18 Unique Baby Shower Themes to Consider for Your Big Day
A baby shower marks the first official celebration for your baby-to-be. And a surefire way to make the day memorable is with a standout baby shower theme. But with so many unique baby shower themes to choose from, the hard part is narrowing down ideas to bring to life.
That’s where working with a professional might come in. “When we’re initially working with a client, we want to know all about their vision for the baby shower and how they’d like the shower to make them feel,” says Jamila Watson, co-founder and lead planner of Parties On Purpose in Phoenix. “What are they passionate about? What makes them happy? Maybe our client loves specific colors, so we’ll suggest a theme that ties those colors in perfectly.”
Whether you’re talking unique baby shower ideas with your host or planning an event of your own, we’re giving you a helping hand. Here, we’ve selected our favorite baby shower theme ideas—plus some images from real-life parties that took those themes to spectacular new levels—so you can find inspiration for your own big day. From baby boy and baby girl shower themes to popular ideas like a safari theme baby shower, scroll through our inspiration to find what suits your vision best.
You’re about to set sail on one epic adventure to meet the newest member of your crew. When you return, you’ll be anchored in love.
Invitation: Invite your guests to join you on a voyage to greet baby. Whether you go for a classic blue-and-white pattern or list all the details on a cutout designed to look like a tiny sailor’s suit, it’ll be irresistibly cute and set the bar high for the day’s events.
Decor: Blue and white will be the main colors for the day, with bold pops of red or coral to top off the look. Welcome your guests aboard when they first walk in, and ask them to write a sweet note to baby and leave their message in a bottle on the table. Carefully lay fishing net on top of tables and toss a few sailor hats throughout the room. White floral centerpieces in navy blue vases will add a nautical touch to every table.
Favors: When your ship has docked and your crew is ready to depart, hand out bags of chocolate sea salt to let them know how special they made the day.
Your greatest adventure has yet to arrive. Use these safari theme baby shower ideas to get ready for when your little lion lets out the first “roar!” It’s perfect if you’re looking for a gender-neutral baby shower theme.
Invitation: Invite guests on an amazing escape to your safari theme baby shower. Create invitations with a border of wild plants and animals to give guests the feeling they’ve spotted wildlife through the leaves.
Decor: For a safari theme baby shower, you’ll want a green backdrop, plenty of rattan furniture for guests to sit on and oversized animals—hello, tiger!—all over the place.
Favors: Wrap up a combination of plain and chocolate-covered animal crackers to thank your guests for a wild ride.
Another fun gender-neutral baby shower idea, the dinosaur baby shower theme is a classic by now.
Invitation: If you want to go all out, why not use a “dinosaur egg”?
Decor: From blow-up dinosaurs to dinosaur cake toppers, your party will be full of prehistoric fun.
Favors: Pack up some cupcakes with dinosaur toppers for your guests to munch on at home.
Some of the best baby shower themes come from childhood staples. Transport your friends to the Hundred Acre Woods for a day full of Winnie the Pooh fun, complete with lots of honey.
Invitation: Use text and graphics inspired by the classic illustrations to create a sense of nostalgia. Invite your guests to join you on a journey to see Pooh Bear and friends while you wait for baby to join the fam. “For my first baby shower, we did the classic Winnie the Pooh style,” shares Kayla Bernkopf, product developer at The Knot Worldwide and mom of two. “I made the invitation, then used that artwork to make signs for the event and made a digital sign to have on the TV in our event room space.”
Decor: Need some ideas for your Winnie the Pooh baby shower theme? “My partner and I painted yellow lanterns to look like dripping honey hives and put cotton ball bees with tissue paper wings on them, and hung them up near the drink station,” says Bernkopf. Her advice if you have a lot of decor to set up? Make sure to get to your location an hour or two early to give yourself time to fix any hiccups.
Favors: When it’s time for the party to wrap up, hand out “honey spoons” or tiny jars of honey with love from your little hunny baby-to-be.
A twinkle twinkle little star baby shower theme is both classic and unique. And if you’re looking for twin baby shower themes? It’s perfect—think “twinkle twinkle twin stars…”
Invitation: Use a starry sky as the backdrop to announce the day. Incorporate dreamy designs and illustrations, like twinkling stars, clouds and the moon.
Decor: Since you’ll probably throw your bash during the day, you can put a daytime twist on the theme by using light blue and teal colors in the decorations. A baby blue frosting will also add a delicate look to cupcakes and treats, and golden sprinkles and embellishments will add the final touch. Sprinkle bursts of metallic gold here and there to create the illusion of twinkling stars floating around you. Create cutout stars, attach them to string and hang from the ceiling—or buy pre-made garlands to get the effect. Take the twinkle twinkle little star baby shower theme up a notch by hanging yellow string lights around the room.
