Themes

If you're attending a baby shower and you're looking for baby shower gift ideas, check out some of our tips for getting the perfect gift.

And if you're hosting a party for a friend and relative, you'll find lots of baby shower ideas below.

Check out our article about baby shower parties to get some ideas about the different types of baby shower that you can throw.

Once you've got the type of event sorted out, it's time to get some ideas together for your baby shower theme.

The theme of the baby shower will give you plenty of ideas for tying in lots of the critical elements such as invitations, decorations, and often even the food and the games.

How to pick a theme

Choose a theme that suits the style of baby shower party that you are throwing. Will it be girls-only, or will the new dad and some male friends be attending? Will it be a formal affair at a hired venue, a less formal party at the home of one of the hosts, or a very casual event in a park or at a cafe?

The idea that you have for the baby shower theme can be influenced by the gender of the baby. Around half of Australian couples ask about the sex of their baby at the diagnostic ultrasound at around 20 weeks gestation. If your mum-to-be would like everyone to know the baby's gender, you can plan the party around a boy or girl theme.

Baby Shower Ideas: Themes

Here is a list of ideas for different themes that you can adapt to suit your baby shower.

Colour theme

Pink for girls and blue for boys are classic baby shower themes, but of course they will only be appropriate if the new mum knows the gender of her baby and is happy for everyone else to know it too. Spark it up a bit by adding a second colour: perhaps blue and white? Or pink and gold? Colour themes give your guests lots of ideas for baby shower gifts too.

Teddy Bear theme

This is a gender-neutral theme with lots of cute possiblities! From teddy bears on the invitations, to teddy bear decorations, it should be easy to get some ideas to keep this theme going. Tie pink or blue bows on your teddy bears if you want to let people know the gender of the baby. Food ideas can include using tiny teddy biscuits to decorate cakes or slices, or making bear-shaped pastries.

Farmyard, Noah's Ark or Zoo theme

Animal themes are lots of fun, they are gender-neutral and quite easy to stick to as you can find ideas for invitations and decorations for all budgets. Using a farmyard, Ark or zoo theme also gives a range of animals for guests to choose from if they are stuck for ideas!

Princess theme

If you know that a baby girl is expected, this theme is a nice idea. can be a nice theme. Princesses are all the rage among little girls, and with this theme you can make your mum-to-be a princess for the day. Toy tiaras, lots of pink satin and bows and plenty of glitter will hep make this baby shower a right royal occasion.

Train theme

This is a good one if your new parents are expecting a little boy. Invitations and decorations can use generic train pictures or you can use a character like Thomas the Tank Engine. A large enough toy train carriage can even make a useful platter to serve food!

Children's Book theme

This idea can open the baby shower up to a really wide range of possibilities! Use characters from nursery rhymes or favourite children's books for invitations and decorations buy a bunch of inexpensive children's books, such as the Little Golden Book range, which can be given to baby after the shower. Get the guests involved in this idea too, ask them to give their own favourite children's book as a baby shower gift.

ABC Blocks theme

Another good gender-neutral theme, having little building blocks with letters and numbers scattered around can make for a great decorative touch plus the blocks can be gathered together for a nice present for baby at the end of the party.

Rubber Ducky theme

Inexpensive rubber ducks make colourful and fun decorations and you can stretch the duck idea by continuing with a yellow theme through your food and games as well.