Everyone knows that baby showers are for filling the nursery of a new baby. Most guests spend a lot of time and effort, not to mention money, choosing the right gift. As the host, you can thank the guests for all their time, effort and care with a little favor to take home. What you choose to favor the guests with, is up to you. You can spend as much or as little as your budget allows. You can create a favor that goes along with the theme of your shower, or you can offer something separate with a fun little pun for the pregnancy, or a touching note to include the guests in the birth experience long after the shower is over.

Packaging

One of the most unifying aspects of your favor is how to package it. You can, of course, have no packaging at all. You can simply hand out the favors as people leave. But, oftentimes packaging offers that little extra note of care that can set your favors apart.

Be creative! Look around your craft store. Can you find paper Mache boxes shaped like the theme of your party, such as stars, trees or bunnies? Do you see simply baked goods bags or boxes that you can embellish with printed labels or stickers?

A simple and inexpensive package for almost any favor is a brown paper lunch sacks. If you want a very rustic look, simply place your favor into the bag and crumple it around the item and tie the top with twine. This works especially well if you are handing out flowers to take home. If you want a more elegant look, fold the top of the paper bag over once and punch two holes in the top. Thread twine or ribbon through the holes and tie them in a bow to hold the bag closed. For a more elegant look, fold a paper doily in half and slip it over the top of a folded bag. Punch holes through the doily and the folded top and tie the top with a coordinating ribbon.

Baked Goods

Everyone loves baked treats. Step up your game with a selection that tickles more than your guests’ sweet tooth. Why not purchase or bake some cookies decorated with the mother or baby’s name on them. You can choose cookies, or cookie cutters that go along with the theme of your shower.

You can embellish cake pops with pink or blue sugar sprinkles. If you have the talent, why not add other decorations? You can add piped lines to white cake pops to create soccer balls for a sport-themed shower. You can add candy stars to a “Twinkle Twinkle” themed shower.

When packaging your baked goods, consider how to package the sweets. You can go simple. Purchase small baked goods boxes at your local craft store. Print large round labels with words such as “It was so SWEET of you to come.” If you are handing out cake pops, why not turn them into a bouquet? Cover each pop with a plastic wrapper, then bundle several together and wrap them in green floral or tissue paper. Finish it off with a pink or blue ribbon.

Spa Treatment

Pamper your guests long after the shower with gifts that will make them look and feel better. You can go out and purchase small spa items, or you can make them. You can even make some and purchase others.

A quick trip to any internet browser will give you dozens of recipes for bath bombs, sugar scrubs, and salt soaks. You can even find kits that will allow you to make natural soaps in custom shapes to go along with your shower. You can add to the spa experience with some inexpensive face masks, spa gloves, or scrubby. Don’t forget to pamper the nose with a small candle or essential oil.

You can package your spa favor in a wide range of ways. Think about purchasing, or sewing, a number of turban towels, then bundling the spa items inside. You can also make a quick trip to your dollar store and pick up a number of small, clear or colored cosmetic bags, and pack your items inside.

Green Wise

Let’s face it, a new baby is a promise to the future. SO why not ensure that the future is a clean one by offering your guests green or sustainable favors. Stop off and purchase small or sample sizes of a wide range of green cleaners. This gives your guests a chance to try new items and may convert them to non-toxic options. Add a reusable water bottle. If you have the cash, order them printed with the name of the mother or baby. Speaking of reusable, look online for instructions to make DIY reusable baggies for produce and lunches. They take minutes and pennies to make and can keep a lot of plastic out of landfills.

Don’t forget other reusable products you might make such as hand knit dish cloths. Or add re-fillable spray bottles with recipes for counter or glass cleaner. There is really only one way to package your sustainable favors: in a reusable grocery bag, of course!

A Growing Family

Last, but not in anyway least, don’t forget that plants make a great way for your guests to take something special back home. You can pick up virtually any type of plant that tickles your fancy at your local hardware or garden store.

You can paint clay pots with the name and date of the shower, or the name of the mother or baby. You can wrap the pot in burlap or calico for a country look. If the plant is intended to be re-planted outside, consider potting smaller plants in a waffle cone. They are biodegradable and will nourish the growing sprout.

If you are re-potting the plants, make sure to do so at least a week before the shower so that the plants have time to get over the shock and will look good for the party.