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3 tasteful baby shower themes for an event that will get everyone talking.
Articles & Photos courtesy of Well Rounded NY
The funny thing about baby showers is that they’re not actually for baby. It’s actually about you. So you might as well have fun planning since this just might be the last adult party you throw for a little while. What better way to have that last pre-baby bash than to give it a fun grown-up theme? With just a few little props, you can make a big impact.
Below, the owners of event-design firm Poppies & Posies and prop shop The Trove give us 3 tasteful themes for the baby shower of your dreams.
1. TEA TIME
What: We love tea time over here at the Poppies & Posies office, and there’s no better time to put on a proper low tea than to honor a mom-to-be. Antique cake stands, elegant china and yummy tea sandwiches create the perfect lady-like atmosphere to celebrate this exciting occasion.
Props: An easy way to figure out what you’ll need for your tea party is to make a list of all of the items you plan on serving. Choose a few different cake stands in various heights and sizes, paired with a few serving trays to display your tea sandwiches, scones and sweet treats. Next, set the table for each of your guests. Use luncheon-sized plates paired with a fork, knife for spreading jams, and a spoon for sugar or honey. Each guest will need a water glass along with a tea cup and saucer for their tea. Colorful or patterned napkins are always a great way to punch up the table-scape. The same goes for a table runner or tablecloth. Lastly, you’ll want to find a bevy of fun tea pots. It’s especially nice to have enough on hand that each guest may have their own. This way everyone can enjoy the tea of their choice.
Flowers: No party or tablescape is complete without a touch of flora. If your table is filling up from all of your fabulous props, add a sprig of something (not too fragrant) to each place setting. If you choose a delicate flower, place it in a petite bud vase beside each place setting to keep it fresh and lively throughout the entire event.
Photography by Jen Huang Photography; Desserts by Lael Cakes; Props by The Trove.2. MOCKTAILS & COCKTAILS
What: It’s important to remember that although the mommy-to-be won’t be drinking, most of her guests would appreciate a yummy cocktail. Creating a baby shower focused around fun mocktails and cocktails will make for a fete that everyone will enjoy!
Props: You’ll want to style a bar to display both the cocktail and mocktail options. Use a collection of decanters in various sizes and shapes to hold your boozy items. To make it easy on yourself, choose two to three fun cocktails for your guests to make themselves. People love to customize their own beverages so the DIY portion of this theme will be much appreciated. Use a large drink dispenser to hold your non-boozy items so that your guests can mix themselves a mocktail or cocktail easily. Along with your ingredients, put out an ice bucket (we love antique silver or glass), ice tongs, trays and unique glassware. Other fun items to spruce up the display are straws, signs to identify what you’re serving, and pretty bowls to display garnishes (think mint, berries, citrus slices).
Flowers: One of our favorite garnishes for a cocktail bar are edible flowers. They look gorgeous and are fun to add to any drink, boozy or not. Offer your guests a variety to choose from so they can create their perfect combo.
Photography by Jen Huang Photography; Props by The Trove.
3. GARDEN PARTY
What: There’s nothing more enjoyable than a garden party. If it is not the season to host one outdoors where you live, then use props to transform your indoor space into a garden-like oasis.
Props: We love using aged lanterns to set the scene for a garden party whether it’s taking place inside or out. Garden urns in a variety of finishes, sizes and shapes filled with plants from your local nursery will turn your space into the perfect setting. If you want to really go all out, strung cafe lights and a plethora of candlelight provide the perfect finishing touches to a fabulous fete.
Flowers: No garden party is complete without flowers! If you’re not in the mood for arranging something, pot miniature rose bushes in aged terracotta pots and place them on each table. At the end of the evening, guests can take them as a favor. Everytime the mom-to-be sees her rose growing she’ll remember her wonderful shower.This article is by Jessica Pallay, courtesy of Well Rounded NY. Conceived with love by former magazine editors Jessica Pallay and Kaity Velez, Well Rounded NY aims to be the singular pregnancy resource for city-savvy moms-to-be. Through reviews, profiles, expert Q&As, local guides and more, Well Rounded curates the New York City pregnancy and helps its readers come to terms – and term! – with pregnancy in the city.
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Baby showers are a wonderful way to celebrate the baby’s arrival and see some of your closest fiends and family before things get really busy. But not as fun is trying to think of baby shower activities that moms, moms-to-be, single girlfriends, dads, brothers and all the other special dudes in your life (in case you have a co-ed baby shower) can all enjoy. Since we know a little something about pregnancy and, most importantly, celebrating pregnancy here at Nine Naturals, we’ve put together our 5 favorite baby shower games. There is something for everyone!
