DIY baby showers

Throwing a baby shower shouldn’t be a confronting prospect. With a bit of preparation and thought, especially if you’re throwing the shower at home, you can ensure the day is a memorable success for both mum and guests alike.

Pick a theme

A theme for the baby shower can be a great starting point. A theme will unify and guide the decisions to follow, such as what kind of decorations, games, food or even the location of the baby shower.

In deciding the theme, take inspiration from things like mum’s interests and hobbies. For example, is there a movie, book, period of history, country or culture that mum particularly likes? Is mum into vintage aesthetics or a particular colour? Perhaps the theme might recall an important event in mum’s life, like her 18th, 21st, a wedding, a holiday or where she grew up.

The key with a theme is to unify decision-making and make the day memorable and fun for both the guests and the expecting mother.

Pick a location

Holding the baby shower at a private home puts complete control of the day in the hands of the organiser. While it is usual for the organiser to host, don’t hesitate to approach other guests if another house is more practical due to size or location.

When choosing a location, consider that you will need space to spread out and socialise, or play games and run activities if you’re including these. You will also want to consider the kitchen facilities and the ease of access to these in the lead up to the shower.

If you choose to hold the baby shower out of home, say at a restaurant, function space or park, consider how this might affect catering but also cost and the capacity to run activities. At the very least there’ll be less cleaning to do!

Choosing gifts

It certainly helps to make several considerations when thinking about baby shower gifts. Is it mum’s first child? First time mums will always appreciate essentials such as clothing or nappy bags. Or does mum have the larger essentials from a previous child? Maybe she needs an upgrade on some of those items, things like a carrier or pram.

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While utilising a gift registry might seem a tad formal, an organiser who consults with mum will ensure that she isn’t given unneeded items. A Facebook event page might be another way to have guests openly discuss what gifts they’re intending on giving, or collaboration on larger gift items.

Planning games and activities

Games and activities at a baby shower can range from the tried and true – party games like pin the tail on the donkey and pass the parcel – to the more creative, like using arts and crafts to make mementos to leave with at the shower’s end. Some outside-the-box ideas at home might be making photo albums, baking together or making a group painting or sculpture for the baby’s nursery. Consider also games that involve or relate back to your baby shower’s chosen theme.

Catering

Drinks and catering are central to any party, let alone a baby shower. You will want to ensure that there are levels of food and drink appropriate to the shower’s duration. A shorter shower, maybe a couple of hours, will probably only require light refreshments such as finger food, but a longer event will call for something more substantial, perhaps culminating in a cake.

In the event of the latter, it might serve to call in some help with preparation, or have part of the food catered for. When deciding what to make, don’t forget that there will be some foods mum is avoiding – and don’t forget the guiding hand of your theme!

The idea of throwing a baby shower at home isn’t necessarily to save money, but rather to provide a comfortable atmosphere to celebrate mum and her baby in the company of family and friends. Having the shower at home allows control over all aspects of the party and allows you to fully explore a theme. The experience should be memorable and pleasant and mark the beginning of a new chapter in mum’s life – as much as she should enjoy it, so should everyone else!