Depending on a few different factors such as location, the number of guests, food and drinks, people spend an average of $100 to $1000 on a baby shower party.<\/p>\n
If you\u2019ve been tasked with hosting a baby shower, fear not \u2013 you can do it on a budget.![\"Use](\"https:\/\/moneypantry.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/cheap-baby-shower-ideas.jpg\" "\\"baby")
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In today\u2019s post, I\u2019ll cover 85 cheap baby shower ideas.<\/p>\n Whether you\u2019re wondering, \u201cwhere can I host a baby shower for free?\u201d <\/em>or \u201chow can I save money on baby shower food?\u201d, <\/em>we\u2019ve got you covered!<\/p>\n To help you out, I\u2019ve split these ideas and tips into categories!<\/p>\n So check out the table of contents to head right to the ideas and tips you need!<\/p>\n Here are 85 cheap baby shower ideas and tips for hosting a fun and lovely baby shower that won\u2019t break the bank!<\/p>\n Are you looking for a cheap venue to host a baby shower?<\/p>\n Handily enough, there are lots of great options out there that are either cheap or totally free<\/a>!<\/p>\n Host a baby shower at home for a more intimate, relaxed atmosphere. It\u2019s free too!<\/p>\n If the weather\u2019s good, consider hosting the baby shower in the park! What better setting? You have nature right there. And many neighborhoods even have gazebos at playgrounds that you can use free of charge!<\/p>\n Do you have a friend or family member with a beautiful backyard garden? Then ask if you could host the party at their place. You get a beautiful setting for free!<\/p>\n You can likely use the facilities free of charge if you are a member of a church.<\/p>\n If your condo or apartment complex has a clubhouse, you may be able to use it for free or for a small fee.<\/p>\n Small shops like ceramic or art studios may rent out spaces for things like baby showers, for a small fee. Caf\u00e9s often do this as well. It\u2019s a cheap venue for a baby shower.<\/p>\n Some non-profits in your area may have a room or cafeteria that you can rent for the baby shower. This is generally a cheap option. So call around to see if there\u2019s one near you.<\/p>\n Many YMCAs have spaces available that you can rent out for a reasonable price.<\/p>\n You may be able to rent out a room at your local community center at an affordable rate.<\/p>\n Okay, so now you have a cheap place to host a baby shower, now you need to invite the guests. Invitations are one of those things that can end up costing a lot, especially if you have a lot of people to invite.<\/p>\n But, they don\u2019t have to.<\/p>\n You can get invitations for a really low cost or even free!<\/p>\n Here\u2019s how\u2026<\/p>\n Okay, so making your own invitations can be cheap and it allows you to personalize them. All you need is white or brown cards and then just decorate them to match the theme of the baby shower (more on baby shower themes later!). You can glue on lace, letter cutouts, flowers and more.<\/p>\n Why send paper invitations at all? After all, the invitation is there simply to tell the guests when to arrive and once that information is gleaned from an invite it\u2019s usually tossed in the trash anyway.<\/p>\n So, why not send an Evite instead?<\/p>\n One website that\u2019s great for free baby shower evites is the aptly named eVites.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n Another great option is to use printable baby shower invitations. You don\u2019t have to spend money on decorations as you do when you make your own. All you need is some printer paper and of course a printer!<\/p>\n Here are some places where you can find free printable baby shower invitations:<\/p>\n There\u2019s a great selection of invites available and you can often customize them too!<\/p>\n What\u2019s a baby shower without decorations?<\/p>\n Don\u2019t worry; you don\u2019t have to spend a ton of money to make your venue look great. There are tons of inexpensive baby shower decorations that look amazon but won\u2019t put a dent in the old budget.