Lost in the shuffle of Halloween decorating and Christmas shopping, it’s sometimes easy to forget that Fall is also a busy season for baby showers. This is the perfect time of year for planning a shower, as the flavors and colors of the season provide plenty of inspiration for the party. Help the mother-to-be give thanks for the little pumpkin that’s on its way with a beautiful Fall-themed shower that will be one to remember. We’ve got you covered with everything from Autumn invitations to decorations to party games to ensure that you’re taking advantage of all that the season has to offer.

 

Creative Ideas for Planning a Fall Baby Shower

The Guest List

Guests should receive their invitations around six weeks before the baby shower. This will give them plenty of time to reserve the date, RSVP, and find a babysitter if need be. When it comes to party and gift ideas, celebrate with a theme that goes beyond just “baby”. Moms-to-be love personalized baby shower gifts that are sweet yet sophisticated.

Invitations are a perfect opportunity to share your crafting prowess with the world. Think pumpkin patch or falling leaves. Not sure if the baby is a boy or girl? No problem. Fall colors are a perfect gender-neutral palette no matter what the Stork delivers.

Decoration Inspiration

Make your guests feel like they’ve stepped into a rustic farmhouse in the Autumn with all the rich colors of the season—gold, auburn, amber, and bronze.  Let these colors guide your choice of tableware, linens and ornaments. For a vintage, rustic look, use old wooden milk crates and wicker baskets to hold floral displays and party favors. Use scented candles—pumpkin, cinnamon, gingerbread, crackling firewood—to create an Autumn ambience.

Floral displays are always a trustworthy centerpiece and should incorporate elements of the Fall harvest. Get creative by utilizing gourds, Indian corn, mini pumpkins, cranberry sprigs, red apples, even colored leaves to build a cornucopia display. Not only does that celebrate the richness and abundance of the season, it also serves as a symbol of what the mother-to-be will provide her child as it comes into the world.

If the expectant parents have already picked out a baby name, another fun centerpiece idea is to carve a pumpkin or pumpkins to spell out the baby’s name. This is sure to make the party guests smile! It can also serve as a souvenir for the parents to put on their front porch and welcome the new baby home when the time comes.

Pumpkins are a common decorating theme for fall baby showers. You can hollow a large pumpkin and fill it with ice to use as a DIY cooler for champagne or drinks. You can also use mini pumpkins to make place card holders for the party guests. Simply print or craft cute name cards, cut a notch in each pumpkin stem, and slide the card into the notch. Voila! You’ve got a festive, Fall-inspired table dressing and a cute party favor for the guests. Feel free to paint or decorate mini pumpkins to serve as ornaments or candleholders as well. The pumpkin possibilities are endless!

What’s on the Baby Shower Menu?

Throw a feast that would make the Pilgrims proud. Think about having the meal at a long, communal wooden table to capture the spirit of Thanksgiving.

As we seem to have a pumpkin motif going, why not incorporate them into the menu as well? They can serve a function in any course. Pumpkin Hummus is a delicious addition to the snack spread and is perfect for dipping with pita or chips (or pita chips). For an appetizer or side dish, Roasted Pumpkin Soup is a hearty dish without being overly filling. Consider pairing this with a turkey dish for the main course.

There are tasty ways to incorporate turkey into the baby shower menu without slicing up a whole Thanksgiving breast. Turkey Salad Wraps or Turkey Paninis are lighter fare, perfect for this occasion. If you want to go green, consider this Turkey and Blue Cheese Salad that uses chickpeas and garlic to liven up the turkey and greens. Mixing and matching these soups, salads and sandwiches will provide your guests plenty of dining options that all contain the flavors of Fall.

Dessert: everyone’s favorite part of the meal. An assortment of seasonal cookies— pumpkin, gingerbread and caramel apple—is always a safe bet. It might be more fun though, and in the communal spirit, to bake a couple larger dessert items to share. A trade secret is that two bundt cakes stacked on top of one another (bottom to bottom) create a perfect pumpkin shape! Cover this with orange frosting and you’re in business. If you want a break from the pumpkin madness, this Crumb-Topped Apple Slab Pie has a chopped pecan and rolled oats topping for a delicious twist on the traditional apple pie.

For drinks, apple cider—served warm or cold—is always a Fall favorite. Think about creating your own twist on a cider drink and giving it a cute name as the signature drink of the shower.  Hot cocoa garnished with cinnamon or pumpkin spice is a seasonal favorite as well that could find its place on the dessert menu.

It’s All Fun and Games

Don’t forget the most important part of the baby shower: the games! A Fall-themed twist on a classic baby shower game is to have each guest bring a baby picture from a Halloween from their own childhood. Put the pictures up, have everyone look through them and write down who they think each person is. Laughs are guaranteed!

Another fun game is to make a holiday countdown calendar, but instead of counting down to a holiday it counts down to the due date. At the party, have guests write down the time and date that they predict the baby will be born and stick it on the calendar. Whoever guesses closest to the actual time of birth wins!

Hopefully these ideas have got the wheels turning as you plan your own Fall baby shower. This is a special time of year to celebrate friends and family, and this shower can be your unique contribution to help bring the little munchkin into the world surrounded by love and warmth.

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