I would like to have a baby shower for my daughter. This would be her first baby and my first grandbaby, but I really can't afford it. I thought you all might have some ideas on what I could do to have a frugal baby shower.
Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks everybody,
Teresa from VA
My cousin had a "Frugal" baby shower, and it turned out nice.
By Melissa
My husband and I went to a baby store in which all guests were asked to go to the dollar store and bring three gifts wrapped to put in a basket. These were the prizes for the games. They only had to buy maybe two prizes for door prizes. They had the guests put their names on envelopes and put them in a basket and drew this as a door prize.
By Anita
Forget all the fancy foods.The cost of food knocks many a person from having the celebrations in life that they would love to have. A cake, some punch, nuts, and mints is sufficient. This is a once-in-a-lifetime thing, don't pass it by. Dollar Tree stores sell cute baby shower napkins and plates to match, also clear packs of forks and clear cups for punch. Game prizes of all sorts can be bought there also, and they have lots of baby items. I have even found blankets there. Fill up a basket with small essentials. I guarantee you can pull off this shower for less than $25. Hand deliver, e-mail or call guests to invite. Invitations are just an added expense. This is your daughter's big event! Keep it simple, but don't let it pass by for lack of money. (06/18/2005)
By MamawKC
I went to my resource log and retrieved these for you. Have a wonderful time!
Baby Shower Central - Free Games and More:
babyshowerscentral.com
(06/19/2005)
By Skyler
Let me congratulate you on being a "soon-to-be-grandmother"! I'm sure that you'll get many fabulous ideas from "ThriftyFun"! So, here is my contribution:
Local dollar stores are definitely the way to go, but make sure to check them all out! Some are definitely better than others. You can usually find baby shower invitations, cups, plates, table covers, utensils, decorations, and prize gifts at most of the dollar stores.
Instead of mailing out your invitations, hand deliver them. Of course you could also e-mail the invitations, and that would be the greatest savings!
As far as the cake goes, you can even make it. I too gave a "frugal baby shower" to one of my friends, and decided that with the high cost of cakes that I would try to make my own. It turned out great and cost me about $8.00 to make a 1/2 sheet size. However, if you don't feel confident enough to make it yourself, ask your family and friends if they would know of anyone who would. But before you decide, make sure that you know how much they plan on charging you for it. Some people charge as much as the bakeries do. If you have to buy one, check out the warehouse club bakeries such as BJ's or Sam's Club. We got my husband's 50th birthday cake at BJ's (a whole sheet cake) for $26.99, and it served 50+ people.
As far as party favors go, we made cute little pink and blue "baby diaper favors" and filled them with little candies (M&Ms, mini mints, etc.) for each guest. All you need for each one is a paper napkin and a little safety pin. Take a napkin, leave it folded as it is when you buy it and then fold it in half again at opposite corners, making it into a 'triangle', bring the three points together (middle point first, followed by the opposite two), overlapping them slightly so that it forms a little pouch and pin it at that point, then fill the 'little diaper' with the candy.
Cake, punch, and coffee is fine, but if you really feel that you want to serve food, make "finger sandwiches" made from ham salad, tuna salad, and egg salad. All three are relatively cheap considering that a small amount goes a long way. Cut the sandwiches into quarters and place on a serving platter, serve along with potato chips.
If you want to play games, prizes can also be bought at the dollar stores. There are many games that you can play. Make up game sheets and then copy them, suggestions include "Baby Word Scramble", where you take a list of about 20 baby words with their letters all scrambled, give each guest a copy and the first one done wins the prize. Example: YABB RWSOHE would be "BABY SHOWER".
"Baby Shower Bingo", make up a list of numerous baby items or terms, such as diaper, baby bottle, shower, mother, father, labor, etc. Then print up blank bingo card, of 25 spaces (5X5) with the middle space marked as "Free". Give each guest a copy of the blank card and tell them to print a baby item or baby term in each block. Start calling from your list, and tell the guests to mark off any items that you call that is on their card. The first guest to get bingo (five in a row in any direction or 4 corners), wins.
Another really cute game is to pass around a ball of yarn, string, or ribbon. Tell each guest to unwind and cut what they would believe to be the exact measurement of the expectant mother's belly. After all have cut their estimated length, then have the mother-to-be walk around the room, wrapping the guests estimates around her belly and see who comes the closest. That winner gets a prize!
Buy about 6-8 jars of different kinds of baby food, such as carrots, sweet potatoes, vanilla pudding, green beans, spinach, fruits, meats, etc. You would be surprised to see that some of the foods such as carrots and sweet potatoes, or peas and spinach look so very much alike. Then, put a number on each of them, writing down on a master list what number was what kind of food. Remove the original labels prior to the party, place the jars in a basket and pass them around during the party, along with paper and pencils for each guest to guess what kind of baby food each of the numbered jars are. Guest with the most correct answers wins the prize. Make sure to keep the original labels that were removed, and then they can be taped back on, and then given to the "mother-to-be".
Finally, you can make up a little question and answer sheet. Each guest puts their name on the top of the page. Then answer various questions: Will the baby be a girl or boy? How much will it weigh? What will the baby's length be? What color hair will it have? What date will be or she be born on? What time? How long will her labor be? Time of birth? Baby name suggestions: Boy/Girl? Who will he or she look like? This sheet will be kept by the "mother-to-be" for her to compare after delivery of who got most of the questions correct. I did this for my sister-in-law's shower, and she let everyone know who was the closest in all of the questions after her delivery.
Sure hope this has been some help to you. Again, congratulations!
(06/20/2005)
By Debbie from NJ
I've given lots of baby showers at very little cost. In addition to the word scramble game somebody else has already posted, if the mom-to-be has a name picked out for the baby, you can have all your guests write the name at the top of the page, then give them two minutes to make as many words as possible from the letters in the name.
Another favorite is the "memory game". On a tray or other flat surface (could use a box lid) arrange many small baby items, at least 15-20 items. These are things you have picked up at the dollar store and arranged on the tray: sample size baby powder, oil, and lotion, a jar of baby food, a baby brush and comb, baby nail clippers, and a rattle. You get the idea. Things that are purchased in sets (like the lotions) should be separated to fill the tray. You set this up ahead of time and cover with a dish towel, receiving blanket, whatever. No peeking! When you are ready to play, you gather the guests around the tray and uncover it, everybody has one minute to observe the tray and try to remember what is there. Then you cover it back up and everybody has two minutes to list as many items as they can remember. The person with the most correct wins a prize (something from the dollar store, like a candle or coffee mug). The mom-to-be keeps the contents of the tray to fill her diaper bag.
For refreshments, my guests have always been quite happy with cake and punch and coffee, maybe a dish of mints and a dish of pretzels or nuts. You're not there for a dinner party.
Have a great time!
(06/24/2005)
By Becki in IN
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