What are the Best Baby Shower Themes?

Baby showers can either have a theme or not. The choice to host a themed shower is up to the hostess. Having a theme has a few benefits, but it can also come with a few complications.

Key Points

• Picking a theme for your baby shower can make it easier to plan. However, in some cases it can make it harder to find decorations.
• Couples showers have been gaining popularity in recent years.
• Regardless of what you pick, make sure you notify your guests far enough in advance so they can ensure their schedule is free for the shower.

Consider This Before Picking a Theme

Picking a theme makes it easier to plan games, decorations, and the cake. It also makes it easier to add extra flair and style to the shower by having everything coordinated. It lets the creativity of the hostess shine through because everything is pulled together in a visually obvious way.

The drawback is finding decorations and tableware depending on the theme. If you choose a theme that sounds like fun, you may end up with basic colors for tableware and decorations because the graphics for your theme haven’t been put on party supplies.

A middle ground is to choose a theme based on the partyware you choose. The design focus is taken care of with the plates and decorations; your job is to then come up with games and favors to compliment it.

Another option is to avoid a theme altogether. Choose what you like as far as decorations and party supplies, and choose your games according to what appeals to you. With this type of shower, your main coordination tasks will be through color. For example: if the plates you choose have a picture of baby animals, choose two dominant colors from the artwork as your balloon and streamer colors.

The bottom line is that a baby shower is a joyous celebration. You’ll have a great time no matter how you choose to present it! That said, if you decide to go with a theme we've got some great options below.

Couples Shower

This type of shower has been gaining popularity in recent years. It allows the dad-to-be to participate in the celebration, and lets the mom-to-be share it with him. The guests are usually friends of the couple, with the couples knowing both the parents-to-be.

Tea Party

The traditional tea party is perfect for a baby shower. From finger sandwiches and tea cakes to fine china cups, this lends itself wonderfully to the delicate theme of a new baby.

Pamper Mom

While the baby shower gifts are traditional (for the baby), the shower itself focuses on mom. She gets extra pampering with a facial, manicure, and makeover session along with her guests.

The Baby’s Schedule

Each guest is assigned a different time from the baby’s schedule. They bring an appropriate gift for that time- bath time, feeding time, bed time, etc. This helps to make sure the new mom has what she needs during an average day with her new baby.

Fill Her Freezer

The first few weeks with a new baby are the most tiring. New moms find it hard to plan meals and may end up eating poorly when they need to watch their nutrition. Have guests bring a dish that can be frozen and heated easily once the baby arrives so mom doesn’t have to worry about what to have for dinner.

Fairy Tales

Choose your favorite fairy tale and decorate based on the tale. If you choose the Princess and the Pea, decorate with a royal theme. Make sure you put peas into a cold salad, and have mom’s chair plumped with lots of pillows to sit on top of.

Royalty

Depending if the baby is a boy or girl, you can do a Prince or Princess theme. Decorate with royal crests, crowns and castle themed items.

Scrapbooking

Have each guest make a scrapbook page for the new mother and baby. Take a picture of each guest, then have them personalize their page by adding their thoughts, advice, and wishes for the new family. Make sure you provide plenty of stickers and scrapbooking accessories!

Boy Shower

If the parents already know it’s a boy, go with a baby blue and boys toys theme. Blue decorations and blue coloring in the food are the decorations.

Girl Shower

Go girly with this theme- pink everywhere. Use ribbons, bows, lace, and pink décor to help welcome the new baby girl.

Character Theme

Winne the Pooh, Disney Babies, Little Mermaid, or whoever you choose can be the theme of this shower. This theme is fairly easy to get party supplies for; just look in the children’s birthday party section of the party supply store.

Nursery Theme

Help the new mom decorate her nursery. Find out the theme she chose and have guests bring nursery related gifts.

Noah's Ark

This is an extremely popular theme for twin showers. This is also a great theme to use for a couples shower. Do everything two by two, from the food to the decorating.

Twinkle Twinkle Little Star

Help to welcome the new little star with a star of their own. Ask the guests to contribute to registering a real star for the new baby with the star registry. Decorate with moon and stars decorations and twinkly white lights.

Mother Goose

Decorate with popular nursery rhyme characters, using illustrations and items from the rhymes. Place the tableware in pails for Jack and Jill, serve deviled eggs for Humpty Dumpty, etc. Give the new mom a complete collection of Mother Goose rhymes so she’ll have her wonderful shower memories when she reads the rhymes to her new little one.

Safety Shower

Gifts for this theme center around baby safety. From door latches to outlet plugs, the parents-to-be will be ready to have a baby in the house (safely!).

Ages and Stages

Assign a random age or developmental stage from newborn – five years inside invitations, and have your guests bring a gift appropriate for that age group.

Mom’s Life

Use the mom-to-be as the inspiration for this one. Baby pictures from when she was a baby, notes from her parents with stories about what she was like as an infant, toddler, and child, and favorite toys or mementos from her past.

ABC's

Decorate with alphabet blocks and letters. Ask guests to buy a gift starting with a letter you assign them. Play games based on the alphabet.

Baby Clothes

Use clothesline and clothes pins, laundry baskets, and baby laundry detergent to decorate with. Have guests bring baby clothes based on the baby’s age (guests can be assigned an age so the mom ends up with a good supply of clothing for the first year).

Celebrity Baby

Decorate with Oscars, stars like the Hollywood Walk of Fame, movie posters and celebrity magazines. Use a red carpet for guest arrivals, taking pictures as they do the “Oscar Night” walk. Go glitter, glam, and paparazzi for this one!

Dr. Seuss

Kids and adults will both enjoy a Dr. Seuss baby shower theme. Even a Grinch could enjoy this party! Whether your newborn is a girl or boy, they are bound to fall in love with Dr. Seuss books. Whether it's “The Cat in the Hat”, “Green Eggs and Ham” or “How the Grinch Stole Christmas,” holding a Dr. Seuss party is perfect for your baby shower!

Birthstone Baby Shower Theme

Use the baby’s birthstone as a them for this baby shower. Have guests wrap their gifts in the color of the birthstone, use decorations with the birthstone being the focal color, and use “gems” to decorate the table and cake with. Any craft store has a great selection that can be mixed and matched.

Tips for Having a Great Baby Shower

If you want to have a great baby shower, then check out these tips:

Send invitations out early enough. You want to give your guests enough advance notice to allow them to have an opening in their schedule. You'll also want to give them adequate time to shop. Make sure any instructions, such as what type of gift to bring, are included in the invitation. Request an RSVP from each guest so you can get an accurate headcount.

Prepare or order food in advance, if possible. Whether you'll be preparing the food yourself or hiring a caterer, make sure you do so in advance. You can always freeze food to keep it from spoiling. For best freshness, try preparing it the day before and storing it in the fridge. Fruit should be cut up the day of. Make sure you take note of any guest allergies so you can accommodate them.

Practice good hosting etiquette. Try to greet as many of your guests as you can, as close to when they arrive as possible. Make sure there's a clear area designated for gifts. Try to go around and talk to every guest. Ensure the parents-to-be are comfortable and that their needs are taken care of. When guests prepare to leave, bid them farewell.

Be prepared for lots of set-up and cleanup. You'll have to set up lots of decorations, set out hors d'oeuvres, and set up tables, among other possible tasks. When you're done, you'll have to ensure the decorations are taken down, the tables are cleaned, and any trace of your party is removed. It might be wise to enlist a couple of guests with extra spare time to help you.

The image featured at the top of this post is ©Ruth Black/Shutterstock.com.