Homemade
Baby Shower Invitation Ideas
By Peata Hepi
& The Editors of CreativeHomeStyle.com
(C) 2007 Copyright
Leader Publishing
Baby shower
invitation ideas should represent the sense of joy and expectation
that a tiny new life awakens in the parents-to-be, and all their
family and friends. The invitations set the tone for the day so
you'll want to put some care and thought into them. The invitations
you choose should be a good fit for the overall theme of the baby
shower. If you can come up with a unique and creative baby shower
invitation idea, it will become a delightful memento of the precious
days leading up to the arrival of the bouncing bundle of joy.
Here are a few
creative and unique homemade baby shower invitation ideas to give the
baby shower you are planning a bit of the WOW factor:
1. Distribute Mini Diapers
This clever
invitation idea is almost guaranteed to bring a smile to the faces of
the invited guests. Cut nappy-squares from cheap cotton or
inexpensive flannel, or you can even use paper. Write all the details
neatly with a felt-tip pen or fabric marker. If writing on fabric, be
sure to practice a few times to get the knack. Then fold them just as
you would you would a diaper. The finishing touch is a small diaper
pin. A variation on this theme is to use real, disposable diapers -
this is far less sophisticated, and really takes more of a joke
approach, but it will certainly get the point across. You can then
write all the details on the nappy.
2. Storybook
Invitations to Spawn a Storybook Theme and Collection
Story-times in a
nursery glider or rocking chair are always special for mommy and
baby, almost right from the time baby comes home. You can create home
made baby shower invitations that look like little books using
cardboard for the covers, clear tape to create the spine of the book,
and one sheet of folded paper inside for the pages. Give the book a
title such as "Pams Baby Shower", and write the details of
the shower inside the "book". Make the dimensions of the
book any size you like. Then take the idea a step father - use your
baby shower invitation idea to help the new mom to build a story book
collection she can share with her baby. In the invitation, ask each
guest to bring a children's story book to the shower, and to include
an inscription, signed by them, in the front cover of the book for
additional keepsake value. Take the theme all the way throughout the
shower if you like by creating centerpieces using classic story books
displayed on silver trays and surrounded by flower petals or
figurines related to the story.
3. Down Memory Lane
Send a photo of
the mom-to-be when she was a little baby out to each guest, with
invitation details for the baby shower written on the back of the
print. Ask guests who've known the new mommy since childhood to bring
prints of their own photos of her when she was a child, or throughout
the years. Have someone assigned at the shower to collect these from
guests at the door and insert them into a scrarpbook which can be
presented to the new mom at the end of the shower. As they enter the
baby shower, guests can also be asked to write memories about the
mom-to-be or well wishes on squares of pretty paper you supply, and
these too can be included in the scrapbook. This book of memories
will be treasured for years to come.
4. Message In A
(Baby) Bottle
Print the baby
shower invitation on nice paper stock using your home computer, or at
your local print shop. Roll it up and tie a colorful ribbon around
it. Pop this into an inexpensive baby bottle, easily found at your
local dollar store, and give a "message in a bottle" to
every guest you wish to invite. If you like, you can suggest in the
invitation that each guest bring the baby bottle with them to the
shower, so that the new mom can have a well-stocked supply to choose
from. As an alternative, instead of using real baby bottles you can
purchase small doll-sized bottles, punch a hole in the invitation and
tie the tiny bottle to the invitation with a ribbon. For variations
on this theme, use pacifiers or bibs (again, suggest that guests to
bring these to the shower so they may be given to the new mom).
5. Baby Babble
Create cards that
are penned to look as if they were written by baby herself (or
himself): a sweet message from baby, personally asking guests to come
to the shower. Guests will find this inexpensive yet original idea to
be absolutely adorable. If mom has an ultrasound image of baby that
she is willing to share for the invites, it can be photocopied and
featured as part of the invitation design.
6. Cut-Outs
If you are crafty
and creative, use construction paper or card stock to cut out baby
bottle, rattle, or teddybear shapes. Decorate the front of the card
with felt markers, then flip the card over and write out the shower details.
These are just a
few ideas to get your mind into the right gear. Your friend will love
you for the effort you put into the arrangements. She will feel
special and adored. Most of all, all your attention to detail will
get her even more excited about the arrival of her new bundle of joy.
More Ideas....
You might want to
ask guests to bring a small gift or treat for baby's siblings. They
can easily feel neglected when all the attention is focused on the
soon-to-arrive newborn.
Since you are
throwing the baby shower, you probably know the mom-to-be well enough
to form an idea about what she will enjoy. The baby shower
invitations should be personalized to suit her as much as possible in
order for them to be most meaningful. The invitations should also be
in keeping with the theme for the shower overall.
If you're not
quite sure where to get ideas, you might want to start by looking at
the nursery and take inspiration from the decor as a theme for the
baby shower. For instance, if there is a classic Winnie The Pooh
crib, you can build the entire baby shower theme around that, and
select invitations that will be consistent with that theme in one way
or another. As another example, if the furnishings feature African
safari crib bedding, you can use all sorts of cuddly animals to
create a delightful and unique baby shower invitation idea. Tiny,
fluffy animals can accompany the invites.
Although the
occasion needs to be spirited and lighthearted, don't try to be too
funny. This is not the time to embarrass the new mom. Remember that
this is a highly charged emotional time for her. Be sensitive to her
feelings and state of mind. Make sure that it is a day that ensures
her of the support, love and care of all her friends and family. Make
it a pick-me-up afternoon that will add to her excitement
about the arrival of the baby.
Your unique baby
shower invitation idea can include the basics, such as the name of
the mom-to-be and her baby (if this has been decided), the date and
time, the address and directions, and RSVP and a telephone number. If
arrangements have been made for a gift registry, this information can
also be mentioned here. You can also consider including a cute poem
as part of the invitations.
Don't stress about
the occasion. Make the unique baby shower invitation idea fun - and
enjoy yourself! |
