Throwing a frugal baby shower is so much fun – I remember my own when I was pregnant with my first 8 years ago! It’s so nice feeling like a queen for a day, and getting an assortment of cute gifts for your baby.
Are you planning a baby shower for a friend or family member? While fun to do, it can be also be affordable. Thanks to Gemma Raynes for this great article on how to save money while coordinating a baby shower!
Top Tips for Throwing a Frugal Baby Shower
For excited new moms-to-be, a baby shower is a rite of passage, and one that they will cherish for a long time, particularly in the uncomfortable weeks leading to the birth of their long-awaited new born. If someone you love is expecting a new arrival then you may wish to volunteer to host and arrange their baby shower for them.
Hosting a baby shower can be a very time-consuming endeavour for the chosen hostess: it can also be one that is very expensive unless you plan and organise it carefully. However, the good news is that it is possible to host and organize a fabulous baby shower without getting into debt that you don’t want, spending more money than you need, or compounding an already existing debt problem. Here are a few top tips for throwing a frugal but fabulous baby shower:
Make What You Can
With time and a little imagination, much of the décor and details for your baby shower can be made, rather than purchased, and this will save you a considerable amount of money. If you are crafty and enjoy making things then you could purchase some card stock from your local dollar store and get to work designing and creating your own invitations. Ribbons, stickers, and other embellishments can all help to make these homemade invitations look just as classy and beautiful as their shop bought equivalent. If you are less creatively minded then there are also a myriad of online resources and websites where you can download free baby shower invitation templates which you simply have to print yourself at home. Décor, such as banners, name place cards and other all-important details can also be printed at home for a small budget, whilst still ensuring the shower theme looks beautiful and cohesive.
One of the expenses many baby shower hostesses worry about is the cost of providing favors for all of the attendees, but again, costs can be cut here if you make what you can. Keen bakers could make each guest a cupcake or cake pop in the appropriate color or style, for example. Alternatively, why not raid your local discount store for whatever candy they have available within your budget, and then package it prettily with ribbon and labels: this may take a little longer than simply purchasing your favors, but it would cost considerably less.
Cut Costs on Food
Of course it is essential that you provide food and drink for all of your invited guests however, you will find it much more affordable to provide the high volume of food you require if you prepare it yourself, rather than hire an outside caterer. For your own sanity, that means keeping your menu and food preparation as simple as you possibly can. Cold dishes, or dishes that can be served at room temperature are much easier to handle from a logistic point of view, but can still be very classy and look great: why not consider a British style afternoon tea where you serve dainty finger sandwiches, scones, and bite sized cakes? This is a great theme for a baby shower, as well as a very inexpensive menu idea.
If the thought of preparing all of this food is overwhelming for you then you could also consider asking a few close friends to help by bringing a dish: people are often pleased to be asked to help for happy occasions such as this, and may well also be pleased to show off their culinary skills.
The Entertainment
Finally, one of the most fun aspects of any baby shower are the party games: and the good news about those is that they cost almost nothing to arrange! The suggestions for baby shower games are almost endless and you are sure to have your favourites, however if you’re looking for something simple that will amuse and entertain everyone without embarrassing the new mom to be then memory games (such as listing ‘what’s inside the diaper bag’) or baby related charades will always be well received. If you dislike the idea of baby shower games then another viable alternative is to ask every guest to bring along an inexpensive plain white baby vest, and then provide fabric paints and pens, ribbons and other embellishments. Your guests will love getting their creative juices flowing in designing beautiful singlets for the new arrival whilst the mom-to-be will be left with a wonderful keepsake of the day that she can treasure forever.
Throwing a frugal baby shower may well be a lot of work, but the good news is that if you plan the event in advance, it doesn’t have to cost a lot of money.
-By Gemma Raynes