Real Party – Once Upon A Time Baby Shower
Although this shower was back in the spring, I’ve heard it has inspired a few other showers, so I thought I would share.
Our teacher was having her first baby and we moms got together to throw her a surprise baby shower with a fairy-tale feel. The secretary called her down to the office, while we snuck the entire class out to the teachers’ lounge, then had her sent over. She was quite surprised and touched. The kids were bursting at the seams trying not to tell her.
The Class Gift – We purchased fabric markers and various sizes of onesies, and during lunchtime, had each child personalize one. At the shower, we hung up all 24 of them all along a clothesline.
The Decor – We had to be cost-effective: from the supply closet, our tablecloth from pink butcher paper and the boys’ craft was made from posterboard and construction paper. I used my own stuffed animals as balloon weights, and since I have like a gazillion craft items, I brought those as well as fairy tale books from the library. Of course, I had the purple and red napkins and plates, because you never know when the time would come for them. I loved the little purple and pink pacifiers on the table, made from hot-gluing two peppermint Lifesavers together and a gumball. Why all the apples, you ask? Duh! Little Red Riding Hood, Snow White, get it? One mom graciously purchased balloons while others contributed the juice and cupcakes.
The Crafts – The boys created their own crests; I cut the shapes from the posterboard, various strips of construction paper, and lots and lots of die-cut shapes like stars, lions and dragons. Each boy personalized their crest, then they hung them around their necks with yarn. It was quite a hit. The girls made fairy wands from foam stars and wooden dowels, and decorated them with sequins and ribbons. The kit was a score from Party City, a set of 20 for $2!
The Ensemble – Every princess in a fairy tale has to have her appropriate attire. Our princess was adorned with a foam crown decorated with giant gemstones, a pink feather boa, and her “throne” was covered in a pretty polka-dotted material I found at Joann’s. She also had her own wand covered in sequins and glitter.
The Food – The MTB does not like cake, but loves her pie, and since we are so accommodating, one of our moms baked a strawberry-rhubarb pie. Which, as my first time having that flavor, it was quite tasty. The kids had cupcakes and apple juice, and a few brave ones had some pie as well.