<\/p>\n Here are some tips and ideas for decorating a baby shower on a budget.<\/p>\n Who says the whole place has to be covered in balloons and ribbons?<\/p>\n You don\u2019t have to go crazy with the decorations to make the place look awesome.<\/p>\n Just have a few focal points instead.<\/p>\n Keeping the decorations to a minimum is an easy way to cut back on the cost of a baby shower.<\/p>\n So just focus on a few key places and make them stand out. For example, you could decorate the food table and mom\u2019s chair. And hang a garland over the gift table.<\/p>\n One of the cheapest ways to get decorations is to use printables. There are lots of websites out there offering printable decorations:<\/p>\n You can use favors as decorations, cutting your costs significantly. Use your baby shower favors as centerpieces. You can arrange them in a nice basket or on an elegant serving tray. Just add a few little touches, like ribbon and you have yourself a cute centerpiece.<\/p>\n When you\u2019re throwing a baby shower, you\u2019re probably considering whether or not to have a theme.<\/p>\n Themed baby showers are pretty popular. But you don\u2019t have to go overboard.<\/p>\n Going with theme colors is often less expensive than planning other types of themes.<\/p>\n Your own home can be an awesome place to source decorations. You may be able to find stuff around your home that you can use as a decoration, like:<\/p>\n So always \u201cshop\u201d at your house first.<\/p>\n While a candle or small plant may look at a little flat on its own, if you put it on a stand it will make it look a whole lot better. It adds dimension. To add dimension to a decoration, wrap cereal boxes with gift wrapping paper and place centerpieces on top of them.<\/p>\n Balloon Bouquets are inexpensive to make, and they look great too.<\/p>\n Read this tutorial<\/a> to learn how to make a balloon bouquet.<\/p>\n Make a garland with onesies for a super cute baby shower decoration. All you need are onesies or any other baby clothes, and some twine and clothes pins.<\/p>\n One of the easiest ways to save money<\/a> on the decorations is with toys. Toys make for great baby shower decorations. You can use them to create inexpensive centerpieces, to hang around the place, to put on the tables and more!<\/p>\n You can either buy some toys or use any gently used toys you already have, like trucks, dolls, and teddy bears.<\/p>\n You can also use children\u2019s books for decoration. You can use them to decorate tables or even use them to make a centerpiece! Place a cute teddy bear on a stack of children\u2019s books for an awesome centerpiece.<\/p>\n Diaper cakes are such a fun decoration idea! And they are pretty easy to make.<\/p>\n Read this tutorial<\/a> on how to make a diaper cake.<\/p>\n A washcloth bouquet is a cheap decoration idea.<\/p>\n Take a look at this Pinterest board<\/a> on how to make a baby washcloth rose.<\/p>\n Read this article<\/a> for 10 washcloth flower arrangements for baby showers.<\/p>\n Gifts can make for awesome centerpieces. If you know a couple of the guests well, ask if they would like their gifts to be used as centerpieces.<\/p>\n Make some framed quotes and use them to decorate the room. You could simply write \u201cBaby Boy\u201d or \u201cBaby Girl\u201d on a canvas and frame it. Or you can write it in Word and print it out. You could place them on the gift or food table, or even use them as centerpieces.<\/p>\n Buy some honeycombs and lanterns and hang them around the room. You can find colors that match pretty much any color scheme.<\/p>\n You can find them for a really reasonable price at the dollar store and on Amazon.<\/p>\n Find a birdcage at the thrift store and transform it with some flowers and other decorative items. It can make for a great piece at any baby shower.<\/p>\n Turn mason jars into beautiful centerpieces by adding some flowers. They are so easy to make and there are plenty of tutorials online. Check out this list<\/a> of mason jar flower arrangement ideas.