Your sister or best friend is expecting her first child. You're responsible for throwing the shower but are strapped for cash in this economy. How do you throw an affordable baby shower while still holding it special? Here are some ideas on how to host a shower on the cheap:
Invitations
The invitations are an easy area to cut back on when planning a baby shower. Roughly everyone has email these days - even Grammy. Send an electronic invitation or, for anyone who isn't web savvy on the guest list, request them over the phone.
Have a Potluck
Divvy up the cost of food by having a potluck. Be sure to coordinate with guests about who is bringing what so you don't end up with five different variations of Seven Layer Dip. Set a theme for the food, whether by region (Italian, Mediterranean) or find out what the mom or concentrate to be's (if you are having a co-ed baby shower) popular house and friend's recipes are. Set a allocation per dish so no one spends too much.
Skip the Favors
Guests can do without that baby carriage candle or chocolate bar. Show your appreciation of their nearnessy at the shower with some thoughtfully ready words while the celebration or a thank you email a few days later. Your gratitude will shine through, probably even more than with a primary baby shower favor.
Choose Free Games
There are fullness of free shower games to keep the crowd entertained. Here are two of our favorites:
- Guess The Baby: Ask each guest to bring a picture of themselves as a baby. Hang the photos on a string and then give everyone a scrap piece of paper and something to write their guess of who is in each photo.
- Baby Features: Moms or Dads? Before the party, make a list of different features the baby could inherit from their parents, from physical characteristics to personality traits: eyes, cheeks, ears, toes, sense of humor, work ethic, etc. while the shower, have each guest guess which features the mom-to-be will hope the baby will inherit from mom or dad. After everyone has voted, have mom read her answers aloud.
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