One of the best parties to plan is a baby shower. Making the invitations, deciding on the menu, buying the cake are all fun, but the best part is decorating the room. There are so many neat ways you can do this, but many people just don't have a lot of money to spend. So how do you make this special day special, without depleting your bank account?
Decorating for a party can be done inexpensively. All it takes is a little time, help and some creativity.
Cover tables with pink and light blue tablecloths. There are many new varieties with baby designs on them. Paper ones are usually the cheapest and they help with cleanup after the party. If you have trouble finding a decorated one, or don't like the ones you find, single color ones can be decorated with stickers, drawings, and baby cutouts to make them more festive.
A wonderful substitution to the standard placemat is a cloth diaper. These can be decorated with diaper pins, scrapbook embellishments, etc. After the party, remove the decorations and wash the diapers. They will make a nice extra gift for the expectant mother to use as burp rags. For your table settings use plates and utensils in the opposite baby color as the tablecloth for a nice contrasting look.
Using a few creative centerpieces on the tables will decorate them and give the mother-to-be some useful gifts. Take two plastic baby dolls, one of each gender. Dress them and sit them at opposite ends of the food table with baby items surrounding them. Tie one pink and one light blue balloon around the waist of each doll to add to the look.
On the rest of the tables, you can use small baskets with shredded tissue paper and baby items inside. Tie a balloon or two, depending on the weight of the basket, to the handles to complete the look. You get some nice decorations; the mom-to-be gets some items she'll need when the baby arrives.
Don't forget about balloons. They are a cheap and effective way to make a room look more festive. Use them outside the party location to direct people to the event. Place them along the path to the party room and tie balloons from the back of the chairs for a fun and simple effect.
Hang small rattles and pacifiers from the ceiling using ribbons. Be sure to hang them high enough so people can walk safely underneath. You can also use small baby toys, but they can't be too heavy. Always check with the owner of the facility or house before taping or tacking anything to the ceiling.
Don't forget your guests when making decorations. Giving a name tag for each guest will help them remember each other's names and put them more in the partying mood. Get some pink and light blue felt, cut into 6" triangles. Fold the right and left points in, then fold the bottom point up to make the felt piece into the shape of a diaper. Use a diaper pin to hold it together and write each guests first name on the front of the tag with a marker. Use a regular safety pin on the back to attach it to the guest's outfit.
For the guest of honor, take one pink and one light blue fancy baby sock. Lay the top of the socks together, making sure the bottoms are fanned out so both colors are visible. Using a pin attach it her blouse, making a special corsage for the mother-to-be.
Anyone can decorate a room for a party. All it takes is a little creativity and some work. But then end results will be worth the effort. Your friends smiling face when she walks into the room and sees what you've done will be all the thanks you need.