<\/p>\n Tulle and candle centerpieces can make for beautiful decorative pieces. You can get sparkling mesh or tulle that match your baby shower color theme for a pretty low price, and the glow of a candle will add a nice touch.<\/p>\n You can turn mugs into cute centerpieces. And you can pick up cheap bugs at the dollar store or online. Just fill them with candy or flowers. You could even stuff the mug with foam and put a cute sign in there that goes with your theme.<\/p>\n You could even offer those mugs as baby shower favors \u2013 so they pull double duty. Just put in a couple of tea bags or a hot cocoa mix \u2013 it\u2019s super simple!<\/p>\n The dollar store should be your go-to when you\u2019re shopping for decorations.<\/p>\n You can easily make some triangle banners to hang on the walls. And it doesn\u2019t have to cost you much either.<\/p>\n Just head out to your local fabric store, or look online, and get some patterned fabrics. Then you can cut them into triangles and glue them onto the twine. Now you have a decoration to hang on the wall, which didn\u2019t cost you too much money.<\/p>\n You could also consider using thick colored paper instead of fabric.<\/p>\n Use butcher\u2019s paper on the food table and write down what each dish is with a marker.<\/p>\n You can buy butcher\u2019s paper, or Kraft paper, for less than $15 at places like Amazon<\/a> and Walmart<\/a>.<\/p>\n You can get really creative and draw swirls, flowers, and more on the paper too. There are plenty of ideas on Pinterest.<\/p>\n This is a super simple tip, but it can work well. Basically, you can use wrapping paper as a table runner. It\u2019s bright, it looks great, and it\u2019s cheap as well! You don\u2019t have to worry about spilling on an expensive fabric table runner either.<\/p>\n You can make your own cupcake stand with dollar store silver plates, glass candle holders, some spray paint in a color that goes with your theme, and a hot glue gun or super glue. It\u2019s easy to do, but the results are awesome.<\/p>\n You can make tissue paper flowers at a low cost. And they look beautiful too since you can make them in colors that match your baby shower theme.<\/p>\n Check out this tutorial<\/a> on how to make tissue paper flowers.<\/p>\n Or you could always buy the tissue paper flowers, as they\u2019re not too pricey.<\/p>\n Balloons are a classic party decoration, and baby showers are no different. Decorating with balloons will not only make the place look awesome, but it\u2019s also pretty cheap, not to mention that it just screams, \u201ccelebration.\u201d<\/p>\n You can make a chair look better with a few balloons and bows, for example!<\/p>\n You can carve a watermelon into a baby carriage and have a centerpiece that\u2019s sure to impress guests. Plus it\u2019s edible!<\/p>\n Another integral part of a baby shower is the games. Sure, not all moms-to-be want games at their shower, but many do.<\/p>\n Baby shower games don\u2019t have to cost a ton of money. As with every other aspect of the shower, you can do them on the cheap.<\/p>\n Here are some cheap baby shower games and activities\u2026<\/p>\n Simple, but classic, guessing the size of the mom-to-be\u2019s belly is always a fun time. Just get something you can put around the belly, like ribbon, yarn, or string, and a pair of scissors.<\/p>\n Then hand out the supplies to guests and ask them to cut it to the size they think the circumference on the mom\u2019s belly is. Whoever\u2019s closest wins the prize.<\/p>\n Hold a pacifier scavenger hunt. This is such a fun idea for a shower. Just buy some inexpensive pacifiers and hide them around the party area. Then ask your guests to find them. Whoever finds the most wins.<\/p>\n This is a very cute idea that the parents-to-be are sure to love. Just ask your guests to bring things that you can put inside a time capsule for the baby. This could include things like:<\/p>\n Then at the shower you and the parents-to-be can create a time capsule for the baby.<\/p>\n Did you love doing Mad Libs as a kid? Many of us did. That\u2019s why it makes such an awesome baby shower game.