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Multiples Baby Shower: Décor

babysugar — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 07:00:17 -0700

For lilsugar's last week of extensive baby shower coverage, we're celebrating the birth of multiples! While twosomes seem to be more normal these days, celebrating their arrival should be anything but common. You've already downloaded the free invites for the soiree so let's get started planning the décor!

Newborn twins or triplets often mimic baby birds and are smaller and more delicate than their single counterparts. They also tend to gravitate to one another like sweet little songbirds. You can create a springy centerpiece using tree branches with birds strategically placed on the twigs. The cheerful display will bring life and a central theme to the festivities.

To see more ideas for creating a winsome aviary affair, read more.

Birdcages:
Use wire bird cages (often found at antique fairs or home stores) and fill them with baby booties, heirloom pieces, or just plain birds. Hang them if you have the appropriate hooks or simply put them around the home for discreet accents.

Eggs:
What goes hand-in-hand with birds? Eggs and nests, naturally! I swiped a package of pastel beaded eggs from Pottery Barn at their post Easter bargain price of $6. Perfect for my bird themed shower, I hung the ornaments in pairs from the pink dogwood centerpiece. Using some raffia, I quickly wound up a few nests to hold the remaining eggs and positioned them around the fete for eye catching pieces.

Flowers:
While any fresh bloom will do, I prefer to use seasonal tree branches for a dramatic display. The sturdiness and height they provide make it easy to perch the birds and eggs. I found three sparsely glittered birds at a local shop and positioned them among the branches. An added bonus, you only need to splurge on the one spectacle as it will take up most of the table space. Some recommended tree choices: dogwood (as shown), cherry blossoms, plum, and green berry.

If the gender of the babies is known, one may decorate according to those colors. Regardless of sex, I adore the pastel palette with hints of brown and green as they bring out the natural side of the flowers and a bird's environment. Because we want this mama to be as relaxed and pampered as possible before the multiple mania strikes.

Don't forget to enter our fabulous April Showers Giveaway for a chance to win a $2,500 gift card to put toward your babe's nursery and/or necessities for your child at Pottery Barn Kids! And, check out the baby shower invitations we've created exclusively for pingg! pingg allows you to email invites to a guest list or print and mail, and send reminders via SMS, online, Facebook, Twitter and more!

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Come Party With Me: Baby Shower - The Look

partysugar — Thu, 12 Apr 2007 06:59:51 -0700

While a baby shower is generally held to celebrate the upcoming birth of an unborn child, they are also thrown to shower gifts on the baby. I consider a baby shower to be the child's "first" birthday. Much like a wedding, guests are asked to bring essential gifts that will aid the parents in their new life with baby. Diapers, bottles, blankets, clothes, and toys can all be incorporated into the look of the baby shower. The theme colors, pale pink and sky blue in my case, should be used as inspiration for the party decor. Although I included the colors in the invitations, I did not work them into the food or drinks, so I definitely want to use lots of pretty pinks and soft blues in the decorations. To see how I'll do it, and to get some cute baby shower ideas, read more

The baby shower I am planning for Naomi Watts is a sit down luncheon, so tables and chairs are a must. Usually you can rent them for the day cheaply at a local party supply store. I like round tables rather than square tables because you get to sit really close together. Make sure you have seating for all of your guests. For example if you have 25 girls coming get 5 five person round tables.
Dress the tables in blue table cloths or simple white ones with pink and blue details. Make centerpieces with vases filled with an arrangement of fresh pink flowers.

Make a diaper cake and place it festively on a table next to the hors d'oeurves. Or make several and use them as the centerpieces on the tables. Likewise make several baby sock bouquetsusing pink and blue socks and place on small tables around the party space.
Instead of using votive holders, place small candles in baby food jars.
Give a baby bath tub as a gift for the mommy-to-be and fill with the punch or with water and floating candles or blown up balloons.

Hang long strands of pink and blue ribbons, or streamers to curtains, mantles, banquets, or trees (if the party is outdoors).
Hang a clothesline across the room and with the pink/blue clothespins, pin baby clothes along the line.

Use pacifiers as napkin rings.
Use inexpensive baby bottles instead of glasses. Cut the tip off of the nipple and place a pink straw inside. Tape a piece of blue paper to the bottom of one bottle and give the guest who chooses this bottle a prize (Starbuck's card, Mac eye shadows, etc).

