Tips for Hosting The Perfect Baby Shower

When planning a baby shower it is perfectly alright to make it your DIY project, you can also have fun doing it.
This post was published on the now-closed HuffPost Contributor platform. Contributors control their own work and posted freely to our site. If you need to flag this entry as abusive, send us an email.

2014-07-18-IMG_0209.jpg

Congratulations to my friend who just had a healthy, handsome baby boy! It seems as if just yesterday I hosted a baby shower for her and here he is!

I designed the overall theme after being inspired by old-fashioned organic wooden toys which I found in Washington D.C. on one of our street shopping outings. For my friend's shower I had envisioned pale yellow and grey color combinations which seemed like an interesting creative departure from the traditional baby blue palette. These two otherwise basic toys- a yellow giraffe and a grey elephant served as the thematic basis for the shower tablescape and atmosphere. Find what inspires you and think about the future mother to be - her style and personality, things and colors she likes! Then go ahead and be bold in choosing the creative direction, theme and colors for the occasion.

When planning a baby shower it is perfectly alright to make it your DIY project, you can also have fun doing it. Alternatively you can order the printables from one of the websites to make it more uniform and color coordinated. There are a lot of options available- the fonts, shapes, colors and you can also personalize it with your friend's name, date of the shower and the gender of the baby. There are plenty of colors, patterns, cartoon characters to choose from; anything that will work with the theme and colors you came up with.

Decide on the menu

The menu has to be simple but offer the guests some variety; think vegetarian, seafood and meat options. Choose the menu that's easy to prepare and can be eaten without forks and knives. It creates a relaxed, no-fuss required atmosphere.

2014-07-18-IMG_0214.jpg

Savory bites

Small savory bites like my Chicken Roulettes can be served hot, cold or at room temperature they are simply delicious and the texture perfectly lends itself to any serving temperature.

Slice up some bright bell peppers and blanched asparagus spears and serve them crudité style with spicy ranch sauce in individual shot glasses.

2014-07-18-IMG_0198.jpg

Sliders are another excellent way to feed the crowd and who doesn't like mini-burgers anyway? Mine were seafood burgers made from a combination of shrimp, scallops and squid all mixed in the food processor for some seriously delectable treat. Serve them with a slice of tomato & lettuce and some spicy condiment on a tiny challah bun and watch even your most mannered, sophisticated guests lick their fingers with delight!

Sweet treats

2014-07-18-IMG_0206.jpg

For the expectant moms that like to have desert for two, go all out and create a beautiful dessert table with cupcakes, macaroons or home-made Panna Cotta with Passion Fruit Puree.

2014-07-18-IMG_0224.jpg

Guaranteed to satisfy even most voracious sweet tooth!

A special cake

2014-07-18-IMG_0211.jpg

The cake is always a centerpiece of any baby shower thus it has to be a showstopper. Our two-tiered baby shower cake was designed by the cool Duet Bakery in Brooklyn. Artfully crafted in keeping with the animal theme this cake incorporated all the fun elements we had at the table like hand-appliqued giraffe and elephant wooden toys, as well as the alphabet cubes.

2014-07-18-IMG_0234.jpg

It played off the color scheme of pale yellows, greys and white colors! This two-tiered wonder was really fresh and equally incredibly enjoyable to eat as it was to gaze upon.

What to drink

2014-07-18-IMG_0207.jpg

Even though flutes of fuzzy champagne or delightful sweet cocktails are totally appropriate at the baby showers these days, I decided to serve freshly squeezed lemonade instead. Make it extra special by serving this thirst quencher in individual glass jars with personalized sticker (mommy's baby shower, date of the occasion and who is expected), I guarantee that it will taste so much better! Tie a rustic twine around the bottle's neck with "best wishes" tag and color-coordinated straws for added impact. Keep miniature bottled water on display as well for those who prefer plain aqua.

Flowers with personality

2014-07-18-IMG_0093.jpg

To stay consistent with the theme my friend from Blooming Bears, the company which specializes in floral sculptures, designed the adorable giraffe and floral alphabet cubes that spelled BOY and made a terrific centerpiece for the table!

2014-07-18-IMG_0151.jpg

This is a very unique way to bring more excitement and a greater sense of festivity to the event. The guests couldn't stop gushing about this arrangement!

2014-07-18-IMG_0153.jpg

Pom poms are a must

2014-07-18-IMG_0258.jpg

Pom poms are an easy way to decorate the space. They are somewhat time-consuming to assemble but are very inexpensive and add a multiplicity of dimensions to the event. If you've been following my blog you probably know that I like to suspend object from our crystal chandelier, find a way to incorporate the pom poms in your space. If hosting the shower outside, hang them from the tress in your garden.

Game time

2014-07-18-IMG_0279.jpg

Before mommy-to-be begins the gift opening ceremony have some fun with the guests by playing couple of fun, easy games to elevate the entertainment aspect of the experience. My friend Vivian asked all the guests to bring their baby pictures. She displayed them on the pin board and asked the mom to be to figure out who was on the picture. My 1st grade portrait was the hardest to guess! Cheers to that!

Guest favors

2014-07-18-IMG_0274.jpg

Party favors are an ideal way to thank your guests for joining you and the mommy-to-be to celebrate the beginning of a new life and the new chapter in couple's life. The personalized body lotion at our baby shower was adorned with a bird on a birch and the date of this joyous occasion.

Where to buy:

Personalized Baby Shower Milk Jars and Straws at Beau-coup website.
Personalized Baby Shower Hand Lotion at Beau-coup website.
Martha Stewart Tissue Paper Pom Pom Kit, White and Yellow at Michael's or at Martha Stewart's website.
Two-tiered Baby Shower Cake and Cupcakes by Duet Bakery.
Sculpted Floral Giraffe and Cubes by Blooming Bears.
Yellow and Polka Dot Tablecloths by Art de Fête.

Popular in the Community

Close

HuffPost Shopping’s Best Finds

MORE IN LIFE