Who doesn’t love a little gift? Right? When your guests have splashed out hundreds of dollars on new baby needs, it makes sense to thank them with a little keepsake of the day. However, spending a lot of money defeats the purpose of the shower. So, keeping the favors cost effective is a must. Here we can look at a wide range of small favors that your guests will love that won’t break the bank.
Picture Perfect Favor
Take selfies to a whole new level with a DIY photo booth at your shower. Before the shower, set aside a small spot at the party. Hang up a festive shower curtain, plastic backdrop, or even a solid colored sheet. Gather small props such as fake moustaches, wigs, hats, silly glasses. Tour your local thrift store for vintage blouses. Launder and cut open the back to make it easy for people of all sizes to slip into your fun looks. And, of course, look up a digital camera and tripod.
At the shower, designate one person to take pictures of your guests. Or, if you would rather, arrange to have several people take turns as the photographer. Encourage guests to take the most outrageous pictures they can think of.
If you have a photo printer, print the pictures off immediately and let people celebrate their fun looks. You can add to the favor by purchasing inexpensive wooden frames at your local craft store and setting them out on a table with paint, stickers, glitter and other decorations. Move your guests through a frame decorating station before they take their selfies and give them a framed picture to take home as a remembrance of the day. Be sure to get a group shot with the mother as a special, extra gift.
Queen Mother
There are many things that a woman feels late in her pregnancy: fear, love, hope, her bladder. But one things that she rarely feels like is a queen. Remedy that for your pregnant Mom and all your guests by creating your own crowns for the party. Simply purchase inexpensive tiaras at your local craft or party store. Add extra glitter, plastic gems, ribbon and other regal decorations to a table at the party. Encourage your guests to decorate their crowns as they see fit. Use quick drying glue, so that your guests will be able to wear their crowns while they open gifts for the coming prince or princess.
This project goes beautifully with a royal themed shower. So, think about foods and decorations that go along with it. You might choose invitations that are worded like a royal decree. Look at cakes and cookies that are coated with royal icing. And, of course, decorate with lots of gold and plastic gems. Mother Nature. Everyone knows a Nature Mama out there. They are the ones that want all organic foods at the shower and have only natural fibers and materials on their gift list. If they could purchase a bamboo stroller, it would be in their nursery.
Celebrate her earthy side with favors that support her views. Purchase a number of small pots and soil at your local hardware store. Give your guests seeds for kitchen herbs or bee-friendly flowers to plant and take home as a remembrance of the day. Or, you can visit your local florist or grocery store and get several bouquets of flowers. Purchase small grapevine wreaths from your local craft store. Place the flowers and the wreaths on a craft table and show your guests how to stick the stems of the flowers through the vine to create floral crowns. Of course, if your mother is less organic, you can always use fake flowers so that your guests’ crowns will last forever. Wear your crowns during the gift exchange and be sure to snap a shot of everyone in their floral garb.
Pamper Yourself
Planning the perfect shower is hard work. After the party make sure that the Mom, the hostess and all the guests can relax and unwind with a special pampering present.
Before the shower, purchase small novelty or gift bags. Add items that your guests can use at home such as loofah sponge or toe separators. Purchase items needed to make your own bath bombs, sugar scrub and bubble bath along with scents and food coloring.
At the shower, move your guests through stations that allow them to mix coconut oil with sugar and their own choice of scent such as vanilla, lavender or rose. Pour the mixture into a muffin tin and allow to cool. At other stations, your guests can mix scent with mild, unscented body wash to create their own bubble bath and pour it into a small bottle. You can easily print labels that fit around your bottles to give your guests their own designer bubbles. Or they can mix their own bath bombs with citric acid, baking soda and Epsom salts. Adding their own scent will make it personal. Another fun project is bath salts. Simply mix Epsom salts with different scents such as menthol or peppermint for a peppy salt, or lavender and rose for a relaxing mix. Dye each scent a different color with food coloring and pour it into a small pitcher, large measuring cup, or recycled milk jug. Ask your guests to layer the different scents and colors in mason jars right up to the top, then screw the lid on.
Before your guests leave, wrap each of the items in colorful tissue paper and add them to the bags you prepared ahead of time. However you choose to reward your guests, making sure that they feel welcome at your party is the favor that they will remember the longest.