So, you want to host a great party, but you
have limited funds. Can it be done? The answer is ABSOLUTELY!!!
There are numerous ways that you can cut costs when planning a
shower. Perhaps the easiest way is to split the hostess duties
among several friends. Homemade
food, favors, and invitations are another way to make things less
expensive. The time of day you have the shower may also influence
the cost. A mid-afternoon party with cake, punch, and light snacks
is much less expensive than a dinner or a spa afternoon. Having
the party at a restaurant may be less expensive if the guests all
know each other and are willing to pay for their own meals. This
may be somewhat awkward, though, so it definitely is a plan that
will only fit certain situations.
Handmade invitations are a very easy way to cut corners. With
a computer, a printer, and cardstock or specialty paper, you can
make invitations that will look practically professional. Or you
can choose to make a crafty invitation that perfectly complements
your theme. Another option for invitations is to email invitations.
Sites like sendomatic allow you to send invitations and maps, track
responses, and even send weather reports for the big day for less
than $15 dollars for 100 invitations. Sending email invitations
saves on the purchase of invitations, as well as the postage.
Food for a shower can be very simple. If you have an early afternoon
party that falls after lunch but before dinner, you can serve cake,
punch, mints, nuts, and perhaps a fruit tray very inexpensively.
The presentation is often more important than the actual food that
is served. Use nice bowls and silver for a formal atmosphere. If
you do not have crystal or silver, you can usually get plastic
that looks like crystal and silver and will still look nice. Finger
sandwiches also add an elegant touch and are inexpensive and easy
to prepare. If you want a more casual feel to the shower, a vegetable
platter and chips and dips are always welcome. Or get everyone
in on the act and ask each person attending to bring a snack. You
might want to have a sign up sheet, though, so that you don't end
up with 5 bags of chips.
Believe it or not, even if you don't consider yourself a baker,
there are several alternatives to expensive bakery cakes. Cupcakes
are very easy, and sugar or plastic decorations in baby themes
are fairly easy to find. You can also use frosting to "glue" small
plastic baby decorations to the tops of Little Debbie snack cakes.
These are precious, and they look like you spent a lot of time.
Another option is to skip the traditional decorated cake, altogether,
and go for individual cheesecakes (easy to make in muffin tins)
or a delicious chocolate cake (make sure that the mom-to-be isn't
avoiding chocolate first). Cookies can make a great sweet treat
also, and there are some really cute cookie cutters readily available.
Finally, if you think you can make and frost a rectangular cake
but are concerned about trying to do fancy decorations, you can
find edible cake art images online. These are easy to apply to
the top of the cake, and they are the same images used by bakeries.
Many of the games and activities for a baby shower are free. There
are printouts available online if you want to play games like bingo.
While party favors are a nice touch for a shower, they certainly
are not necessary. A personal thank you, in person or written,
is all that is necessary to thank the guests for attending.
Throwing a baby shower is a wonderfully generous thing to do.
It does not, however, have to break the bank. Remember, the most
important thing when hosting a shower is to create wonderful memories
for your friend. Years from now she will remember the laughter
and the thoughtfulness of her friends more than she will remember
fancy favors or expensive cakes.
About the Author
Jill Manty is a stay at home and co-owner
of www.delightfulchild.com, an online business dedicated to providing
information about baby showers, breastfeeding, and natural parenting.
This article can be reproduced in whole or in part, providing
this byline is included along with a link to: http://www.delightfulchild.com/baby_shower.htm
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