lunar baby shower
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My womb-to-tomb BFF Angela had a beautiful little girl this past autumn and, just a month before Luna made her arrival, I was part of a great team of ladies who threw her a lunar-themed baby shower! And when it comes to my part on a team, you KNOW I’m all about paper and design. I haven’t had a post on here about party design in a while but, whenever I have the opportunity to use design for my friends’ and family’s parties — I’m stoked!
Lately, I’ve loved all things holographic and so — when given the opportunity to design the invitations, bingo sheets, and favors for a lunar-themed baby shower — I was absolutely going to incorporate holographic elements to achieve a look that was ethereal and shimmery for baby Luna.
Invitations
I didn’t set out to be this extra but when inspiration strikes in the form of holographic belly bands and vellum moons, you ANSWER.
I hand drew all the lettering for the invitation, as well as the moon and stars.
This design is now up in my Etsy shop ready for customization if you decide to go with a space-themed baby shower at some point; you can find that listing here. As for printing, I used Catprint and I love the quality of their products. Great paper and captured all the color complexities of the design.
As for the belly bands, I cut one-inch strips of holographic cardstock with an X-acto knife and secured them around the back of the envelope with a single Glue Dot.
For the vellum moons, I used my illustration from the invitation and mocked up the artwork six to a page of vellum paper which I then was able to feed through my printer. I cut them out once the printer ink had dried (it takes a little longer due to the slick surface of the vellum) and secured it on the band with another Glue Dot.
Envelope Design
I think an outer space-themed envelope motif is one of my go-tos most because I love doodling stars with a white Gelly Roll. If you haven’t tried it, I highly recommend it for your mental health and overall wellbeing. White ink on dark paper is a stationer’s pride and joy.
But why stop at doodling stars when there are SO MANY awesome space-themed USPS postage stamps, as well? I have lots of stamp vendors that I love but the Etsy shop WeddingStampCo had everything I needed on hand. Their stamps always arrive in excellent condition and, when you need them in bulk, it’s nice to get them at a reasonable price point. The lunar eclipse Forever stamps were a hot commodity when they came out in 2017 and I wasn’t sure they’d be available anywhere. As for the Constellations sheet — I had NEVER seen this postage stamp before and it’s now one of my favorites. Love the variety of colors in each one and they’re heavy lifters when it comes to their postage value.
If you’re wondering about the return address, I more often than not have the return address at the top of the return flap.
Baby Shower Party Favors
I usually have an idea of what I’d like to do right off the bat but a baby shower was throwing me for a loop… what would attendees appreciate as a favor? I was stumped. Of course my fingers flew to Pinterest and I spent plenty of time scrolling and reading about ideas and asking myself, “Would I enjoy that if I received it?” More often than not, my answer was a shrug and a half-hearted “Nah.”
When it comes to putting together party favors, here’s what I strive for: affordability ( ! the most important), variety, and practicality. I don’t want to break the bank, I want attendees to have some options to match their tastes, and I don’t want them to think it’s junk and immediately throw it away. Here’s what I did and perhaps it’ll be of some use to you, too!
Nail Wraps Favor
Nail wraps have been a real godsend for me as a mom of an infant, then baby, now toddler. If I get interrupted while painting my nails… all that careful effort goes to hell. Nail wraps let me settle in and attend to my nails while allowing for interruptions and use of my hands, need be. I will sing their praises all day long. Nails Mailed sells really cute nail wraps and will feature Wraps of the Week at really low prices. On top of low prices, you can use the coupon code JILLIANKAYE to get an extra 10% off.
I also purchased a pack of these nail files and buffers and supplemented the nail wraps with one so the prep work tools were taken care of, as well.
These items fit soundly in these holographic cellophane favor bags which come with silver twist ties. You’ll see in photos coming up that I dressed up the ties with several pieces of curling ribbon and threaded a star cut-out through the ribbon before I tied and curled them.
Average cost per favor: $3.50 - $3.75
Sweet Treat Favor
As someone who does not enjoy wine, I don’t mind buying it whatsoever for my ladies who do! These Sutter Home single servings come in packs of 4 and you can pick them up at most any box store or grocery store for around $6/pack.
And what goes well with wine? Chocolate, duh. Buy a bag or bulk pack of nice chocolate to cut down on costs. This major bag of Dove chocolates would allow you to put a generous handful with each treat bag, or I opted for Ghiradelli chocolate squares.
Finally, I threw in a satin scrunchie with these because I imagine this favor being enjoyed at the end of the day, probably with a face mask (the spa kind, not the pandemic kind). Speaking of, that would be an easy and affordable swap for the wine!
Average cost per favor: $3.75 - $4.00
Manicure/Pedicure Favor
Okay so, maybe you have time to sit down and do your nails and no kiddo is going to smudge your polish? This one’s for you, you lucky duck!
I didn’t go through Amazon for these items but you can easily find them there. I, however, hit up a dollar store and Target to keep this favor cheap! Nonetheless, I’m linking to some items here and will calculate cost based on these links as they’re comparable! This Sally Hansen 10-pack can be divided into 10 different treat bags with the nail files/buffers I mentioned earlier and a toe separator for a pedicure!
Average cost per favor: $3.75 - $4.00
Other Ideas!
I forgot to take individual photos of the other favors I made so here they are presented in an unceremonious fashion, haha!
Cell Charger Favor
I found these cell phone Power Banks at Five Below — another great spot to look for affordable favors! I believe I spent about $3 on each charger, what a steal!
Candle Favor
There is no hospitality gift as tried and true as just a good ol’ candle. Is it unimaginative? You bet. Is it still a fun gift to receive. Hell yeah! I found these big candles (seen in back of photo, behind the Power Bank) at Michael’s on sale for around $3 each heading into the holiday season. Tune your eyes to look for deals while you’re planning a party and you’ll see them! They’re out there waiting for you.
Bingo Sheets
Attendees earned their party favors by playing Baby Shower Bingo… the best game to inflict on your guests when you’re not a huge fan of baby shower games. I totally understand and appreciate a low-key activity to have on hand that doesn’t involve smelling brown substances in diapers. When did that trend begin? I’mma guess the late 80’s. It’s time to put that one to bed.
I made these the same way as I did the invitations — cutting the holographic cardstock in half and printing my Bingo sheet design 2-up on a sheet of vellum. It totally can be normal printer paper since there’s no depth trying to be achieved but, hey, you do you.
Remember to bring a pack of felt tip pens with you so you’re not scrambling last minute looking through junk drawers and amassing the free promotional pens you won’t throw out. I’m saying “you” but I’m meaning “me.”
That was the extent of my creativity that was needed for the baby shower — the rest of the time I got to just enjoy seeing my BFF get showered with gifts! Take a look at all the creativity and care that went into the food and decor from her sisters and mom.
What a party!
Thanks for taking the time to read through this post and I hope some of it will prove useful to you!
Aside from waiting for my friends to be pregnant and in need of baby shower invitation suites, I’m busy working on all sorts of projects day in and day out! You can see my work over on Instagram.
xoxo,
Jillian Kaye