This Book Themed Baby Shower post is courtesy of our contributor Dawn of Not Just A Mommy…I have never been a big fan of pastel shaded baby showers; having a baby isn’t a delicate situation, you it should be bright and bold! Of course, if this is what the mommy-to-be-wants, so be it! But if I’m in charge, modern is the way I go. Today, I’m sharing great tips to help you host your own book themed baby shower!
When they were younger, Laura Joffe Numeroff’s If You Give A… series was my boys’ obsession, especially If You Give A Moose A Muffin. It is the perfect inspiration for a baby shower, sprinkle or sip and see. Invite guests to bring a copy of their favorite childhood book with the idea to help build baby’s library for both the new mom or repeat mom who wants to replace books that have been ‘well loved’ by siblings.
My party goals are always to make everyone feel special and welcome without stressing too much in the process. To help focus my party energy, I always pick a theme and color palette to help tie all my ideas together. Our table is inspired by the patterned napkins and cups with rustic touches for our eponymous star. Of course, the book’s theme also makes it easy for our meal, brunch!
Having a centerpiece is a great way to anchor your party table. For ours, a simple bouquet of flowers raised on a cake stand and wood round is a fun option, plus you can send the flowers home with the mother to be.
I’m not a big fan of character parties that scream the theme…you know which ones I’m talking about. Everything under the sun with the character on it is there. First of all, that gets expensive and usually, you can’t reuse certain items. I love being inspired with a few character items (like plates and cups) to anchor the theme and use solid colors and other thematic pieces to bring it all together. For example, I used a paper punch on coordinating cardstock to create fun table scatter to mimic our inspiration napkins and cups. Using wood plates and utensils also echoes our woodsy feel.
My moose cookie cutter worked double duty for our cookie place cards and the perfect template to create our muffin signage by tracing shapes out on black cardstock. By the way, I am obsessed with cookie place cards. They are a fun and sweet way to let guests find their way; who doesn’t want a little something to nibble on during the festivities?
Don’t just set out a store bought tray of fruit…simply plating them on a pretty platter or in a compote or shallow bowl is a must!
The same goes for your beverages. Unless they already come in nice bottles, pour your beverages in other pitchers and containers. I’m going to let you in on a little secret…if you are a drinker of high end alcohol that comes in fancy glass bottles, hang onto them once they are empty. Strip them of their labels and thoroughly wash them out and they can be reused at other events. I believe mine used to be tequila and whiskey bottles.
My parties always have a craft or activity to do…it’s a great ice breaker and fun way to engage guests. I got in on the adult coloring phenomenon with my fun book plates guests can personalize and add to their book. Visit my blog for the free download!
I hope you have been inspired to host your own book themed baby shower if duty calls! Want to recreate the look? Check out where I score on some of my favorite items…
- Birthday Kraft cups and napkins from Oriental Trading
- Natural scalloped birch wood plates from Amazon
- Fancy wood utensils from Shop Sweet Lulu
- Clear Charlotte cake stands from Crate & Barrel
- Pennant punch (to make table confetti) from Hobby Lobby
- Wood round from Michaels
- 6” white milk glass cake stand from Amazon
- Moose cookie cutter from World Market
Looking for even more baby shower ideas? I have lots of them like one of my favorite baby showers hosted for my sister-in-law, Pink Safari! She wanted all of the cheesy baby games…but I classed them up and we were both happy!
We’d like to send a big THANK YOU to Dawn of Not Just A Mommy for sharing these creative party ideas with us. Over on Dawn’s blog you’ll find plenty of party ideas for all of life’s celebrations. I hope you’re ready to plan a party because she’s sure to leave you inspired! Be sure to follow her on Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter for even more creative ideas.