Tie pretty pink and blue bows using satin ribbon around the space.
Since you asked guests to wrap presents in either pink or blue paper, arrange them in a visible location decoratively to add to the look.
Fill bowls with pink and blue candies, m&m's, and jelly beans.
Don't forget a special throne/rocking chair for the pregnant guest of honor.

How would you decorate a baby shower for Naomi Watts? Share your awesome ideas below!

Sip and See Baby Shower: Decor

LilSugar — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 05:00:13 -0700

We’re continuing to celebrate mamas-to-be this month with our extensive baby shower planning guides. This week, we fete the mama and newborn who were not ready to be the centers of attention before the birth with a sip and see shower. Now that you've downloaded your free invites for the festivities, it's time to plan your décor. Given the fact that we are planning this shower as a co-ed open house, we used our invitation colors and event’s theme as inspiration for our decorations. We incorporated orange and robin’s egg blue, as well as a variety of cups, to communicate our theme and create a festive mood. For additional suggestions for setting a fun, gender-neutral setting, read more.

Sip:
Baby and sippy cups make great vessels for a variety of décor options for this event. Whether they are filled with flowers, strategically placed in potted plants or hung from banners, the cups will not only reinforce the theme of the shower, but will spark conversation among guests. We added a few silver baby cups to a homemade pennant banner, but if you are short on time, similar ones can be customized and purchased online.

See:
The shower is many people’s first opportunity to meet the baby and congratulate the family in-person. By scattering photos of the guest of honor throughout the room, attendees can see the baby in his earliest moments and see how much he has grown since birth.

Don't forget to enter our fabulous April Showers Giveaway for a chance to win a $2,500 gift card to put toward your babe's nursery and/or necessities for your child at Pottery Barn Kids!

Heirloom Baby Shower: Décor

LilSugar — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 08:00:32 -0700

lilsugar is celebrating mamas-to-be all month with extensive baby shower coverage that will help you plan awwwww-inducing, unique, socially relevant and hip fetes. This week, we are planning an heirloom themed party that takes the phrase "something borrowed, something blue (or pink!) and something new" from marriage to the baby carriage. Now what you've downloaded your free invites for the festivities, it's time to plan your décor. I was inspired by a party held in honor of soon-to-be mom Nicole Balch, the owner of a store called Pink Loves Brown. Balch's friends found beautiful linen baby dresses and onesies and clothes and pinned them to twine hanging in the living room. The result is a delicate and cost-free banner that pays homage to forgotten treasures. For additional suggestions for setting a vintage, unassuming ambiance, read more.

Pictures are worth a thousand words:
If you don't have oodles of heirloom clothes at your disposal consider asking guests to bring photos of themselves, their children, their children's ultrasounds or family members as babies and pinning those up around the room or party area. The pictures will not only create a nostalgic vibe, but will also spark conversation among guests.

Dressing up the rest of your space:
The aim of the heirloom shower is to keep things inexpensive and elegant, so don't worry about balloons or extravagant signage. Spruce up your table with fresh flowers from your garden or the farmers market and light a few delicate candles to set the romantic mood. If you are a stickler for details use teacups as candy dishes for old-timey treats and sprinkle them throughout the party. You might also float single gardenias in teacups of water in the bathroom or on the coffee table. Pick a specific color palate, like orange and brown or blue and pink like your invites - or take inspiration from the heirloom garments and keep things muted in creme, white, baby blue and pink.

Rock-a-bye baby:
Bust out the record player from grandma's garage and serve up some warm, classic tunes. If you don't have the ability to spin, make a sentimental playlist on your iPod and rock it over your speakers. Of course, talk to the mom-to-be about her musical preferences. There's nothing worse than having to listen to music you don't enjoy at your own party.

Don't forget to enter our fabulous April Showers Giveaway for a chance to win a $2,500 gift card to put toward your babe's nursery and or necessities for your child at Pottery Barn Kids! And, check out the baby shower invitations we've created exclusively for pingg! pingg allows you to email invites to a guest list or print and mail, and send reminders via SMS, online, Facebook, Twitter and more!

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DIY: Vibrant Pom-Pom Napkin Rings

partysugar — Wed, 20 May 2009 07:50:44 -0700

After helping one of my friends with the flowers for her big day, I was asked by another friend to put together the festive napkin rings for her wedding. Rather than waste money on buying 60 rings, we made these flower-inspired pom-poms to adorn each napkin. These pom-poms can easily be customized to suit any color scheme. While mine were for a wedding, the fun napkin rings are great for any special occasion, be it a baby shower, engagement party, or dinner party! To learn how to make them and check out my step-by-step photos, read more.

