Inside: Are you in charge of throwing a minimalist baby shower, but you’re not sure how to do it? Learn 12 savvy ways to cut the typical baby shower clutter and throw the perfect baby shower for the minimalist mom-to-be.
If you’re the chosen one to throw a baby shower for your minimalist friend or family member, you’ve been honored with quite the task.
Throwing a baby shower requires a lot of thought and energy as it is, but knowing the special mama-to-be is a minimalist can add a few caveats to the typical baby shower planning.
The good news is that, since your friend is a minimalist, it might actually be easier to throw her a baby shower because, for her, less is more.
Keeping things simple does not equal a less special shower. A minimalist baby shower can be just as meaningful without all the typical props and items that seem like a must in our modern culture.
In fact, when I was pregnant with my twins, my sisters and mom threw me a baby shower that would probably fall in the minimalist category. I don’t ever remember feeling like it was any less special because it was simple.
I’m going to let you in on some creative ways to cut out the fluff, ramp up the significance – all without missing any of the baby shower essentials.
Related: 20 Best Gifts for a Newly Pregnant Friend (that she’ll actually use)
12 Genius Tips for Throwing the Perfect Minimalist Baby Shower
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Most minimalist mamas like to keep it simple.
Less clutter. Less waste. Less drama overall (and definitely no “I’m gonna throw this away as soon as I get home baby shower favors).
Hopefully you find these tips helpful in planning a super simple shower.
It should make it less stressful for you, too!
1. Invite guests via e-vites rather than paper invitations.
Some traditionalists might bristle at this one, but if the mama is truly a minimalist, she’ll appreciate this.
No paper waste, no clutter for her guests.
You’ll also make it ridiculously easy for guests to RSVP at the click of a button, which is very good for you, baby shower planner extraordinarie.
Paperless invitations are a win for everyone! And today, there are so many options. Here are the most popular:
- Paperless Post
- Evites
- Punchbowl
(Sorry USPS and invitation-makers everywhere.)
One Exception: if she is at all sentimental (unlikely, but possible), you may want to see if you can get just one printed invitation for her to have as a keepsake.
2. Have the shower at a home instead of a restaurant.
By switching the location, you’ve already reduced the formality of the event, which is probably what the mama-to-be would want.
If a home isn’t an option due to size issues, renting a hall is another way you can keep it simple.
3. Have a brunch, dessert bar, or tea rather than a luncheon.
By scheduling the baby shower before or after lunch, you can cut back on complicated food.
A mid-morning shower is a great time for a brunch with simple breakfast-type foods like bagels, muffins, fruit salads, a charcuterie board, or quiche.
Having an afternoon tea with finger sandwiches or a dessert bar works really well with a post-lunch shower.
Or you could from this list of fantastic baby shower cupcake ideas. You seriously can’t go wrong with cupcakes.
As long as guests know ahead of time not to expect a full meal, there is no problem whatsoever with this type of shower.
Related: Simple Baby Shower Food Ideas on a Budget
4. Keep it short.
This is definitely a time when less is more. A mama-to-be has limited energy, and she needs most of that to go toward nurturing that unborn baby!
There’s no need to have a shower that lasts hours and hours and exhausts her in the process.
Think through your planned activities and plan accordingly. Typically, two hours is really enough time to get in all the essentials.
5. Make practical centerpieces instead of just decorative ones.
At my baby shower, my sisters made diaper cakes for centerpieces. They looked adorable, and obviously, they were super-useful to me afterward!
Centerpieces that double for things the mama actually needs is a great way to keep it simple.
Side Note: If you go with the diaper cake idea, make sure to stick to Huggies diapers and only 1s and 2s. Storing extra diapers beyond one or two sizes doesn’t jive with the typical minimalist.
6. Decorate with useful and/or upcycled materials rather than materials that will end up in the trash.
You don’t need to go crazy at the party store to decorate for a shower. Using upcycled items you already have is a great way to go.
Filling bottles and jars with fresh flowers is elegant and simple (plus it’s a beautiful bouquet that the mama can take home).
Making a clothesline of socks, onesies, and other essential baby clothes items is another practical idea.
If anyone involved in throwing the shower can get her hands on a vintage high chair or cradle, along with some crocheted blankets – that is another way to add to a cozy feel without buying wasteful, throw-away decorations.
Displaying baby pictures of the mommy and daddy is another idea for no-waste (and free) decorations! Although this one does require extra work on the part of the mom-to-be, which may or may not be a blessing.
7 . Have guests address thank-you card envelopes when they come in.
Minimalist mamas love to streamline tasks and simplify just about everything.
