Planning a baby shower is no easy feat, especially when it comes to picking theme-appropriate, eye-catching centerpieces for the tables. When selecting centerpieces, be mindful of height. After all, you don’t want guests standing across the table to talk to each other or struggling to see the mother-to-be open her gifts. Remember that centerpieces aren’t limited to flowers–edible options offer guests a special treat and are environmentally friendly. Save money by creating centerpieces the guest of honor can take home as gifts, or that partygoers can take home as favors.
Got Candy?
Novelty baby bottles can hold a lot more than milk. Fill large, clear baby bottles with gummy bears, jelly beans or other candy that matches the color scheme and theme of the baby shower. Decorate each bottle with coordinating ribbons. At the end of the shower, let each guest guess the number of candies in the bottle at her table. The winner gets to take the bottle of candy home as a prize.
Cupcake Tree
Tease guests with dessert by using cupcake trees as baby shower centerpieces. Frosted with icing and adorned with shower-themed decorations, cupcakes are an edible centerpiece that can add to the baby shower’s decor. Opt for a cupcake holder or cupcake tree that holds a maximum of 12 cupcakes.
Candy Land Lollipop Bouquet
Use small pails to create lollipop bouquets, which can double as favors. If you have trouble finding pails to match the baby shower you’re planning, purchase white pails and paint them to match. Use sand in the bottoms of the pails to keep the lollipops from falling over and from shifting around in the pail. “It’s a Boy” or “It’s a Girl” lollipops are ideal for this centerpiece idea, as are lollipops that are pink or blue baby feet. Custom-made chocolate lollipops in the shapes of baby strollers, babies, pacifiers and teddy bears can also create a full bouquet of candy for baby shower centerpieces.
Must Have Been a Beautiful Baby
Gather childhood photographs of the parents-to-be, then place them in assorted picture frames that match the baby shower theme. Display at least five photographs at each table. Pick themes for each table such as “first day of school,” “bath time,” “dinner time,” “outdoor play,” “graduation” and “favorite toys.” Include photographs within each theme and encourage baby shower guests to visit each table to take a look at the photographs. Use place cards to display the theme of each table.
Diaper Surprise
The more diapers, the merrier, right? A mom-to-be needs an immeasurable amount of diapers for the first year or so of her baby’s life, so it’s ideal to incorporate diapers into the shower theme. Use diaper cakes as centerpieces for each table where guests are seated. Create a theme for each table to determine how the diaper cake is decorated. Use one cake for bath time and include rubber duckies, wash cloths, a hooded towel and bath soap and wash for baby. A feeding themed cake can include bottles, bibs, spoons and burping cloths. To create a diaper cake, roll 11 diapers individually and secure them with clear rubber bands. Use seven rolled-up diapers to create the bottom layer of the diaper cake. Stand the diapers up and secure them with one large rubber band. Use the four remaining rolled-up diapers to create the top layer of the diaper cake, secure them with a large rubber band and place that layer on top of the bottom layer. Use ribbon to cover the large rubber bands, and use the rubber bands to help hold the gifts for baby.
Photo Credit
- Colored candy image by pershing from Fotolia.com