<\/p>\n Vote on whose Mad Lib was the funniest.<\/p>\n You can get free printable baby Mad Libs from Pinterest here<\/a>.<\/p>\n Okay, if you\u2019re looking for a fun game, give find the guest a try. Before the shower, write a list of fun or unique things about each guest. Then give each of your guests a copy of the list. Then guests need to match the names with the facts \u2013 either by just guessing or by mingling.<\/p>\n The guest who gets the most matches wins.<\/p>\n Guess Who is sort of like Find the Guest, only with photos instead.<\/p>\n Basically, you ask guests for photos of themselves when they were babies.<\/p>\n I would ask guests to email you photocopies of these photos, so you don\u2019t have to worry about damaging or local precious childhood photos.<\/p>\n Then print out these photos, number each one, and stick them on a corkboard or poster board.<\/p>\n At the shower, ask your guests to write down which photo is of which guest. Then the person who gets the most answers right wins the game.<\/p>\n A cute, fun activity to do at a baby shower is to create a baby bucket list. Just have your guests write down the things they think that new parents will enjoy doing with their baby. You could guess things like what things they enjoyed doing with their own parents as kids.<\/p>\n All you need are some notecards and some pens. You can give the notecards to the new mom at the end of the party and they can be added to a scrapbook for the baby\u2019s first year.<\/p>\n All you need for this game is a pack of plain diapers and a pack of sharpies. \u00a0Then at the shower, have your guests write a funny, motivational, or cute little note on the diapers<\/a> for the parents-to-be.<\/p>\n The Price is Right is a classic, so why not give it a try at your baby shower.<\/p>\n Gather some everyday baby essentials, like packs of diapers, formula<\/a>, baby socks, baby bottles<\/a> and pacifiers. The mom-to-be may already have these items, so you could ask to use what she has.<\/p>\n At the shower, have guests write down how much they think each item costs. Just like in the TV show, the person who is closest to the price, without going over it, wins.<\/p>\n Baby shower scramble is another fun game to consider. And all you need is some paper, pens, and a timer.<\/p>\n Choose some longish birth\/baby-related words, like cesarian or pacifier and then asks guests to come up with new words from the letters.<\/p>\n Or you can scramble each word and have guests figure out what each word is. Like loganesioistthes, would be anesthesiologist.<\/p>\n The guest who gets the most wins!<\/p>\n This is a super fun game that can also help everyone get to know the expectant parents better.<\/p>\n Ask the parents-to-be for 5 to 10 memorable moments from when they were kids.<\/p>\n For example, you could say, \u201cI played with dolls until I was 11.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n Write a list of these and print it out.<\/p>\n Then have guests guess whether it was mom or dad.<\/p>\n The person with the most correct guesses is the winner.<\/p>\n This is a whimsical, fun game that everyone\u2019s sure to enjoy. Basically, you write down nursery rhymes leaving blanks \u2013 you can easily copy and paste them from the internet into a Word document and then remove certain words. Then you give everyone a copy of the papers.<\/p>\n Next, you ask your guests to fill in the blanks and whoever gets the most correct wins.<\/p>\n Baby shower bingo is a classic. All you need is a printout of a bingo board game that includes various baby items on it. The boards must all be different. So the baby items need to be in a different order on each board.<\/p>\n Guests should play the bingo game while the mom opens her presents.<\/p>\n You can find lots of free printable baby bingo games online, like this one<\/a> from Pampers.<\/p>\n Okay, so now you have some fun baby shower games and activities to do at the shower, so what about the prizes?<\/p>\n They can get pricey, right?