Baby Shower: Easy Crafty Activities

As most of you know, I recently co-hosted a very special baby shower for my best friend {and our Crafty Chaos gal}, Erin. Since I know she’s not a huge fan of typical shower games, I wanted to think outside the box and come up with some alternative activities to keep guests busy and entertained. Here are two ideas I came up with that worked really well and could easily be adapted to other types of showers and parties too.

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WOODEN MONOGRAM “GUEST BOOK”

Rather than having guests sign in a book that Erin would stash away in a keepsake box, I wanted them to have an opportunity to help create a piece of decor for the baby’s nursery. 

You need:
– a large wooden letter
– paint and paintbrush
– fine tip permanent markers

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I got this wooden “C” at Michaels and painted it with white chalk paint ahead of time {make sure it’s dry before guests arrive}. You could use any color to coordinate with the mom-to-be’s color scheme, but keep in mind that darker paint colors will make it harder to read the messages. I happen to know that Erin’s nursery walls are teal with a white chair rail, so I thought the white would actually be perfect for her room. Then, I chose markers that coordinate with her bedding fabric and set them out for guests to use when signing their names. I love how it turned out, and I think it will make a special addition to her room.

Variations: Try this at a bridal shower or a wedding with the letter of the couple’s last name. For a birthday party, use a first initial or a wooden number {or two} representing the person’s age. Celebrate an anniversary with numbers or the couple’s monogram.

PERSONALIZED WOODEN BLOCKS

In lieu of a game, I thought I’d channel guests’ energy into making something Erin {and baby} could keep. I created a special crafting station where I set out all the materials they’d need to create a personalized wooden block.

You need:
– wooden blocks {these were 1 1/2″}
– scrapbook paper
– decoupage
– sponge brushes
– permanent markers

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I pre-cut the scrapbook paper into lots of 1 3/8″ squares. Luckily, I happen to have a square punch that’s just the right size, but you could also use a paper cutter. Then, guests were able to choose their favorite patterns and adhere them to the sides of the blocks using the decoupage. I happened to have Martha Stewart matte formula on hand, but Mod Podge will do just the same thing. Just paint a thin coat onto the wooden block and press the paper in place.

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Guests could also use fine tip permanent markers to decorate various sides of the blocks, either on the plain wood surface or on top of the paper. If Erin wants to seal the blocks, she can go over the sides with more decoupage at home, or she can simply leave them as is. I think they’ll look absolutely adorable sitting on a shelf in the nursery, don’t you?

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Variations: Change these for any occasion by using different styles and colors of paper, or even old photographs. If your child is a Minecraft fan, you can easily turn these into Minecraft Character Cubes, which is a fun birthday party craft!

What do you think? Would you enjoy doing these activities at a shower or being the recipient?

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6 Comments

  1. I love the block and letter idea How super cute and fun!! I love getting gifts that I can actually use instead of putting away in a drawer or scrapbook. Awesome idea!!

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