baby shower on a budget ideas

Baby Shower On A Budget

How to throw an amazing Baby Shower without breaking the bank

Having a baby is such an incredible and exciting time in anyone’s life.  Often a Baby Shower is thrown as a way to welcome the new addition and show love to the expectant parents. And one thing we are often asked is how to throw a Baby Shower on a budget!

Once details such as who is hosting the Baby Shower and where the Baby Shower will be held are determined, the budget may be on your mind. How much does a Baby Shower cost is often a consideration.

Hosting a shower can be expensive which may feel overwhelming, but have no fear!  You can certainly have a beautiful Baby Shower on a budget.     

What is a good budget for a Baby Shower?

The budget for a Baby Shower really depends on many factors.  Is it one person hosting, or more than one?  Will there be a rental fee for the venue or at someone’s home? Are guests a handful of ladies or is it a massive co-ed extravaganza?  Will you have prizes or favors?

According to Web Bab Shower, the average in-person shower ranges between $100 to $1000.  In short, each baby shower budget will differ but the important thing is to do what is comfortable for you and your means.

How can you save money on a Baby Shower?

baby shower on a budget

There are a lot of ways to save money on a Baby Shower.  One way would be by throwing a DIY Baby Shower.  When we can do a lot on our own, we can save money! 

In addition, keep the shower smaller in size.  Fewer guests mean less space needed as well as food.  Speaking of food, consider hosting the shower mid-morning or afternoon, so you only need to serve light refreshments instead of a meal. 

Another way to save money is to throw a joint shower and have multiple hosts.  This way everyone splits the cost of the event.

Who pays for what at a Baby Shower?

Any combination of people can help pay for a Baby Shower.  Usually, it would be covered by the host(s) like the Mother-To-Be’s best friend or sister.  The baby’s grandmothers may co-host or it could be put on by a group of co-workers or even the new parents themselves. 

Whoever is hosting tends to handle the majority of the cost of the shower or if it is multiple people, they determine who is responsible for what. However, some people will offer to bring something or ask how they can help. Don’t feel bad in accepting if you are trying to stay on budget.

How to save money on Baby Shower invites

Your baby shower on a budget can stay on budget with a variety of no-cost invitation ideas!  There are websites like Evite that offer adorable free electronic invitations you can send to your guests.

If your guests all have Facebook, create an event on there and invite them.  Even sending a cute text with the shower details would work and make personal phone calls to those who don’t text or have the internet. 

If you are creative, you can also design your own invitation and then print at home or at your local library or business center.  To reduce costs further, try and place more than one invitation per paper. 

As long as all the important details are communicated, any of these low-cost invitation ideas will do the trick!       

How to save money on Baby Shower food

diy baby shower food table

If you are trying to stay on budget, there are ways to keep the food and beverage costs down.  As mentioned above, choose a time of day where it should not be assumed a meal will be served like 2:00pm to 4:00pm.  Beverages like tea, coffee, and punch are relatively low in cost.  Additionally, make it a non-alcoholic or dry shower. 

Purchasing platters from a warehouse store like Costco can save you time and money. Preparing similar snacks and platters yourself may save even more if you have the time. You can also make it a potluck!  Have each guest bring a dish and you will surely have enough food to go around. 

You could even put a spin on it like “Bring Your Cravings” or name their dish after something baby-related.      

How to save money on Baby Shower decorations

Decorations truly add to a baby shower atmosphere, but they don’t need to break the bank to do so.  Once you have a theme in mind it is time to plan for the decorations!  Firstly, think about a Baby Shower backdrop.  A backdrop is great for photos or to really make the food table pop!  There are several ways to do it on a dime too. 

Secondly, consider making a diaper cake.  This not only could be used as a centerpiece but makes an awesome gift too! 

Thirdly, visit your local Dollar store to pick up streamers, balloons, tables cloths.  Lastly, for more DIY baby shower decorations, check out our post here.

How to save money on Baby Shower games

One tradition when it comes to baby showers is the games.  Games are a fun way to get to know each other, get you thinking about all things baby, and have some laughs!  Some ideas of what games to play at a baby shower include “Who Knows Mom best?” and “Baby Item Word Scramble.”  These games would only need paper and pens. 

If you plan to play some Baby Shower card games like Baby Bingo or Who Knows Mommy Best, buy downloadable games that you can print out yourself. Then you can just print the amount that you need for your party. Plus no need to buy a pack of 50 games cards when you only have 15 guests!

Other DIY fun Baby Shower Games are:

How Big is Mommy’s Tummy

Don’t Day Baby

Sprinkle Sort

Adult Diaper

The Price is Right

What’s in the Diaper Bag

You could also create a playlist on Spotify or YouTube. Include these beautiful songs and have a karaoke contest or only add songs that have the word “Baby” in the title. Then have guests guess which song it is. Check out our fave Baby Shower songs here.

Another favorite game at showers is “The Price Is Right” where guests try and guess the cost of each item.  These items can then be gifts as well.  Lastly, create a due date or gender predictor poster and have guests make their predictions.  If you are going to have prizes, consider items from the Dollar store or handmade items to save a few more bucks.       

How to save money on Baby Shower Cakes

how to have a baby shower on a budget

Every baby shower typically has a cake that ties in with the theme and is sometimes the centerpiece of the room at a baby shower.  A cake can be more costly than you expect, so check out our DYI baby shower cakes post.  There are several ideas that you can orchestrate yourself to lower the cake cost. 

Cupcakes are also a wonderful idea and can easily be made with a cake mix box from the grocery store. Just add some cute sprinkles or themed toppers. Keep in mind the number of guests you will have attending. 

Another idea is to include other desserts like layered Jell-o cups or make a baby fruit basket which will definitely be unique and likely less costly.

Baby Shower On A Budget Conclusion   

In conclusion, with some simple tweaks, it can be easy to host an amazing Baby Shower on a budget!  Even with a lower budget, the shower can encompass all the elements a traditional shower has and still be a beautiful event.

Generally speaking, it can take some creative thinking and planning but it is possible.  It is also perfectly fine to ask for and accept any help. How much a Baby Shower costs is really dependable, and all budgets can create a wonderful event.

At the end of the day, it is about celebrating a new baby and being there for your loved ones.  For more of our Baby Shower ideas, click here.  Have a wonderful time, while staying on budget!   

About Author

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Jane Sheriff is the founder, creative director, party planner and mom of three. She started Darling Celebrations back in 2012 to share easy and beautiful ideas for celebrating the special events in life.

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