A baby shower is a wonderful way to celebrate the upcoming arrival of a baby by gifting the mother at a pre-birth party. Trust me, it’s the perfect timing—after the baby arrives, the new mom will be far too busy to enjoy any celebration!
Last week, my best friend gave birth. During her 8th month of pregnancy, she asked me to host a baby shower for her. Of course, I said yes, but I had no clue how to organize the ideal baby shower. That’s why I’m writing this—to share tips for anyone in a similar position.
I immediately started researching baby shower ideas online. There were so many details to figure out:
- Who to invite?
- What kind of invitations to use—buy or DIY?
- What food to serve?
- How to entertain guests with games?
- Should the shower have a theme? If so, what theme?
- What decorations are needed?
- What’s the perfect gift for the mom-to-be?
The list goes on!
One of the blogs I read mentioned using pop up banners for trade shows at baby showers. At first, I was skeptical. What do trade show banners have to do with a baby shower? Don’t worry—I’ll reveal how I used them soon! But first, let’s start with the basics.
Step 1: Invitations
Collaborate with the mom-to-be to decide on the guest list. It’s essential to avoid inviting people she doesn’t want at such a special event. For invitations, I recommend going digital—it’s quicker, cheaper, and easy to personalize. Once you’ve decided on a theme and color scheme (depending on whether it’s a boy or a girl), you can design your invites online.
My friend was expecting a boy, so I went with a blue theme featuring a baby boy flying in a hot air balloon. The theme extended to all decorations—napkins, cups, paper plates, and even the party favors.
Step 2: Decorations and Food
Now, let’s get to the food and decorations. For catering, I hired a service that provided food and helped with serving, making everything seamless and stress-free. A unique idea for guests is using a patchwork blanket—each guest can decorate a square with colorful fabric pens. By the end of the party, the baby has a custom-made, heartfelt gift!
Step 3: The Retractable Banner
Here’s where the retractable banner came into play. I had the same baby boy flying in a hot air balloon design printed on it, along with the party date. It became a photo backdrop where the mom-to-be and guests could take pictures. We printed the photos immediately and pasted them into a guestbook, where guests wrote their best wishes. This created a keepsake that my friend will treasure forever.
Step 4: Fun and Games
No baby shower is complete without games! We hosted a diaper-changing contest and a quiz about raising kids. Everyone had a blast, and the competitive spirit made the party even more memorable.
In the end, the baby shower was a success—filled with love, laughter, and unforgettable memories.
Happy Baby Shower!