36 Tips and Tricks to Make Your Baby Shower Shine

Request guests' company with a wooden block invitation, like this screenprinted pick made by Sideshow Press. It's an invitation and favor in one!

Source: Sideshow Press

Baby showers tend to be afternoon affairs, but wedding planner Jesi Haack threw a breakfast baby shower for a friend. Complete with an omelet bar and kid-friendly foods, an early morning shower is an unexpected idea and a great way to start the day.

Source: Jesi Haack Design

For a lil girl's baby shower, set up a DIY headband-making station inviting guests to get crafty throughout the day.

Source: Gabriel Ryan Photographers for Hostess With the Mostess

To create clever sweets like these Goodnight Moon cupcakes, top plain vanilla cupcakes with themed flags. Add a few props to the display to make it even more eye-catching.

Source: Hostess With the Mostess

Pass around an "I'm Bored" jar and ask guests to fill out a card with fun, kid-friendly activities to try when their baby needs to be entertained.

Source: Jesi Haack Design

Step up your standard sweets by using striped straws as cake pop sticks. Mix and match colors to keep things fresh, then tie a coordinating ribbon for a sweet, simple touch.

Source: Seriously Daisies

Not too keen on the diaper cake idea? Grab a diaper basket like this diaper basket centerpiece ($75) by Teresa Phillips to keep the tradition without lifting a finger.

While this outrageous centerpiece made from 2,500 mini cupcakes is certainly over the top (it was made to celebrate mom-to-be Katherine Kallinis, the cofounder of Georgetown Cupcakes), a smaller sweet sculpture is sure to wow shower guests.

A headline-making invitation introduced guests to this vintage newsprint-inspired shower, and the theme was carried through the event with a typewritten welcome note, "Extra! Extra!" thank you cards, and vintage newspapers, which sat on each guest's plate and featured a baby-themed crossword puzzle and cleverly worded headlines.

Source: Tara Rochelle for Layla Grayce

Forget a traditional dessert buffet, and try something more unique. Summer Watkins of Grey Likes Baby traded in desserts for biscuits. "Along with crates of biscuits, we also served savory toppings such as ham, Havarti cheese, and German mustard. For sweet toppings, we included fresh strawberries, homemade whipped cream, and lemon curd," Summer says.

Some cake toppers are edible, while others are cherished. Trade in the edible kind for one that becomes a family keepsake, like this gold crown.

"I loved all the onesies that guests created for us. They got really creative," Katie Vowels of Katrina Louise Photography told us. "We've loved taking photos of baby Rowan in the onesies and sending them on to the guests as another thank you. Each person put their name on the tag on the onesie, so we get to think of them every time she wears one."

For a British mom-to-be, the Union Jack made a perfect theme. Union Jack-covered boxes held tea bags, while an Edible Details fondant topper showed an iconic London telephone booth.

Have guests make a wish for the baby-to-be! The expectant mama will love reading them while she waits for her baby to arrive.

Source: Whimsical Printables

You don't have to use the dining room table to hold your food selections. For a lullaby-themed shower, Pure Joy events converted a crib into a table. "To carry out the theme, a sleigh crib with a coordinating crib skirt was used as the dessert table," Christine said. "White canopy netting, pom-pom clouds, and two dozen sky-blue balloons created a dreamy effect."

Source: Rebecca Watkins Photography for Pure Joy Events

Why not make mom's cravings the focus of a shower? Guests can guess the mom-to-be's biggest craving.

It is a shower after all, isn't it? We love this idea of hanging vintage umbrellas from Bella Umbrella upside down for decor.

Scour Etsy, and you're sure to find someone who can create just about anything for you. For a woodland-forest-themed shower, Martha Stewart Weddings's Darcy Miller wanted to give the party some unique touches that would set it apart from all the other baby showers they've seen through the years. One way they did so was with custom soaps created from images that Darcy sketched. As a big believer in custom goods, Darcy suggests going to the source to get exactly what you want for the party. She says, "Etsy is filled with vendors who will tailor products to your specifications."

Source: Charlotte Jenks Lewis

With so many baby showers taking place during brunch and lunch, an evening affair is a fun way to shake things up. For this "Off to Neverland" shower, an evening sky provided some needed darkness. "We figured doing it at night would help the effect be more prominent," Aasim of Sugar & Fluff said. "It turned out to be a hit, and everyone loved the idea of having a shower at nighttime!"