Ask the new mom for her guest list and addresses and
send the shower invitations out asking guest to respond by a certain date. In most cases you can plan for about half of the guest on the list to attend. This will help you decide whether you will sit in chairs
around the honoree or at tables. The decorating needs will be different. If everyone is in chairs, you will only need only two or three table decorations, centerpieces for the food, gift and registration tables.
Go around your house and gather some basic things: greenery, kid’s toys, baskets, candlesticks, etc. Next, purchase a few pieces that would fit the honoree’s nursery. These pieces can double as decoration for
the shower and a gift for the mom to be from you.
If you are decorating tables, put something simple in the middle of each. A large toy or bear with a helium balloon tied to it would give a festive air or you could fill clear bowls with water and float flowers
with large blossoms. Fat candles placed in clear bowls with colorful marbles used to fill in make pretty yet simple arrangements. You could even wrap boxes with wrapping paper that fits your theme and place one
box at each table with a couple of helium balloons attached. Another idea is to stack children’s books on top of each other in the center of the table. Take one book and place it standing up next to the stacked
books. Cut strips from a roll of wide ribbon. Put a toy on top of the stacked books and stream the ribbon from under the toy. Remember you want the tables to be simple, fun and conversation worthy.
Place settings can be decorated with favors. A simple idea is to cut out six-inch circles from gift-wrap paper that matches your theme. Roll the circle into a cone shape and staple. Fill the cones with candies
and place at each setting. These serve as decorations and favors. Other ideas for tables and favors are: 1. Purchase flowers that match the colors of your party. Put one stem at each setting and tie with colorful
ribbon. 2. Get a simple soap making kit and molds that fit in with the party theme. Make the soaps, wrap in cellophane and tie with colorful ribbon. Put at each place setting and let guest take home 3. On a sheet
of paper that matches your colors, type the words: Wisdom I Would Like to Share. Roll the paper up and tie a pencil into ribbon holding the roll of paper together. Guests are to unroll the paper and write a bit
of parenting wisdom they wish to share. The hostess will gather these together and add a cover titled A Little Wisdom to Share. The pages are stapled together and given to the mom to be. Many ideas will come to
you according to the theme you chose.
Your food and gift tables will be easy to decorate. First, choose something that will act as your focus in the arrangement. Let’s use a toy Noah’s ark as our example. You will need to elevate the ark so it
commands attention. Take a box that is only a few inches high and cover it with fabric. Set the ark on top. Fill the arrangement in by putting greenery around the base. Take three stuffed animals and place
them around the ark in three different points creating a triangle effect. Fill the arrangement in using small toy animals, white daisies, twinkle lights, etc. If you need more height use candles and
candlesticks or picture frames filled with pictures of the soon to be new parents. For a ladybug shower you could take a picnic basket and have red and white gingham fabric draped over the edge of the
basket and swirled around the bottom. Put flowers and greenery in the basket. Find toy ladybugs to fill in around and inside the basket. The ideas are limitless. The key is to use what you already have
and fill in with pieces that follow the theme. You can then decide what you need to purchase and give it to the honoree as a gift from you.
Last Bit of Advice
The best advice I can give is to make the baby shower simple, fun, and lacking in stress. The mom to be is excited and honored that you would do this for her. With a few basic decorating tips your shower
will be a hit. Your honoree will love it and everyone else will think you are so clever. Now that’s a good shower!
Written by Marzee Woodward, veteran shower hostess and staff member at Little Fingers Little Toes
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