| Putting together a baby shower is
a lot of fun and a lot of work, too. If you’re reading
this article, that means you are going the extra mile, searching
for ideas to make your event as special and creative as possible.
If you’ve already chosen your theme, and have decided on the
overall tone of the event, the hardest part is over.
Now the question
is how to carry it out. If you’re having a formal event, it
is likely that you are using “real” tableware
glass drinking utensils, ceramic or china plates, silverware, etc.
But if you have chosen to use some sort of disposable tableware,
you have another opportunity to reinforce your theme and surprise
your guests. Here are some ideas on making your baby shower plates
as creative as possible.
First, how many plates will you need? Are you serving appetizers?
You may require plates, or you might be able to get away with just
napkins? Dinner? You’ll definitely need large plates for that.
Cake? Unless you’ve chosen a diaper cake, you’ll need
to plan on a set of smaller plates for serving.
Second, what is your theme? Have you decided to go with Baby Boy
Blue or Baby Girl Pink? Obviously, you can and should choose your
plates to match, with either solid blue or pink colors, or perhaps
some sort of trim or pattern. You can also choose plates which have
a stork or newborn print on them, or even cute little baby animals.
If you have a cartoon theme, the clear choice is to find plates
with that character – such as Winnie the Pooh or Care Bears.
If you can’t find, say, Care Bear plates, ones with a rainbow
or cloud motif will work perfectly.
Perhaps your theme is more general, such as Woodlands or Out to
Sea (maybe Mom and Dad are in the Navy). Again, choose plates which
will reinforce your theme, in these cases choosing trees, bunny
rabbits, boats, or dolphins.
Once you know how many of each kind of plate you will need, and
you’ve chosen the colors and designs that best match your
theme, you can consider using the plates as part of your activities.
One popular idea is to write numbers on the bottom of each plate
and holding a door prize drawing if the number on the bottom
of your plate is the number drawn, you win a small prize. You can
also use these numbers to make teams (all evens together or all
numbers written in blue together), or to determine in what order
the guests will take turns playing a game.
Even if you have chosen “real” china or ceramic plates,
a way to take advantage of the space at each person’s place
setting is to place a small placard on each plate, with a sweet
or humorous saying about motherhood or children on it – this
provides a keepsake, and beautifies the table even further.
As you can see, baby shower plates aren’t just for serving
food – your own creativity is really the limit. Whether you
use them to unify your party theme, help you organize games, or
as the background for a sentimental message to your guests, they
will certainly be a much-appreciated touch to the festivities.
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