Mocktail Bar + A Surprise Virtual Baby Shower

I am part of an awesome Instagram pod, full of creative and supportive women!  One of them, Laura of Make Life Lovely, is having a baby girl in a few weeks.   I thought it would be so fun to throw her a SURPRISE virtual baby shower along with a few other ladies from the pod.  Everyone is sharing their fabulous baby/ baby shower DIYs to celebrate; find all their links at the end of my post.

Anyone hosting a baby shower can always use a little inspiration.  It is never fun when you are preggo and can’t drink, especially at special gatherings.  Let’s lift a glass of non-alcoholic sparkly with my contribution to our virtual baby shower, a mocktail bar!

Not only is this a fun way to make the mama-to-be feel special, but anything that engages guests is a plus!

There are 3 main components to a successful mocktail bar… set up, stemware, and add ins.

Set Up

Whether it is a tabletop, kitchen counter, bar cart or tray, the most important thing is to have enough surface to place everything.

• Don’t feel the need to have it necessarily be a separate area if you don’t have the space; set up on the table next to the food.
• I’ve got a great post sharing a few ideas outside the bar cart from shelves to repurposed pieces.  Make sure guests can access everything they need in one place.
• If you are lucky enough to have an area for a backdrop, you can decorate with a chalkboard sign with a few mocktail recipes, a few clear balloons to represent bubbles or even a welcome banner.  Have a window with a pretty view? Set up in front of it and let the view do the talking.

Stemware

I am not going to lie…I have a lot of glass stemware I have collected over the years.  But when I have a larger crowd or a glass shape I don’t have, I head to my favorite party supply store.  Plastic stemware has really evolved from flimsy to elegant versions.  Head to the wedding section and you can find everything from laser-cut acrylic glasses to eco-friendly options to keep or dispose. Stemware designed for champagne, flutes and coupes, are perfect for your mocktail bar.  They elevate any type of sparkling beverage…you’ll be asking for Grey Poupon in no time…

If you do want to invest in versatile and affordable glassware for entertaining, CB2 should be your first stop.  My champagne coupe glasses, pictured above, are from there. I use them for so much more than drinks.  If you are really lucky, your second stop will be HomeGoods.  Shameless plug because I love that place!

Add Ins and Garnishes

Of course, what makes a mocktail bar awesome is the add ins!  Start with a base of bubbly like ginger ale or sparkling cider and invite guests to jazz things up!  What you have on your bar is only limited to what you can get your hands on and can make bar-friendly, aka bite-sized and not too messy.  Here are a few ideas to get you inspired…

Fruit/Herbs

• spearable fruit like cranberries, blackberries, blueberries and sliced strawberries
• thinly sliced mango, apple, cucumber or pear
• lemon rinds
• melon balls
• maraschino cherries
• pomegranate seeds
• fresh thyme, rosemary or mint leaves
• edible flower petals – Treehugger has a super informative article about using edible flowers.  Don’t just walk into your grocery store and start buying flowers….
• citrus peels
• dried fruit

Sweet Stuff

• flavored syrups
• fruit juice
• grenadine
• sugar cubes – standard cubes to shapes like flowers, hearts and stars
• candy gems
• sugar crystals
• rock candy crystals (be warned, when adding things with a sugar base like sugar cubes or rock candy, will cause bubbling. Add in a little at a time.)
• gummy candy
• edible gold leaf
• Disco Dust aka edible glitter

Stir Sticks

• Make edible stir sticks by threading sprigs of hardy herbs (like rosemary or thyme) through spearable fruit
• paper straws
• rock candy sticks
• homemade lollipops – an extra-special, playful touch that doubles as a stirrer and snack, customized with flavors and color and worth the challenge. Check out this recipe, no mold needed.
• skewers – various sizes are available to skewer through fruit or gummy candy.
• swizzle sticks

Check out my bridal shower mimosa bar for even more ideas!

Thank you for joining our party and my mocktail bar, we wish Laura and her family all the best with their newest addition!

But the party doesn’t stop here…

To visit all of the amazing hosts and their projects for our virtual baby shower, visit each one by clicking the links below:

• Invite by Jennifer of Jen T By Design
• Cake and cupcake toppers by Susan of SugarPartiesLA
• Baby washcloth lollipop bouquet by Annaliese of Made of Sugar and Spice
• Custom confetti by Brenda of Giggle Hearts
• Photo backdrop blanket by Bri of Halfpint Design
• Baby shower Mad Libs by Nathalie of Press Print Party!
• “Wishes For Baby” cards by Deanna of Mirabelle Creations
• Shower favors by Esther of The Bakers Party Shop
• More shower favors by Rachel of Fawn Parties

See all of the fun with our hashtag #BabyLovelyIsComing

Cheers!