1. Birthday Card Time Capsules
Supplies needed: Blank cards, consecutively numbered envelopes, pens
Pass out blank greeting cards along with consecutively numbered envelopes to each of your guests. Instruct each guest to write a birthday card to the baby-to-be for the age/number that is listed on the envelope. For instance, the person who receives envelope number 13 will write a birthday message for the baby’s thirteenth birthday. The cards will make special gifts for both mom and baby throughout the years to come.2. Make Your Own Mocktails
Supplies needed: Juices, sugar, soda, water, cream, fruit assortments, cups
Have a little mixology contest with all your guests! Pull out your favorite non alcoholic juices and ingredients (i.e. pineapple juice, lime juice, coconut cream, etc.) with stirrers, shakers, and plenty of cups! Have the guests take a stab at making their own mocktails. The mom-to-be can be the judge and pick the winner.3. Who Will the Baby Look Like?
Supplies Needed: Pictures of the parents-to-be and relatives, scissors (make sure to have enough copies for the photos and scissors for everyone!), construction paper or any paper
It’s always fun to guess who the baby will look like – mom, dad, great grand uncle Albert? Print out pictures of mom-to-be, dad-to-be, and all of their relatives. Guests cut out and mix and match the facial parts (e.g. brows, eyes, lips, nose) they think the baby will have!4. Guess The Celebrity Baby
Supplies Needed: Pictures of celebrities and their babies, pens, paper
Is that Shiloh? North? Blue Ivy? Test your guests’ familiarity with Hollywood! Print out pictures of celebrity babies and have your guests take a shot at guessing the babies’ famous parents!5. Advice To The Mom-To-Be (And Dad-To-Be If It’s A Co-Ed Shower)
Supplies Needed: Small blank cards, pens, envelop, scrapbook/glass jar
Have guests write down their words of wisdom on notecards and store them in pretty envelopes. You can either have guests place these in a scrapbook or glass jar for the mom-to-be. -
Article & Photo courtesy of Well Rounded NY
Why not throw a baby shower your friends actually want to come to?
Fact: Every time any person under 70 gets an invitation to a baby shower, she rolls her eyes and tries to think of ways to get out of it. Yes, every time. And she will for yours too. Between the wishing well, those embarrassing shower games, and the sitting around for 2 hours while the mama-to-be opens each and every last gift from each and every last co-worker’s cousin’s daughter, you can’t blame her for wanting to jump out of her skin.
But wait! You don’t have to have one of those showers! For this last big hoorah before baby arrives, why not throw a party that everyone — including you — will want to attend? Here’s a few ideas for a great “Un-Shower” that will have all the girls you know praying for an invitation:
Terrarium-Making: Flower workshops are sooo last year. For a new twist on the classic, bring your group to Twig Terrariums where you can all create customized little green worlds filled with the hilarious miniature figurines the Gowanus shop is known for. $150/person for two-hour private workshops. Groups larger than 20 get discounted rates.
Makeup Workshop: The first night out after baby comes is worth putting on your “going out” face, so perfect your “hot mama” look now with a group of friends at a Jessa Blades makeup workshop. The Brooklyn-based makeup artist, natural beauty expert and herbalist offers regular workshops around the country, but will also put together an event for a small group.
DIY Spa Products: For a celebration centered around that beautiful body of yours, a DIY spa product party in your living room (or someone else’s) may be the way to go. The Good Home Company founder and CEO Christine Dimmick will help you create body lotion, massage oil, foot scrub, bubble bath or shower gel, all from natural ingredients that you can feel “Good” about. Prices start at $1,200. Email [email protected] for more info.
Tie-Dye Party: There’s no better baby onesie than a tie-dyed baby onesie. Unless that baby onesie is tie-dyed by YOU! We’re lucky enough to have tie-dye guru Shabd Simon-Alexander in our own great city, so take advantage, ladies! For a private workshop safe for pregnancy, Shabd can pre-mix dyes, then come teach you and your friends some cool tying techniques and guide you through some dipping and dripping. For those afraid of messes, she’ll keep the buckets at home and finish off your creations herself. Email [email protected] for group pricing.
Cooking Class: If you’re a domestic at heart, or just love to eat, a cooking class could be the un-shower of your dreams. Michelle Marinis, founder of Petit Organics and healthy-eating website Silver Spoon (coming soon!), offers private in-home cooking lessons for groups. For a mama-to-be, she can focus on nutritional prenatal recipes, but your non-pregnant friends shouldn’t fret — for a little extra, she’ll bring over a case of wine to really get that party started. Prices start at $800 for 2 hours. Email [email protected] for details.
Crafting Workshop: Whether you want to learn to sew, feel an urge to knit using your arms, or have another creative endeavor in mind, the Brooklyn Craft Company can come up with the DIY party of your dreams. Private events at this Greenpoint studio are suitable for any skill level, and can also include food and beverages. If WE were planning an un-shower, we’d choose the Catlady Craft Night (cat nail art, anyone?) but maybe that’s just us.
This article is by Jessica Pallay, courtesy of Well Rounded NY. Conceived with love by former magazine editors Jessica Pallay and Kaity Velez, Well Rounded NY aims to be the singular pregnancy resource for city-savvy moms-to-be. Through reviews, profiles, expert Q&As, local guides and more, Well Rounded curates the New York City pregnancy and helps its readers come to terms – and term! – with pregnancy in the city.