Is it Baby season? Maybe there’s something in the water, I’ve been planning a LOT OF baby showers recently. In fact, I even helped plan my own a few months ago. When I was a young girl, I dreamed of two things: the perfect wedding (thanks, Michael) and the most Pinterest-y, all cutesy Baby Shower for my little one. It’s so easy to browse on Pinterest and play “this or that” on the cake, decorations and party favors, but once you’re done, fees add up. Cue stress even before the baby pops out.  If you’re at a stage in life where you’re planning a baby shower, you’ll soon find out that it can get pricey if you don’t keep budget in mind.

But don’t worry, you don’t have to make it rain for a baby shower and it doesn’t need to be expensive. There are ways to cut back on your budget without looking like you’re cutting corners. Here’s how to plan a baby shower on a budget but still create an amazing baby shower for the mom-to-be.

Location

Having it at home

A baby shower doesn’t have to be at a grand hotel or spacious banquet venue. It could also happen right at your home. You’ll be saving around $200-$1000 on venue costs t if you decide not to rent out space.

Pro tip: If you’re having your baby shower in the spring or summer, holding it outdoors like your backyard would be a plus. There is always an option of making it into a baby shower with an outdoor barbeque or even a pool if you want a more relaxed baby shower with the mom to be’s family and friends.

Having it at a nearby park

A nearby park is always a go-to for most outdoor parties including children’s birthday parties, graduation parties, and of course… baby showers. You can have the mom-to-be’s guests bring their little ones so they can run around in the grassy areas and playing on the playground while you entertain older guests.

The best part? You can invite as many guests as you want.

Decorations

Shopping from the dollar store

The dollar store is not at the top of mind when shopping for baby shower decorations, but with $1 a piece, you can’t go wrong with it.

A lot of the basic decorating essentials like strimmers, glitter, paper plates, goodie bags, cupcake paper wrappers can be found in the dollar store, so definitely skip these items when you’re shopping for the more customized decorative items and get them at the dollar store.

A festive yet on-the budget set of decoration would range to about $20-30 at the dollar store, depending on the number of supplies you purchase and how big your venue is.

Pro tip: Purchase items that are reusable and could be easily stored. This could save you a lot of money for the future (i.e. planning baby shower number two for a friend or family member).

DIY

When it comes to DIY, you will have two best friends: Michael’s and Pinterest.

DIY decorations can always add an extra touch to any baby shower while the guests become very appreciative of the effort put behind every baby bottle centerpiece. It also shows how dedicated and how much work has been put in the baby shower, making it special and worthwhile for the mom-to-be.

Michael’s has great deals when it comes to craft materials, especially their consistent 20% entire purchase or 40-60% off one-item coupons that could be found in your email inbox. Aside from the DIY decor, they also have a section for baking! Keep reading for the ‘food and drinks’ section.

Pinterest never runs out of ideas and creative ways to spice up any event. From baby bottles centerpieces made from folded blankets to pacifier-looking cake pops, the website is your one-stop destination for all things DIY and ideas.

You’re looking at around $50-75 of Michael’s and Pinterest inspired DIY decor depending on the sale items and coupons you accumulated during your trip.

Food

Dessert table

If there is one thing you would want to splurge on (the most), it would be the baby shower dessert table, this includes the cake, sweets and all things sugary. It’s the centerpiece that everyone shares and posts on their Instagram and becomes proof that they were present at the baby shower (and your hard work has paid off).

You can get a custom cake enough to feed about 40 people for around $150-$300, depending on how much customization and design that goes onto the cake.

Aside from cake, make your dessert table work a double purpose by being too pretty to eat but pretty enough to go on their Instagram feed. Have your guests help themselves from your aesthetic candy bar while enjoying a good sugar rush.

Time of the event

It may sound silly, but the timing of your event can play a role in much food and what type of food you will be serving. Ideally, if you’re trying to cut back on main course dishes, host your baby shower after lunch. Doing it this way will have the assumption that your guests would already have eaten lunch before arriving at your baby shower. 

Other Baby Shower Hacks

Go Paperless

While it’s nice to have a physical copy of the baby shower invitation, paper copies of these could also add up. Creating a Facebook or electronic invite or e-vite online could save you around $20-$50 on printing costs. It’s also easier, faster, and more efficient to get the word out if you’re inviting your guests online.

If your guests aren’t tech savvy, don’t worry! You can also shoot them a text or call. This is also a more casual way to invite them without the pressures of hitting the ‘interest’ or ‘going’ button on Facebook event invites.

Guest Participation in the Games

You can always request guests to come up with shower games and bring the props and material items with them. Guests will be more invested in the baby shower while saving yourself a couple of dollars on party game items. They could even help facilitate the entertainment portion of the baby shower and help you host and MC for the day.

There you have it! You’re all set to plan out a budget baby shower for the expectant mom. Do you have any tips for us? Comment below.

The post How To Have A Budget-Friendly Baby Shower appeared first on MintLife Blog.