This idea was adapted from something I saw in Martha Stewart Weddings. To make the pom-poms, you will need colored tissue paper, floral wire, and satin ribbon.

Cut four sheets of tissue paper into five- by 10-inch rectangles. Make 3/8-inch accordion folds.
Fold a 18-inch floral wire in half and wrap around the middle of the folded tissue paper and twist.
Trim ends into a rounded or pointed shape.
Carefully separate the layers of the tissue papers, pulling each layer toward the center.
Use the extra wire to make a loop on the back of the pom-pom. Insert a 12-inch piece of ribbon through the loop.
Tie ribbon around the napkin. Voila: a fabulous flower-like napkin ring to dress up any table!

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Bedrest Bash: Diaper Cake Decor

babysugar — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 14:43:00 -0700

I love the idea of a diaper cake. Unfortunately, I don't like the price they charge for them. So I put my creative juices to work and crafted my own. Making the cake allows you to personalize it to suit the mama–to–be.

To see how to make a diaper cake, read more.

Supplies you will need:

Diapers (I try to find plain ones so the colors won't clash too much)
Tulle fabric
Ribbons (different sizes and colors)
Scissors
Tape (optional)
Cake platter
Cup (can help hold diapers in place)
Bottle
Candy
Extra doo-dads, like pacifiers, onesies, etc.

Check out the gallery below for a step–by–step how–to on making a diaper cake.

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*For extra decor, buy some helium-filled balloons in the same colors and fill the room with the hovering pieces.

Come Party With Me: Baby Shower - The Look

partysugar — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 10:30:35 -0700

Butterflies in pastel yellow, pink, and khaki color tones are a wonderful inspiration for a baby shower's look. Start by covering the table with a pretty neutral-colored tablecloth. Serve the brunch food on pink platters and let each guest use a pretty butterfly plate. Serve both the mimosas and sparkling mocktail in modern square wine glasses. Add a touch of elegance by using your best silverware and nice napkins. Even though the event is in the morning light candles in embellished hurricane lamps.

Arrange a beautiful bouquet of yellow flowers. Pink diaper pins are the perfect finishing touch when delicately pinned to the napkins.

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Yummy Link: Beautiful Baby Showers

partysugar — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 05:01:33 -0800

Hosting a baby shower can be a tough task, especially when it comes to creating a beautiful setting. Luckily Jenn has created a gorgeous look for a whimsical garden themed baby shower. Be inspired by her stork-free adorable designs! - Hostess With The Mostess

Operation Top Knot: Cheers to Military Mamas

babysugar — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 07:30:17 -0700

Every mother needs a helping hand every now and then. As a woman with two healthy children, a doting husband, a nanny and a gaggle of girlfriends to support me, it's tough to complain about the overwhelming demands of motherhood, but still, I do. Try being an expectant military wife whose husband is deployed. While some ladies sit at home fretting about the nursery decor, she sits up at night praying for his safe return. For many, the dilemma of the day is, "Which stroller should I buy?" Somewhere on a military base, the soldier's wife debates on who will help her through labor as her beloved flies a fighter jet continents away.

Thankfully, there are groups of generous people who take the time to honor the wives of soldiers (or the enlisted ladies themselves) and their impending arrival into motherhood. A project of nonprofit Soldiers' Angels, Operation Top Knot threw a baby shower for 32 pregnant military ladies in Las Vegas. They received handmade baby gifts of blankets, hats, and booties and celebrated the special occasion with cake, chocolate, games and of course, each other. If you want to volunteer for the cause, click here.

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Kiddie Soirée: Displaying That Baby Face

babysugar — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 14:00:26 -0800

One of the best ways to add some flair to a baby shower or a baby's birthday party is to print out some pictures of the guest of honor and display them. For a baby shower, take baby pictures of the expectant couple and make photo copies of the originals. For a kid's birthday party, find the tot's best shots and do the same.

Use a corner cutter ($9) to soften the edges. If you want to make them a little fancier, double–stick tape to the photos to scalloped circle note cards ($7 for 20 cards).

Then decide how you want to show off the pretty pics. If you have a chandelier, you can punch holes near the top of the pictures and dangle them from the light fixture using ribbons. Or, you can use an Umbra fotofalls ($20) photo holder. Clip the snapshots to it and use it as a centerpiece for your party.

Your guests will ohhh and ahhh at the lil Martha Stewart you've become.