If you are planning a baby shower, you want to make a great impression, not only on the expectant close friend or family member, but also on your guests. It isn't always easy to come up with fresh, fun, and simple ideas to entertain everyone. Where do you even start? This article should help with some great ideas to get your baby shower started and inspire you to greatness.

If you want your party to appear organized and planned out, then a theme can be very helpful. A good theme can make your party more fun, while making decorating decisions easier on you. The simplest baby shower theme is the “baby” theme, with storks, bottles, rattles, bonnets, and diapers. If you prefer a more unconventional theme, try a seasonal theme. You could do a winter theme with snowmen, snowflakes, sleighs, and icicles. Or try a Valentine's Day theme with red hearts, cherubs, and roses. Your theme could relate to Christmas, New Year's, the Fourth of July, or Easter. If you don't want either the “baby” theme or a seasonal theme, try a beach party with beach balls, blankets, buckets, or a sand castle (if you have sand and want to put the effort into building one.) Once you have chosen a theme, the task of decorating will be much easier.

If you already know the gender of the baby, then you could always go with the traditional blue for boy, pink for girl. If the parents are keeping the gender a secret, or don't want to know, then you can still use a certain color scheme as the basis for your party decoration. You could go with the mother's favorite color, or a light, cute color like light green, pale purple, or bright yellow. You aren't required to use just blue or pink, especially if you aren't sure if it is a boy or a girl. Just keep the colors fun and upbeat for a baby shower (no black decorations, please.)

Decorations

Although there are many, many options for decorations, don't be overwhelmed. Choose a theme and stick with it. Balloons make excellent decorations. You could go with blue or pink, or if you a using a Valentine's Day theme, you could get balloons that say, “I love you, baby!” If your theme is the Fourth of July, then go with red, white, and blue balloons. You could even throw in a few pink ones if you don't know the baby's gender. Try using baby food jars as weights to hold the balloons in place. Add some streamers that match your color choice. Another great decoration idea is something to symbolize motherhood. For a gift table centerpiece, get a big lioness and some smaller cubs. You could also use a large teddy bear and some smaller baby bears. You can add a tiny diaper to the baby bear if you so choose. Stuffed animals in mother and baby sizes make great centerpieces! You could even customize them to match your theme by adding a scarf for a winter theme, or a star-spangled hat for the mother bear for the Fourth of July. If your theme is Valentine's Day, then you should be able to easily find teddy bears that fit right in to your theme. If the mother-to-be has a favorite animal, then try using a stuffed version of that for the mother and baby centerpiece, like a stuffed cat and some kittens.

While there is no rule that says you have to provide party favors for a baby shower, they will be appreciated. In addition to being thoughtful, party favors can also be used as prizes for shower games. They also make great decorations. For instance, you could have cute napkins with babies painted on them that could be decorative and serve as a take-home party favor. You could also give away the mother and babies stuffed animal centerpiece mentioned above as a party favor or prize. Small stuffed animals are affordable, make cute baby animals, and are easy to find, whether you are talking about a teddy bear, stuffed lioness, plush cat, or other animal. Other traditional favors include photo frames, candles, crystal booties, and candy tins. There are many great party favors, so don't forget them!

The best baby showers require a lot of planning and effort, but the above suggestions should give you a great place to start and help stimulate some ideas. Just come up with a theme and a color scheme, then get decorative items to match them. Next, pick out some party favors and plan some activities. Soon the party will start to take shape. Although baby showers require planning, they don't have to be a huge pain! Make sure that your baby shower is loads of fun for all your guests and a party to remember.