Planning an adoption can be an emotionally strenuous process, and the thought of planning a baby shower as well can skyrocket stress levels. Think of a baby shower as a celebratory reminder that this child whom you never met is about to become your family miracle. Then party planning will simply be a nice break from paperwork and agency meetings. Adoption may be a nontraditional way to create a family, but that doesn’t mean your little one doesn’t deserve to be the star of a traditional celebration. A baby shower is really just a special occasion for friends and family to gather and meet the newest member of your family. Use the following baby shower ideas as inspiration for your party planning.
Welcome Home Forever
If you’re adopting an older child, the baby shower will be a welcome home party for introducing him or her to close friends and family members. Keep the guest list minimal; you don’t want to overwhelm the child. Plan an intimate gathering as a backyard picnic or dinner party and make it a non-intimidating and loving environment. A soft pastel color scheme and decorations like stuffed animals can comfort the child. Hanging vintage lanterns, charming floral arrangements, classic storybooks, and DIY mason-jar crafts can also create a warm ambiance.
Personalized & Monogrammed Gifts
Personalized gifts provide the child with a sense of familial permanence, especially if he or she’s been between foster homes. Paint and collect wooden letters to be your son or daughter’s initials, and hang the letters as wall decor. A monogrammed quilt is another heartwarming gift that can make your little one feel right at home. Encourage your guests to also include your child’s name on the gift to let the child know the special party is in his or her honor.
Happy Belated Baby Shower Themes
Adoptions can take months, even years. It’s understandable to postpone a baby shower until after you have the little babe in your arms. The only difference is that the baby is the honored guest, rather than the soon-to-be mom. Use the following unique themes featured by BuzzFeed as inspiration:
• Vintage
• Woodland baby animals and lumberjack
• Retro robots
• Sweets and bakery
• Wild West
• Gold and pink circus
• Thunderstorm (as decorative literal translation of hosting a shower)
Martha Stuart spotlights festive themes like fairytale books, alphabet building blocks, garden party, or French countryside. Baby showers centered on a color theme can also create a fun and decorative party. For a little girl, color the baby shower pink, from the tablescapes and desserts to gift wrapping and baby shower favors. A shower decorated with primary colors creates an ebullient energy, whereas an all-in-white shower is a stylish and pristine way to represent the idea of youthful innocence and purity.
Commingling Cultural Affair
If you’re bringing home a little one from across the ocean, celebrate the sweet arrival with a party dedicated to his or her nationality. Hang the flag of your baby’s origin as decoration, and stick mini toothpick flags into cupcakes. Also cook up delicious ethnic food native to your little one’s cultural heritage.
A globe baby shower theme can also celebrate the miles traveled by the family or child to be together. The Pleated Poppy hosted a globe-theme baby shower and features photos of the party that any mom-to-be can use as decorative inspiration. Use map cutouts as napkin holders and adorn the room with blue and green paper pinwheels.
