Shower Hosting: Little Touches for a Big Impact

My group of friends is in the midst of a baby boom, and as a result I've had the opportunity to plan lots of baby showers lately. Luckily, most of my friends and I have eschewed the traditional shower of afternoon tea, cookies, and weirdo games. However, we did all stick with one element of baby showers that I do love: the theme!

I love planning theme parties. I always want to go ALL OUT and make it look like the theme threw up on everything. However, it becomes very, very difficult for me to balance everything I want to do for the theme with what I hope to spend on the party. What's more, though the decorating part is the most fun, I actually think the food part is the most important of any party, so it becomes a tough balance to strike. 

Thus, I've come up with lots of ways to get a theme across without breaking the bank. These little touches can have a huge impact on your event!

Paper. As a writer, I love paper. Particularly for a shower, if you're planning printables, plan on something other than white paper. For my Harry Potter baby shower, everything was printed on thick, cream-colored parchment. For a nautical shower I recently hosted, we used thin, mottled vellum. A pack of paper will cost $10 and add a lot to the feel. 

Signage. Some simple signs can really make an event feel put together. I love tent cards for food (with theme-related names), and station signs. These are examples of what I put together for that nautical shower, using frames I had at the house. These didn't cost anything but time and added a nice ambiance. 

Favors. I am big on favors for showers (I am pretty old fashioned about lavishing guests at events where they bring gifts), but favors do not have to be super expensive. For a friend's shower last summer, we bought a big bucket of Chicago popcorn (to honor Dad-to-be's home town), bagged it, and added a cute sticker that said "Thanks for Popping By!" Each one cost about 50 cents. Likewise, for the nautical shower, I put a few pieces of taffy in a bag and a tag that said "We're Whaley Glad You Came!" which cost about 75 cents each. 

Tableware. This is where parties get expensive. You can buy all kinds of themed plates, cups, etc. but will eat up your budget very fast. I tend to go more towards simple (i.e. solid colored tablecloth, coordinating plates all bought at the dollar store), and add one or two elements to make a theme pop-- for example, these cute silverware bundles I made (thank you Pinterest!) to add a nautical element to a shower table. 

Use the Food. Since I am big on dedicating most of my budget to making sure guests eat well, I often try to pull a dish or two in to support the theme. As an example, a "Bubbles and Brunch" bridal shower I co-hosted featured these french toast bites served in small plastic champagne flutes with maple syrup. The flutes were about $8, but it definitely made our food table pop!

Regardless of your theme, you can bring in a few good elements without breaking the bank!