But make sure to give yourself time to prepare the decor: “Most of our cute balloons I ordered on Amazon wouldn’t fill up using our balloon air-filling machine, so I had to give up on some of those,” says Bernkopf, who had a twinkle twinkle little star party for her second baby shower.
Favors: Wrap up sugar cookies shaped like stars (two of them, if you’re having twins!) for your guests.
“My advice for any baby shower: Pick your theme, do some research, find what you love and are capable of doing that day. Make it easy. And, yes, you can plan your own baby shower!” says Bernkopf.
Whether the party takes place inside or outdoors, forest friends peeking out from tucked-away spots will lend a warm, woodland feel to your day.
Invitation: Illustrate the invite with popular nursery animals. Fox, deer, owls and other furry friends all embrace the woodland theme baby shower idea. Have drawings of branches and bunches of grass peeking out from the sides of the invitation.
Decor: Take advantage of different elements of nature to play up your woodland themed baby shower idea. Use acorns and branches as natural decor, and lay dried eucalyptus and pine garlands on tables and displays. Stick to basic flowers, such as jasmine or Edelweiss, so you don’t take away from the greenery in the room. For the final touch, use animal figurines on tables, in displays and even as cake toppers.
Favors: Leave your family and friends with a candle scent that smells like a breath of fresh air: balsam, cedar and eucalyptus make great picks.
When it comes to baby shower themes for boys, what better way to welcome a little prince into the world than by treating your guests (and your pregnant self) like royalty?
Invitation: Your invitation will set the precedent for your prince’s big day. Go with an elegant design featuring a soft blue backdrop. Have the invitation details stand out in gold font and include a bold graphic of a crown at the top.
Decor: Play a trumpet fanfare on loop as guests walk into a royally refined room overflowing with blue and gold embellishments. Scatter some photo props, including crowns, scepters and fancy-looking jewelry, on a display table so guests can strike a royal pose. Cover your dessert table with candy apples, cake pops and chocolate-covered strawberries in metallic gold food coloring.
Favors: When the day’s festivities come to an end, thank your friends and family for a royal time by gifting each with a tiny crown filled with gold-wrapped candy.
A boho-chic baby shower is one of the most fitting baby shower themes for a free-spirited mama. Relax, kick back and enjoy the day with family and friends. Bonus: If you’re not announcing baby’s sex—or just want to avoid stereotypes—it’s a great gender-neutral baby shower idea.
Invitations: Your invites should give the feel of an easy-going day. Unique baby shower ideas like designs with feathers, flowers and other earthy details will help convey the boho theme.
Decor: Elements like flower crowns will instantly transform your baby shower into a boho bash, and you can carefully scatter feathers on display and seating tables. Incorporate even more earthy elements using flower pots and eucalyptus garlands. Off-white neutrals, sage and a soft, dusty rose make for an ideal color palette.
Favors: Gift guests with handbound journals so they can write and draw their dreams.
A teddy bear theme baby shower is a sweet idea whether you’re looking for baby shower ideas for boys or girls.
Invitations: A teddy bear-shaped card is a unique twist on the traditional invitation and will be a hit with guests.
Decor: A giant teddy bear as part of your photo backdrop is practically a must! You can also incorporate teddy bears into cake pops, cupcakes and other items—and don’t forget puns like “we can bear-ly wait”!
Favors: Personalized teddy bears will be a memory your family and friends will cherish for years to come.
A tea party baby shower is quaint, cute and one of the most classic themes around—and it’s perfect if you’re looking for baby girl shower themes. Delicate decorations and dainty tea settings help create the backdrop for a picturesque party.
Invitations: Consider “A baby is brewing” as your tea party baby shower tagline, placed front and center on your invitations. Have intertwining florals wrap around the border of the invitation to add a special touch.
Decor: Invest in some cute but affordable tea party china for each guest. If you’re hosting the day at a venue, they may even be able to supply you with some. Make sure you have a variety of different teas so guests can sample different brews throughout the day. Instead of a centerpiece on each table, place a tiered stand with sandwiches, biscuits and other tasty treats. A tea party baby shower is meant to be a delicate affair, so pick accent colors that don’t overshadow the theme. Creams and shades of green help create a light and airy feel.
Favors: Sends guests on their way with a “Baby is Brewing” tea bag for them to sip later.
Looking for unique baby shower ideas? Create your own secret garden designed just for you, baby and your closest family and friends.
Invitation: Make sure friends and family know all about the garden theme baby shower honoring your blossoming baby-to-be. Garden graphics and floral designs will help set the bar high for your botanical bash.