Buy a pack of simple thank-you notes like THESE ones beforehand, and ask guests to address the envelope as they arrive.
Taking care of this little step for her will relieve a huge burden!
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8. Keep games and activities useful.
Some people love games and activities at baby showers; others… meh.
My guess is most minimalists lean more toward the “meh” side of the debate.
If you want to have games, try to engage the guests in activities that serve a purpose.
Have ladies fill out a page for a baby advice scrapbook. Or have guests jot down ‘baby bucket list’ items for mom and baby to do during the baby’s 1st year.
Another fun activity that can benefit mom and baby down the road is to have guests decorate a onesie for the new baby.
Just grab a pack of white Gerber onesies and some fabric markers. Setting up a few basic design ideas for your not-as-creative guests is also a nice touch.
If there is ‘crafty’ décor for the nursery that the mama wants – like these fun and inexpensive paper poms – guests can get in on the fun and help make it!
All you need are several packs of colored tissue paper, scissors, thread or string and an iPad to display the Youtube tutorial.
One final thing to keep in mind when thinking about shower activities is not to feel the need to fill up every second. It’s fine to leave time for personal interaction and conversations rather than just stuffing in games and activities.
Minimalists truly prioritize relationships and meaningful moments, so allow space and time for guests to just enjoy each other’s company.
And if you end up with that awkward silence at the tables, there’s always Baby Gift Bingo, which maybe isn’t necessarily minimalist, but it’s definitely a baby shower classic.
Related: 15 Baby Shower Activity Ideas – No Games Required!
9. Skip the generic “Wishing Well”.
What a minimalist doesn’t want it more stuff – especially things she didn’t have on her registry.
Instead, you can direct guests to bring a baby book for the newborn’s library, a smaller, inexpensive item from the registry, or even money or ‘spare change’ to throw into a wishing well container.
Related: 40 Classic Board Books for Baby’s First Library
Speaking of gifts and registry…
10. Encourage guests to buy from the registry only.
For certain, a new mom who is also a minimalist has spent many hours carefully choosing every single item on her list – ones that fit in with her minimalist values and lifestyle.
It would be a wonderful blessing to her to not add any complications to her life by giving gifts she didn’t ask for. You’ll also save her the time of returning or exchanging gifts she won’t use (because trust me, she will).
Related: How to Create a Minimalist Baby Registry – Bypass the Baby Clutter Trap
11. Consider a “wrapping paper free” gift table.
Often, a bulk of time at a shower is spent opening gifts. And to be honest, some people are a bit self-conscious about being the center of attention for that long!
Instead, you may want to encourage guests to forego wrapping their present and just attach a card or gift tag.
The mama can stroll in front of the table at the designated time, opening cards and announcing the gift and giver. This definitely reduces waste and saves time.
And if you really wanted to simplify the whole gift time at a shower, you can encourage attendees to have their gifts shipped directly to her home. In the card she’ll open at the shower, guests can include a picture of the gift and state that it will arrive at her home.
By doing this, she doesn’t have to figure out how to get all her new baby gear (especially those larger items) back to her house. She will truly, truly appreciate that gesture to simplify her day and life!
And it’s so fun when packages keep arriving in the mail!
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12. Give favors that have a useful purpose rather than ones that are just “cute”.
While mini-picture frames or trinkets that say ‘X’s Baby Shower’ may be adorable, chances are it will end up as clutter for the guests or in the garbage.
There are many clever things that you can give your guests as a ‘thank you’ that won’t end up in the trash. Pink and blue hand soap or sanitizers are great ideas – that’s what they did at my shower!.
Lip balm is another fun and useful idea.
Tree seeds to plant on the day the baby is born or live potted succulents are also environmentally-friendly and adorable ideas.
Related: 15 Eco-Friendly Baby Shower Favors for Sustainably-Minded Mamas
At a Minimalist Baby Shower, Less is Definitely More
This is such a special day for the mama-to-be! Being surrounded by family and friends who already love her and her unborn baby is the most precious gift in her eyes.
Honoring her minimalist lifestyle at her shower will not only mean the world to her but will be a bigger help than she can put into words.
By doing less, you’re giving her the best gift in the world – truly.
Read Next: Minimalist Baby Essentials – The Only 9 Things You Truly Need for a Baby
Kate is a former high school English teacher and current SAHM to her 5-year-old twin boys. A lifetime New Yorker recently transplanted in Tennessee, she keeps busy by learning her new way of life in the South, doing home decor and DIY projects, blogging at A Hundred Affections, substitute teaching, and figuring out how to survive in a house outnumbered by boys. And she loves Jesus very much.