Having a summer baby shower and searching for a theme? A beach theme is fun because it creates a relaxing yet lively atmosphere and makes everyone feel like they're on vacation as they sip their fruity drinks. This is perfect for moms-to-be who love to hit the beach or for those who vacation frequently or live near the ocean. Plus it's a theme that's easy and inexpensive to decorate for. Does this Spark an idea?
Invitations
Order some beach-themed invitations or make your own. Design them to look like a flip flop sandal and write the guest's name on it to make it personal. To do this find a picture of a flip flop on the internet and print it out. Xerox and resize the image until it's the perfect size. Cut this picture out and use it as your template. Trace the shape on cardstock or construction paper. Come up with a catchy message that expresses the theme such as "Dive into some fun," "Swim on over," or "Celebrate the newest fish in the sea." Write this on the invitation as well as all the party details and registry information.
Decorations
Make fake surfboards out of foam and paint them to make them look real. With push pins hang baby sunglasses, flip flop sandals, beach themed onesies, baby towels and infant sun hats. Place these around the room. Use lounge chairs and beach chairs for seating instead of traditional folding chairs or sofas. Set out clear vases filled with sand and sea shells as centerpieces. Place kids beach toys on the table. You can even set up little sandboxes that guests can play with during the party.
Food
Serve finger "sand"wiches (any regular sandwich, just labeled "sand"wich for the play on words) and fruity drinks such as virgin pina coladas and virgin margaritas or mai tais. Place food in plastic sand pails and use plastic toy sand shovels as serving utensils. This works really well for fruit balls and munchies. Make a sandcastle cake out of graham crackers and surround it with gummy fish to mimic a day at the beach. To do this simply bake a regular cake and frost it. Crush graham crackers and cover the cake with the graham cracker crumbles. They will stick to the frosting and look like sand. If you serve seafood as part of the theme, make sure it's low in mercury such as salmon, shrimp or sole (as pregnant women must carefully watch their mercury intake).
Games/Activities
Try something new and hire someone to teach guests a hula dance. Have the bride put on a bikini top so her belly is shown off and it turns into "belly" hula dancing.
Favors
Put together miniature beach kits with sunblock, sunglasses and flip flops, all items the guest can use on a trip to the beach. Bake circular cookies and decorate them with icing to make them look like beach balls. Package in clear wrapping cellophane and attach a tag that reads "Hope you had a ball."
Location
The ideal place for the shower would be a location on or near the beach. Maybe you have a home on the beach or know someone who does. If not, you can rent a home for the day, or rent a banquet room at a restaurant or hotel on the beach. Ask guests to wear beach-themed attire such as sandals, sundresses and shorts.
Tags: flip flop, look like, them look, fruity drinks, graham crackers