A very popular design for baby party invites is a baby shower footprint invitation. It's a charming way to celebrate the imminent arrival of a new member of the family -- and, as an added bonus, it fits in with almost any theme you may choose for your festivities.

As with any party planning, it's a good idea to think well ahead. Your guests will appreciate being given adequate notice of the shower and if it will help them have a better chance of being able to attend. You'll also save yourself the headache of preparing for the party in a rush! It's usually a good idea to send out your invitations four or five weeks in advance.

The baby footprint theme provides an excellent motif for many aspects of the shower, not just the invitations. One simple image communicates the ideas of innocence and sweetness that everyone associates with the birth of a baby boy or girl. You can extend it to decorations, shower favors -- even place settings at the table.

You'll often find the baby footprint design in commercially produced invitations and party supplies. But some people like to make their own shower invitations, in order to lend a more imaginative touch. If you want to do this, a simple footprint motif is quite easy to create at home -- and handmade, personalized baby shower invites suit the beauty and style of baby shower well.

Here are some simple design suggestions:

* footprint outlines or cutout shapes

* footprints as a background to text

* a footprint 'trail' -- just as if the baby had walked across the invitation!

Keep the concept simple and ensure that colors of the motif and text complement background shade of the paper or card stock that you choose. If you wish, you could base your invtiations on traditional colors -- blue for a baby boy or pink for a girl. And if this seems a bit too traditional for your taste (or if you don't yet know the gender of the baby), why not go for other pastel shades such as green or yellow?

If you're planning to make your own invitations, ask for rubber stamps of baby footprints at your local craft supply shop -- or you can do an online search. Experiment with different color inks and patterns to find a look that appeals to you.

Once you've decided on a design, you could extend this theme from the invitations to other items such as game prizes, thank you cards and so on. It's a great way to create a unique look for your baby shower party.