Best Cheap Baby Shower Ideas

Cheap baby showers don’t have to be cheesy or tacky. An inexpensive baby shower with style may take more time to plan but it can be done. Not every hostess has the luxury of sharing the cost of a baby shower for her friend with a number of other hostesses. It is both time and cost efficient to split the decorating and expense of any party.

Busy, modern moms may find it especially challenging and stressful to wing it alone. For this reason I highly recommend your doing everything within your power to pull in some friends that will help to shoulder the load. If the mother to be is a special friend of yours, but not as well known to the rest of your pals consider offering to take care of the financial needs yourself while asking for some assistance with the leg work, decorating and organization.
I have a few ideas for how to have trendy, cheap baby showers with cute invitations, tableware and supplies along with suggestions on how to keep the budget under control.

CHEAP BABY SHOWER LOCATIONS
Cheap baby showers start with a free location. The first thought that comes to mind is to have it at one of the hostess’ homes. This is a great idea if anybody has a house with at least one large room that will hold the required number of guests as well as a gift and serving table. If there’s a formal dining room as well as a living room or den, so much the better. However, many modern families are living in apartments with rooms that barely house the bare necessities so having the party in a private home may not be possible. Another way to finagle a good location while sticking to our goal of a cheap baby shower is to think public access. Call city hall and see if they have meeting areas that are open to the public. Research the local lakes and parks to see if they book free blocks of time for the use of pavilions or picnic areas. The friendship hall at your church might be open for a weekday or an afternoon. These venues are normally free with a small maintenance or utility deposit and geared for large groups so they may not only be a cheap place to celebrate a baby’s arrival but the best place and most convenient place for a celebration.

CHEAP BABY SHOWER INVITATIONS
There is much to be said for the tactile experience of opening the mailbox to find a crisp, creamy, custom made party invitation requesting your presence for a special occasion, but for a cheap baby shower homemade shower invitations would be the best way to go. For a casual shower, inviting your guests with phone calls or emails is a way to save money. Split the guest list with your co-hostesses and you’ve just saved a healthy chunk of time, money and probably a few trees which is appreciated by those of us that appreciate a green, eco-friendly way of life.

CHEAP BABY SHOWER IDEAS and DECORATIONS
Timing and location can save you some money on baby shower decorations. Find your location and check to see if there are other festivities going on anywhere near the time that you would like to plan your party. Is there a wedding reception being held in your church’s reception hall? If you are diplomatic and have skin tough as a rhinoceros, this may be a stellar opportunity to have fresh flowers, linen tablecloths and lots of expensive, cool stuff for free that you can use to decorate your shower and make it look like you spent a fortune.

Go to the mother of the bride (crawl and grovel if you must) and strike a deal. Take the approach that you will be doing her a favor. What is she going to do with those floral arrangements after her daughter’s reception anyway? You would be happy to move that big, heavy vase of flowers to the altar for her. Make whatever promises necessary to keep those decorations in place for your shindig and keep them, of course. You may have to sweeten the pot by offering to help with cleanup after her guests leave, but that’s a small price to pay for all those cheap baby shower decorations.

If you pull off this coup, you have just jumped a major hurdle in earning your cheap baby shower planning medal of honor, but now is not the time to rest on your laurels. You have to be quick and ready to remove all indications that the decorations were for anything other than your friend’s party and insert items that carry out your baby shower theme. To be a successful cheapskate, you must be clever and creative enough to keep your methods a secret.

If you don’t have the brass to bum shower decorations from another lady’s party, then you will have to be crafty and choose a cheap baby shower location that has lots of atmosphere already in place. For instance, is there a public pool with tiki torches, potted palms and colorful lights that you can crash? The local azalea trail in spring would make an excellent background for a brunch baby shower with a picnic theme.

Once you have found a location with as many decorations in place as possible, all you will have to do is add some colorful baby gear or decorative baby items for decorating the baby's room that can double as cheap baby shower favors. Attach large groups of baby themed mylar balloons to some borrowed pot plants or potted ferns at the entrance.

Pick up cheap baby shower plates and plastic tableware in bright colors. Shop for discontinued patterns that may be found on the closeout table in the discount party supply store.

Place a beautifully decorated, homemade baby diaper cake on the gift or serving table as a centerpiece and hostess gift that will go home with your friend.

Now, congratulate yourself for managing to throw a cheap baby shower with style and panache.

Return to Unique Baby Gear Ideas, Nursery Themes and Decorating Ideas for more cute baby shower themes, tips and ideas.