When I set out to write 101 Snappy Fashions, I knew I wanted to have a chapter on hosting a Snapsuit Decorating Baby Shower. Unfortunately, we ran low on available pages due to the 156 different snapuit designs. So the chapter got cut to two pages. Never fear all the recipes and ideas were saved and now I get to share them with you!
Forget stuffy frilly baby showers of the past and get ready to wow the mom-to-be and her friends with a creative and artful baby shower. Not only will everyone have a great time, they will also get to design an outfit for the newborn.
Throwing a snapsuit decorating baby shower is easy, fun and nothing to stress about if you follow the simple ideas outlined in this chapter. I have designed everything from the invites to the sweets and everything in between to make it easy for the first time shower hostess or the seasoned veteran.
Encourage your guests to get creative and use these ideas as a springboard for design ideas and inspiration. If a guest is not feeling up to the creative challenge, don’t pressure them into creating a complicated design, hand them some pre-made iron-ons or a patch to get started.
Today’s baby showers are being hosted by anyone close to the mom-to-be. This person could be a sister, grandmother-to-be, aunt, close friend or a co-worker. Some moms-to-be may even have more than one shower and this is perfectly fine.
Baby showers can be held 1-2 months before the mother’s due date or after the baby is born. Many cultures and religions celebrate with a shower after the arrival of the baby. This can be especially fun because everyone gets to meet the new baby. For adopted children, showers usually take place 1-2 months after the child is adopted. By waiting a few months the new parents and child will have a little time to bond and insure that all the proceedings are complete.
Most showers are thrown in the daytime on the weekend and last about 3-4 hours. Depending on schedules, a shower could be thrown in the evening or on a weekday. Make sure you check with the mom-to-be before scheduling the party.
In recent years it has become trendy to have a co-ed shower with a blended invite list of both the new parents-to-be’s family and friends. This type of shower can be really fun for snapsuit decorating and proud papa’s enjoy joining in the festivities.
Invitations & Paper Goods
Handmade invitations set the mood for a crafty party. The paper snapsuit template can be used to create many different styles of onesie themed invitations. Make sure you mail the invitations 4-6 weeks before the event. This will allow guests plenty of time to RSVP and purchase or make a gift for the new bundle of joy.
The same template can be used to make guest cards that can be signed at the party and later used in a scrapbook for the baby.
(Click here for all the recipes)For the shower, you will want to serve some light refreshments. Make ahead recipes like chicken salad on Hawaiian sweet rolls, salmon salad, fruit kabobs, spinach dips and pita chips are easy to prepare and always party hits. For dessert you can doctor up store bought cupcakes by piping the shape of a snapsuit in the center of each cupcake.
You will want to serve a few different drinks at the shower. A champagne punch is perfect for afternoon showers and can be made with sparking cider or champagne. For spring and summer showers, iced tea, lavender lemonade, cucumber water or flavored sparkling water are good choices for a light and refreshing drink. For fall and winter showers, spiced mulled cider, hot tea or hot chocolate will keep guests warm and cozy.
Hanging a celebration banner is a simple and sweet decoration. The banners can be made with a punched paper ovals and letter stickers or you can make a glitzy banner with jumbo glittered letters threaded onto a ribbon.
A simple floral centerpiece can be designed by using one type of flower for the arrangement. A handful of white tulips, 3 or 4 blush pink peonies or a gathering of tea roses are all beautiful flowers for a shower. The vase can be jazzed up by wrapping the glass with a onesie shaped cutout and a decorative ribbon.
Party Favors A simple token or gift for each guest is always a nice way to say “thanks for coming.” An easy favor to make is soy candles in baby food jars. You can melt the soy wax in a microwave and make a batch of candles in less than an hour. Once the candles are cooled they can be packaged in take-out boxes with gift tags made from the snapsuit template.
Setting up the decorating station is easier than it sounds. The most important things are to protect your furniture, keep the supplies with in everyone’s reach and offer a variety of decorating ideas for guests to try.
You will need at least one plain pre-washed onesie per guest and a few pre-embellished onesies to inspire your guests to get creative. Purchase onesies in various sizes so the new baby will have at least a years worth of stylish original looks. Make sure you have cardboard or wax paper for guests to slide in between the front and back of the onesie.
You will need a large worktable or several smaller tables. You can rent tables and chairs from party supply shops or borrow from friends. The tables should be draped with tablecloths and in this instance; a flannel backed plastic cloth is best suited for the job. I like to use solid color tablecloths so the prints don’t compete with the onesie designs.
If you are using iron-ons make sure you set up an ironing board and iron. If your guests are going to sew, make sure you set up the sewing table away from the paints.
If you are going to be dyeing onesies at the party, pre-make the dye baths in buckets and have rubber gloves on hand for your guests. Rubber gloves can be decorated with ribbons, trims and silk flowers for fun. You will need to have a clothesline outside for hang drying onesies or use a few rag towels in the dryer for quick drying at the party.
In the center of the table, place buckets or clay pots filled with fabric paints, markers and paintbrushes for decorating. Scatter stencils, foam stamps, patches, iron-ons, embroidery floss and scraps of fabric for appliqué across the tables. Other items that might be useful are scissors, low-tack tape and rulers. You may want to have a few oversized shirts or aprons on hand for guest to wear while decorating the onesies. A simple denim apron can be embellished for the party theme with an appliqué of the onesie shape.
To display the completed designs, run a clothesline across a window to show off the different creations. Have a bucket of clothespins nearby so partygoers can hang their own designs.
Thanks for the amazing idea, Cathie. I had so much fun putting on one of these showers! And thank you for stopping by my blog for my first post as well. 🙂
If anyone wants to hear about how I did it, you can find the baby shower series on my blog, starting with the invitations here: http://acireg.blogspot.com/2010/10/baby-shower-series-invitations.html
where did you buy the onesies? The packages at the store are really expensive!
Hi Stephanie,
I bought them at target and the dollar store. I got a pack of 5 for 7.99 (on sale). You can always suggest guests bring a clean blank one to decorate for the new mommy and baby.
🙂 Cathie