From themes to games to decorations to food, these unique ideas will make your shower stand out!
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When it comes to a new baby, the parents-to-be have a lot of hard decisions to make. But the baby shower? That's the easy part — especially with you as the host. No matter the vibe, you can pull together a celebration that's exactly what the parent- or parents-to-be envision for their big day. Are they hoping for a big party, with catered food and professional décor, or a small, at-home party you can throw together on a budget? Is a more rustic setting up their alley? Do they already have a theme in mind — or a must-play game?
Whichever route they want to take, there are plenty of options to throw an amazing baby shower — in exactly the way the works best for the guest or guests of honor. Here you’ll find inspirational and fun and creative baby shower ideas for 2024 for all kinds of parties, themes and sizes, with food, favors, games décor and invitation ideas as well. Scroll through this list to get some ideas, consider running them by the parent- or parents-to-be, and then enjoy some prepping, baking and arranging.
Looking for more great ideas to welcome a new baby? Check out these Good Housekeeping guides:
The Best Baby Shower Gifts | Great Baby Shower Guest Outfits | Best Push Present Ideas
Truffle Peas in a Pod
Trios of Lindor truffles wrapped in tissue paper become three peas in a pod — and a delicious favor. And if you're doing a seated affair, they can also be used as place cards.
Blue (and Pink and Yelllow and Green) Ribbons
As part of a horse-themed baby shower, the hosts of this party decorated a wall with prize-winning ribbons in different sizes, color combos and patterns. They also made name tags for the guests in the same style.
Photo Balloons
Lots of showers use old photos of the guests of honor as a way to decorate — and attaching them to balloon strings is a whimsical twist on a classic baby-shower theme.
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Diaper Fun
Encouraging guests to write on diapers — with jokes, silly drawings, advice or words of encouragement — might give a new-parent a smile the next time they're on diaper duty.
DIY Ice Cream Bar
Has the parent-to-be been having midnight ice cream cravings? Go all in on it with an indulgent — and pretty! — ice cream bar, like the one pictured here.
Baby Bodysuit Banner
Not only is a baby bodysuit banner an adorable way to decorate for a shower, it's a good way to use up old scraps of cotton fabric (if you're the type to have those on-hand). Plus, you can customize the patterns and colors to your guest of honor's liking.
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Colorful Cake Pops
We love a good “ready to pop”-themed shower, but for a fun twist, consider the “pop by and celebrate” take they went with here for an all-day fête where guests came and went as they pleased. You can pair it with other "pop"-themed items, like popcorn and popsicles.
Vintage-Store Finds
For this vintage-themed baby shower, the tables were decorated with thrift-store finds, including old toys, books, small decorative suitcases and handkerchiefs. Of special note is the painted frame in the background; it has a clothesline strung through it, with antique handkerchiefs and small baby clothes strung on the line.
Fur Heart Décor
Faux fur, which comes in tons of different colors, takes center stage in this sweet and standout heart. As shown in this post, it can be hung as is, framed or even mounted on a wooden background for a more rustic feel.
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Charcuterie Cups
For an app that looks fancy but is also super simple to pull off, try these charcuterie cups, which you can place on your food table or individually at each guest’s seat. Also great? You can tailor the cups to fit a variety of themes, like using only candy or breakfast items.
Bath Bomb Rattles
Go the adorable and useful route with these baby rattle bath bombs favors, which can be made using a Cricut and a few other simple supplies, like a glue gun and bath bombs — in whatever color best matches your theme, of course!
Book Character Activity
Have fond memories of reading Clifford and Winnie-the-Pooh as a kid? Then why not quiz your guests’ on the names of these and many other cherished characters in this “storybook guess who game” that comes together with just a few standard supplies.
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Mulling Spices Favor
While these charming little jars of mulling spices were designed for Thanksgiving, they’d also make a fun favor for a fall-themed baby shower — or simply one being held in the latter half of the year. Bonus: You can make them yourself in just five quick steps.
Sunflower Kissing Balls
Here’s some inspo for a “you are my sunshine” themed-shower! The secret to creating these adorable “sunflower kissing balls?” Yellow whiffle balls. (Really!) And if you’re hosting your party at a venue and can’t hang them, you can also simply display them on a dessert table or even use them as centerpieces.
DIY Headband Activity
For a twist on the typical "decorate-your-own-bodysuit" activity, consider making headbands instead. All you have to do is put out some ribbons, glue and other accessories and let your guests do their thing. At this shower, the person who made the design the guest-of-honor liked best was awarded a prize.
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Itsy Bitsy Spider — and Friends
Sure, your guests might still know all the words to Itsy Bitsy Spider or London Bridge — but can they decode the title of the nursery rhyme when it’s spelled out in … emojis? See if they can with this interactive activity.
Hand-Painted Desserts
These gorgeous, hand-painted sugar cookies would look as good on a baby shower dessert table as they would wrapped and given out as favors. And the best part is, though they look hard to make, they come together in just a few steps — and can, of course, be coordinated with your color scheme.
Set Sail
The many sweet touches — a rope ball, blue-white-and-red color scheme, Cricut-made sailboat décor — help bring this nautical themed baby shower together.
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Paint the World Pink Theme
While this “Paint the World Pink” party wasn’t created specifically for a baby shower, leaning into this one-color theme — and its décor, like a hand-painted globe — will definitely add some wow factor to your fête.
Library-Theme Invite
Channel the vibe of an old-school card catalog with this cute and creative invite, made specifically for a “book-themed” baby shower. Add in a slew of other touches, like bookmark favors, to really make it feel complete.
