Baby Shower on a Budget
Location
There is no need to spring for a rental space. If you have enough room in your own home, go ahead and host it there. If the shower will be happening in the summer, go ahead and use your backyard. If you go with your yard, remember to have alternate plans incase of rain or extremely windy weather.
If your home is too small and you don’t have a yard, look around for places you can get for free or for a small donation. Your church may allow you to use their community area for free if you are a member of the church. Some parks have pavilions you can rent rather cheaply that make a great spot of gatherings.
Invitations
You can forgo the store bought invitations and make them yourself. Almost anyone can do this with simple software like Photoshop. If you aren’t sure of your talent in this area, there are hundreds of invitations you can find online. You simply download them, add the information for your event, and then print.
Decorations
You may be surprised at the great decorations you can find at affordable prices. Dollar stores are full of great decorations, some are even color-coded to make planning every easier. If you have children or have nieces or nephews, have them help you make some. The mother-to-be may love to see decorations created by children for their shower.
In the summer month, a majority of your decoration can come in the form of wild flowers. Wild flowers look good in almost any combination. Take a ride in your car and pick whatever you find, or visit your local florist and ask what they have available.
Food
The door for food is wide open. If you have the shower mid-day, you can serve a light lunch. Finger foods, sandwiches, and fruit are great choices and relatively inexpensive. For afternoon showers, you can just have some snacks available and a punch bowl for drinks.
Cakes are relatively inexpensive for showers; they don’t need to be overly elaborate. If you have the time and the patience, you can make it yourself. Ask friends or relatives if anyone would be willing to make the cake if you don’t feel you can do it.
Favors
Favors can be as simple or as complicated as you like. An Internet search will yield a multitude of inexpensive yet fun favors for a baby shower. Look for something that fits the personality of the guest of honor and the theme of the shower.
A great inexpensive favor is a candle. Find lightly scented votives and wrap them with a ribbon or tulle. Find a short poem to attach to the candle and you have a cute, inexpensive and meaningful favor to hand out to your guests.
Gifts For the Guests
Most baby showers include a round of games. What you will want to buy for gifts will depend on your personal traditions. If your guests will be keeping their winnings, go for lotions, body washes, and soaps.
Some people give the gifts they win directly to the guest of honor. If this is a tradition for you, you will want to buy things for the new baby. Buy bottles of baby shampoo, lotion, and any other small yet useful items a new parent may need.
Gift For the New Mom
The shower itself is a great gift for the new mom. If you feel like getting something more, build a small gift basket that is just for mom. When a new baby is coming, people often concentrate on the baby and forget how stressed the new mom will be. Get her teas, lotions, a good book, sleeping mask, moisturizer, or anything else that may make her feel pampered, and put it together in a basket.
Final Thoughts
If you feel your friends or family may object to something less than a posh and expensive party, let someone else host and give yourself a break. Remember, a great shower is about family and friendship, not about how much you spend on it. A shower can be tastefully done without the pain of an empty bank account.