Decor: When the team at Baby Showers Inc. threw a garden theme baby shower, they pulled off the feat by “transforming the neutral space into a lush and whimsical garden, filled with stunning bold floral arrangements.” To create your botanical getaway, use plant holders, trays and watering pots for décor, and fill them with leafy plants and arranged greenery. For the centerpieces, fill baskets with baby blankets, books and assorted flowers.
Favors: Lay out bags of sunflower seeds for friends and family to take home and nurture.
Create a unicorn baby shower utopia for your guests to enjoy that will be pure magic.
Invitation: A unicorn baby shower is the perfect time to create a visual delight offering an explosion of pastel colors. For invitation wording, let family and friends know “a magical day is on the way,” and list all the baby shower details.
Decor: Have the party room overflow with pastel pinks, purples and greens, with pops of gold carefully thrown into the mix. These colors also make for beautiful fairy tale-inspired floral arrangements. Your dessert table can feature cakes and pastries in the most whimsical colors.
Favors: Thank your friends and family with unicorn-top cups that’ll always make them think of the magic day.
There are plenty of ways you can go rustic, but we love a rustic baby shower with plenty of wildflowers and a woodsy tablescape to create a dreamy vibe.
Invitation: Use cream cardstock and a calligraphy font to get your message across. Intertwining florals and greenery at the top and bottom of the invitation will add a nature-inspired feel.
Decor: Incorporate distressed wooden pieces into the day to create a rustic escape. Use wooden chalkboard easels to write sweet messages for guests, and use wooden picture frames to mark each table or list the menu for the day. Fill wooden baskets on each table with cloth napkins, wine and fresh herbs. Clear vases filled with arranged greenery will brighten the room. Add appealing contrasts to your floral arrangements by combining white roses with colorful flowers, such as wild lilies and daffodils.
Favors: Give guests small keepsake picture frames they can fill with baby’s picture.
Everyone is buzzing about the baby- and mommy-to-bee. Set the stage for a baby shower that’s sweeter than honey.
Invitation: You can have the top of the invitation say “We’re adding to our hive!” Work the bee themed baby shower vibe throughout the invite by incorporating pops of yellow and bee graphics. Bunches of sunflowers can serve as visually appealing borders at the top and bottom of the page.
Decor: Soft shades of yellow will seal the deal for your bumblebee bash. Arrange vases full of sunflowers and incorporate them into your decor wherever possible. Hang yellow paper lanterns from the ceiling and attach tiny bee figures so it looks like there are bees buzzing about. Make cake pops designed to look like bumblebees to add a decadent touch to the dessert table.
Favors: Let your guests know you’re so happy they could “bee” there by handing out yellow bee-shaped cookies or miniature pots of honey.
If you’re looking for a Disney baby shower theme, Beauty and the Beast is a timeless option.
Invitation: Include famous lyrics from Beauty and the Beast, like “tale as old as time…”
Decor: You’ve got lots to choose from here, from candelabra to tea pots to enchanted roses. Red roses will really sell the Beauty and the Beast theme. An embellished, regal cake makes a show-stopping centerpiece—bonus for character cake toppers.
Favors: Send your guests home with personalized mini enchanted roses.
This fun, whimsical theme lends itself to a huge range of ideas.
Invitation: You can use playing cards as your Alice in Wonderland baby shower invitations for a creative touch.
Decor: Incorporate activities like lawn games, playing cards and more to create an Alice in Wonderland vibe. Don’t forget the Mad Hatter’s tea party!
Favors: Whatever food or drink you decide to use as a favor for your Alice in Wonderland baby shower theme, make sure it says “EAT ME” or “DRINK ME” for full authenticity. You can also give out little pocket watches a la the White Rabbit.
This sweet, subtle theme has a whimsical touch. You can add metallic butterfly accents throughout for a dreamy, ethereal feel.
Invitation: A butterfly-shaped invitation is sure to set guests’ hearts aflutter.
Decor: Balloons and floral centerpieces decorated with butterflies can set the scene.
Favors: Cake pops and other sweet items continue the butterfly theme.
If you have a little pumpkin joining the patch (and it might feel like baby’s the size of a pumpkin right about now!), a Halloween-themed baby shower might be just what you need. “What better way to celebrate a fall-themed baby shower than with an adorable pumpkin-themed event to spoil the mommy-to-be,” says Argelia Castro, creative director and owner of Le Rêve Event in Northern California.
Invitation: Boo! Get creative with Halloween-themed pictures and wordplay.
Decor: From fall-themed flowers to actual pumpkins, make it feel like it’s October 31. Metallic painted pumpkins are a beautiful decorative touch. “We were inspired by the beautiful, rich colors of the fall season and used a color palette in orange and dark tones,” says Castro. “And, of course, we couldn’t forget to incorporate pumpkins in various colors and sizes.”
Favors: Cookies with a pumpkin twist on a baby theme—pumpkin onesies and rattles, for example—will be a big hit.
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