Oh, no. It’s that time of your pregnancy, when you have to plan a baby shower that your (mostly not-pregnant) friends will actually enjoy attending. You have to pick out food, venue, drinks, games, and – gulp – invitations. It can be tough to find something that hasn’t been done before, but that’s where this list comes in! Here, you can find five (count ‘em, five) creative and unique ideas for baby shower invitations your friends will enjoy receiving. No, really!
Guess the Gender (Prizes Included)
Add a little mystery and excitement to your invitations. When sending them out, ask your guests: “Blue or Pink: What do you think?” Celeb Giuliana Rancic did this at her baby shower recently. Guests can either send in their vote via RSVP, or make a guess at the shower. There are also several ways to make the reveal. Announce the gender at the shower, if you know the gender. If you want it to be a surprise, simply tell them the results when you give birth! Send everyone a prize, though.
Rubber Duckies
If you want to send something a little more tactile than a paper invite, buy a crate of small rubber duckies in bulk (you can get 50 for about $20), then get round stickers in the color of your baby’s gender so it fits on the bottom of the duck. Print the details of your shower on the sticker, and either have them sent out, or deliver them yourself to see the reactions!
Tiny Teddies
Alternatively, you could purchase tiny little teddy bears. With a little DIY love, attach little signs (made from something thicker than paper, please) to their paws, displaying the details of your soiree. You can find a set of 50 for about $16. There are also bears that come with loops on their heads, so you can tie the invite on.
You could also purchase the fuzz-covered one-inch big bears. They’re sturdier than stuffed ones, and you can tie the party details around their necks with a pretty ribbon. These come in packs of 24 for about $10.
Noah’s Ark with a Twist
The animal theme may have been done before, but you can purchase packs of assorted animals for your baby shower invitations. Add an element of surprise: write on your invites that when guests arrive at the shower, they sit at tables with those whose animal matches theirs. For example, guests with elephants sit at one table, and those with giraffes at another. It’s a fun way to spice up the same-old. You can also have animal-themed foods to match.
Children’s Book Invites
Everyone had a favorite book as a child. For this invitation, buy a new copy of it, and cut the pages out. I know, that seems like a waste, but just wait. Put them in an envelope, if they’ll fit, or fold them up, and send them out with the details tucked neatly in an inconspicuous corner. Have your guests bring the pages. When everyone arrives, collect the pages and bind them together with a hole puncher and some ribbon, and have fun reading the story aloud!
There are plenty of ways to send out fun and creative baby shower invitations. Your guests can actually enjoy opening them instead of receiving the usual invites. It isn’t hard to think of something unique, that people haven’t really seen before. These are just a few to get your started.
Sara Stricker is part of a team of dedicated writers who contribute hundreds of articles to blogs and sites. Follow her @StrickerSara for more articles.