A baby shower is a momentous and happy occasion, but that doesn’t mean that it has to break the bank! From the venue to the décor to the unforgettable food, we’ve rounded up the best ways to save while still letting your creativity run wild, so check them out below. Happy baby shower planning!
Budget Baby Shower Decorations
“Shop” in Your House
Chances are, you already own plenty of items that can be repurposed as decorations! Vases, candles, and cute paintings on the wall can add a special touch to your décor.
Printable Party Décor
Printables are easy, cheap, and adorable. You can find anything and everything in a free, printable version online! Search for cute letters to make a banner, centerpiece circles, cupcake wrappers or toppers, and labels for your party favors.
Lanterns & Honeycombs
Many stores sell packages of honeycombs and lanterns, but your best bet for a cheap kit is the Dollar Store. They have lots of options, so you’re sure to find a set that matches your shower’s theme perfectly!
Decorations made from Plastic Tablecloths
Alright, this may seem strange, but hear me out! Plastic tablecloths are cheap and versatile. Hit up the Dollar Store for tablecloths matching your color scheme or theme, then twist them into tassels to make a garland, or create a backdrop for your gift-opening area. You can also cut them into streamers or ribbons, or use those pieces to make flowers – check out this video by eatsbyrachel on a simple how-to guides!
Budget Friendly Centerpiece Ideas
Books
If you don’t have children’s books lying around, you can pick up quite a few at your local thrift store for under $20 or you can borrow some children’s books from your local library. Fan the books out to stand in the center of each table, or stack them together with a cute stuffed animal on top!
Toys
Toys are a great way to add an adorable touch to your tables without blowing your budget! You can find gently-used ones at thrift stores, or ask around to see if friends or family would mind loaning you some of theirs for the day.
Framed Signs or Baby Quotes
For these centerpieces, you can find cute, printable designs online again, or create your own in Microsoft Word or Google Docs! You can write out quotes about parenting, baby boys or girls, or short excerpts from famous children’s books. Grab a few small frames from your local thrift shop, and you’re all set!
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Mason Jar Centerpieces
Mason jars are one of the most adaptable centerpieces you can find. You can buy them in different colors (or dye them yourself), and you can even fill them with colored water to match your shower’s theme perfectly! Place some baby’s breath inside the jars, or use one of your plastic tablecloth flowers.
Baby Shower Foods that Fit the Budget
One of the greatest things about a baby shower event is that it can be almost entirely made up of finger foods for the guests to munch on! You could even set the baby shower in the afternoon with biscuits and simple pastries which will be enough for the afternoon tea. Think about it—something easy to eat, easy to grab, and non-messy is the perfect go-to. Luckily, these types of foods are the most affordable too!
Salty
For easy on the wallet salty fares, opt for:
- Pigs in a Blanket
- Potato wedges
- Tea sandwiches
- Veggie plates
- Pies and sausages
- Chips and dips
- Potstickers
- Pretzel bites
Sweets
For budget-friendly sweet treats, check out:
- Cake pops
- Popsicles
- Miniature cupcakes
- Doughnut holes
- Miniature cookies
- Individually wrapped chocolates or candies (from the Dollar store!)
- Pudding cups
- Brownie bites
- Rice Krispie treats on a stick
- Anything (fruit, crackers, you name it!) dipped in chocolate
Go for Potluck Baby Shower
Another option is to go for a potluck baby shower where guests are asked to contribute a dish to share! This is not only a fantastic idea if you are on a tight budget but you also get to try everyone’s specialty food which I think is the best part! The guests will also enjoy mingling sharing their recipes!
Budget Baby Shower Favors
Possibly the most fun part of planning a baby shower is the memorable baby shower favors that you get to send home with guests! Here are some budget baby shower favor ideas:
Baked Favors
Sometimes, edible treats are the best way to go for guest favors, and there are two ways to do this. One, you can pre-bake plenty of yummy things to put together in cute packaging for guests. Think cupcakes, tiny cakes, cookies, brownies, etc. Or, two, you can create jars filled with the ingredients to make delicious treats, complete with creative sticker labels that give guests simple directions on how to put all the ingredients together to make whatever it is.