<\/p>\n Don\u2019t worry; there are plenty of cheap baby shower prizes that your guests will love.<\/p>\n Travel size bottles of alcohol like vodka or tequila can make for great gifts.<\/p>\n Scented candles are a great prize since most people like candles. They\u2019re pretty cheap too.<\/p>\n Lotions are super cheap, but also make for good prizes.<\/p>\n Everyone needs a coffee mug, which is why they\u2019re often appreciated as prizes.<\/p>\n Kitchen accessories, whether it\u2019s a bottle opener or lime squeezer, can also make for a practical prize.<\/p>\n From a red nail polish to a French manicure kit, nail stuff makes for a great prize.<\/p>\n Another good prize option is a spa kit. These usually contain stuff like shampoo, conditioner, body wash, and bubble bath.<\/p>\n Whether it\u2019s chocolate, cookies, or candies, sweets can make for an awesome prize.<\/p>\n Notebooks are one of those versatile items that suit lots of people \u2013 after all, they can be used for everything from making notes on work, to writing grocery lists.<\/p>\n That\u2019s why they make for such good prizes.<\/p>\n Buy a reusable coffee cup and put a gift card for Starbucks in there. It\u2019s a practical prize that guests are sure to appreciate.<\/p>\n Another option to consider is gift cards. Even if they\u2019re a small denomination, like $5, guests will still appreciate having free cash to spend. Gift cards for stores and food establishments that people love, like Target, Walmart, Amazon<\/a>, and the aforementioned Starbucks always go down well.<\/p>\nHow to Throw a Baby Shower on a Budget<\/h2>\n
Inexpensive Places to Host a Baby Shower<\/h2>\n
1. At home<\/h3>\n
2. Park<\/h3>\n
3. A friend or family member\u2019s home<\/h3>\n
4. Church<\/h3>\n
5. Club house<\/h3>\n
6. Small stores<\/h3>\n
7. Non-profits<\/h3>\n
8. YMCA<\/h3>\n
9. Community center<\/h3>\n
Baby Shower Invitation Ideas<\/h2>\n
10. Make your own<\/h3>\n
11. Send evites<\/h3>\n
12. Use printable baby shower invitations<\/h3>\n
Cheap Baby Shower Decoration Ideas<\/h2>\n
13. Put decorations in a few key places<\/h3>\n
14. Use printables<\/h3>\n
15. Use favors as decorations<\/h3>\n
16. If you do go with a theme, keep it simple<\/h3>\n
17. Shop your own home first<\/h3>\n
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18. Create height to make inexpensive decorations look better<\/h3>\n
19. Use Balloon Bouquets (you can make your own!)<\/h3>\n
20. Make a onesies garland<\/h3>\n
21. Decorate with toys<\/h3>\n
22. Use books for decoration<\/h3>\n
23. Make diaper cakes<\/h3>\n
24. Make your own washcloth bouquet<\/h3>\n
25. Use gifts as centerpieces<\/h3>\n
26. Make some framed quotes<\/h3>\n
27. Honeycombs and Lanterns<\/h3>\n
28. Decorate a birdcage<\/h3>\n
29. Turn mason jars into beautiful centerpieces<\/h3>\n
30. Create tulle and candle centerpieces for an elegant decoration<\/h3>\n
31. Turn mugs into a cute centerpiece<\/h3>\n
32. Don\u2019t forget about the dollar store<\/h3>\n
33. Hang triangle banners on the walls<\/h3>\n
34. Use butcher paper as a tablecloth<\/h3>\n
35. Use wrapping paper for the table runner<\/h3>\n
36. Make your own cupcake stand<\/h3>\n
37. Make tissue paper flowers<\/h3>\n
38. Decorate with balloons<\/h3>\n
39. Carve a watermelon into a baby carriage<\/h3>\n
Cheap Baby Shower Games<\/h2>\n
40. Guess the size of mom\u2019s belly<\/h3>\n
41. Pacifier scavenger hunt<\/h3>\n
42. Time capsule for the baby<\/h3>\n
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43. Baby Mad Libs<\/h3>\n
44. Find the Guest<\/h3>\n
45. Guess Who<\/h3>\n
46. Baby bucket list<\/h3>\n
47. Diaper notes<\/h3>\n
48. The Price Is Right<\/h3>\n
49. Baby Shower Scramble<\/h3>\n
50. Who Is It: Mom or Dad?<\/h3>\n
51. Nursery Rhyme Quiz<\/h3>\n
52. Baby Shower Bingo<\/h3>\n
Baby Shower Prizes<\/h2>\n
53. Mini bottles of alcohol<\/h3>\n
54. Candles<\/h3>\n
55. Lotions<\/h3>\n
56. Coffee mugs<\/h3>\n
57. Kitchen accessories<\/h3>\n
58. Nail stuff<\/h3>\n
59. Spa kits<\/h3>\n
60. Sweets<\/h3>\n
61. Notebooks<\/h3>\n
62. Reusable coffee cup with a gift card<\/h3>\n
63. Gift cards<\/h3>\n
64. Face masks<\/h3>\n