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Baby Shower DecorationsNothing ties a theme together or sets the mood for celebration like decorations do. Decorations can breathe fun into the party, make it an elegant soiree or a dreamy afternoon tea; and you can add just about anything to the mix of more traditional decorations, like balloons and streamers. You can never go wrong with the type of decorations you use, and they are as unlimited as the stars shining in the sky. On that note, why not go with stars; decorate the ceiling with glittering stars, no not those crinkly tinfoil monstrosities but small shimmering stickers and strands of shooting stars, for a Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star theme. Add some low light and flickering candles and you followed the theme down from the heavens and into your living room. See how easy that was? Deciding on the right decorations really isn’t that difficult - it’s all in knowing how to twist an idea into something three dimensional. Since we mentioned traditional decorations already, let’s look at a few of the old standbys. Things like balloons, streamers and confetti can be taken from the norm to the spectacular. All it takes is mixing the right colors with the right ideas and you will have decorated heaven. Mix up the shape of the balloons, have a few filled with helium and have tons of ribbon and streamers hanging down to add dimension to them; lastly spread confetti that reflects the color of your theme around the dishes on the table or anywhere you think will have an easy clean up and an interesting effect. Remember that children aren’t the only ones to enjoy balloons, streamers and all the traditional staples of a fun party. But perhaps bright pink balloons just aren’t the tone you are looking for with your a baby girl shower, and you want something a bit different. Flowers are a no fail way to set an elegant mood and provide attractive colors to a shower space, but don’t keep flowers reserved just for baby girl showers since mothers are girls too and will love flowers whether they are caring girls, boys or both! You could fill a small, lightly colored umbrella, place it as a centerpiece on a food table and fill it with flowers like baby’s breath, carnations, blue bells; anything that both you and the expectant mother like. Don’t feel like you need to stick with traditional containers for your flowers since many can survive in saturated foam for the entire shower without drooping. Placing flowers around the room will give a garden feel to any party and most people love them. If you decide that you love the idea of flowers but don’t want something so temporary, place flowering plants around the area. These can be used as both decorations and also as prizes for games or to be sent home in the guests’ goodie bags. Lastly, if your budget will allow it or you can find a great deal on them, Orchids can be an exotic decoration that can provide an Asian theme to a shower. They are also filled with many different meanings and can be a great symbol for a second or third shower since they are considered to be the “Chinese symbol for many children” but more importantly, they symbolize “love” and what is more pure than a mother’s love and the love of all who celebrate life with her. When you are planning out the decorations, don’t forget that you can have more traditional baby shower decorations. Things like diaper cakes, umbrellas and baby carriages can make great focal points. Add in some colorful baby toys, trucks and trains for boys; dolls and ribbons for girls; and for both genders, include stuffed animals, teddy bears and blocks arranged throughout the room. Don’t place them only on tables but set them up on shelves, backs of couches or chairs and in playful positions to give them a life of their own. No one will doubt what they are walking into when they see these wonderful decorations that can easily be made into gifts for either the guests or the mom-to-be. Sometimes when we start decorating, we only think of the visual stimulation that will greet each guest as they enter the room. We often forget about the other senses and how we can also decorate for them. Providing soft music whether it is classical, the mother’s favorite band, or children’s music will help with creating a tone for the party. Make sure that it is never too loud where people need to yell over it and also not so low that the room is almost silent during those quiet times in the party – hopefully you won’t have too many of those but if you do, music will fill the gap between conversations very nicely. When it comes to the other senses, flowers can provide a lot of scent to a room, but if you are not having flowers, having a few scented candles will provide wonderful smells and a bit of lighting. Lastly, touch can be accomplished in the types of chairs that you have and the materials you have on hand for games, but for an added indulgence, provide hot cloths for your guests to wipe their hands with after the meal. When you are setting up the decorations, I strongly recommend putting up as much as you can the night before the baby shower. The actual day is very busy, and it can become a scramble to get things done. There will be things that you can’t put up until the day of the shower, but having most of it done the previous evening will take a lot of stress out of the actual day. After the decorations are all done, you can sit back, relax and enjoy the beautiful space you have temporarily created...at least until those first guests arrive.
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