“About to Pop”
This is one of the most affordable favor idea that look absolutely adorable! Purchase a large bag of popcorn or kernals from Costco or local supermarket. Place them in a clear (cellophane) bags and add a ribbon around the top for an extra adorable touch! Alternatively, you can choose to put them in a paper bag with a custom message on the front!
Rice Krispies Treat Pops
Believe it or not, Rice Krispies Treats are easy and inexpensive to make. Grab some popsicle or cake pop sticks at the Dollar Store and turn the treats into adorable pops your guests can take home! Check out this recipe from Simply Designing, then dress up the pops with the colors from your shower.
Bag of Treats
You can create a simple paper bag like the bag from the video below and use them for your favors! Fill them with candy, like M&M’s or Sweet Tarts, and add a personalized thank you label for a nice touch! You can make them yourself or find free thank you labels online.
You can use kraft papers or any patterned papers such as ones used for gift wrapping. Here is a video of how to make a simple paper bag by Easy Origami.
Coffee & Tea Favors
If you’re a coffee or tea fanatic, this is the perfect favor for your shower! Find some cute favor boxes at the Dollar Store and fill them with tea bags or coffee beans (hint: you can also find single-serve packages of ground coffee). For the final touch, print out tags that say “Baby is brewing” and attach one to each box!
Sugar Scrub
Why not surprise your guests with a nontraditional favor? Sugar scrubs are inexpensive and easy to make in bulk. You can even customize the scent of the scrub with essential oils, like this one from Wellness Mama. Your guests will love pampering themselves when they go home!
Budget Baby Shower Games
You’d be surprised to know how many free printable baby shower games you can find online. It is recommended to have around 2-5 baby shower games. Some games take longer than the others so don’t forget to take that into account. Some popular baby shower games that won’t require you to purchase anything are baby word scramble, who knows mommy best, name that baby animal and what is mommy wearing games. If mommy-to-be is not a fan of games, simply organize some advice & wishes card for the guests to fill in. We have over 30 baby shower game ideas here.
Super Affordable Baby Shower Gift Ideas
Let’s face it—gifts for any occasion can easily add up quickly when you want to give the best of the best to someone you love. But you can reel it back and still manage to give something really special without emptying your bank account. You can never go wrong with a homemade gift, as it’s probably the most meaningful present you could give a mother to be. You spend your precious time and energy putting this DIY gift together, and that in itself has no price tag. Some great homemade baby shower gift ideas:
Mommy to Be Pamper Basket
The new mama of the upcoming little bundle of joy is going to be so busy that she’ll forget to put herself first in those beginning months. With a basket of pampering goodies like bubble bath bombs, wine, chocolate, and chick flicks, she’ll have no choice but to remember to give herself a little TLC when she can.
Date Night Basket
This one is super special, as it is something that’s for the new parents putting all the work in. With handmade tickets for “back rub” or “movie and popcorn night”, you can fill a basket up with romantic and sweet goodies that make Mom and Dad save a little time for each other to keep their sanity with a newborn.
Diaper Cake
For the ultra creative DIY’er, take a much needed necessity and turn it into a beautiful work of art. From beginners to crafting experts, there is an idea for everyone when it comes to creating a really cool diaper cake. Find out how to “easily make a diaper cake” or go into your internet search engine, and voila! You’re all set to get to work!
Mama’s Garden
Collect an assortment of packets of seeds, whether it be for a veggie/fruit garden, or an array of beautiful flowers. Put them all together into a creative little package to make a one stop shop for the mother to be to easily and quickly set up her own little garden. It will grow as her baby grows, and that is something extra special.
Of course, for another great, affordable gift, you could find something really nice (think, a bigger item) that the mother to be really wants, such as a rocker for the nursery or a changing table. Then, have all the baby shower guests chip in together to buy that bigger gift. This is an especially popular option to consider, and it allows all the guests to be included in giving something to the soon-to-be mom that she really wants.
