Seven Ideas for Hosting a Green Baby Shower

I’m going to be incredibly honest. The first time a client told me she was planning a “green” baby shower, I thought she meant the color scheme for the party was green. I designed an entirely green baby shower invitation (which actually turned out very cute), and luckily the client realized my misunderstanding and explained to me that a “green” shower is a sustainable baby shower. (I had a good laugh at myself.) Guests were asked to bring unwrapped gifts to the party in an effort to cut back on waste and also to save everyone from sitting through hours of watching the mama-to-be open presents. Win-win!

Follow these tips to host your own green shower!
​

ONE

Electronic invitations (evites) are an option—and I would be happy to design them for you!

While I personally love the feeling of nice paper between my fingers, evites allow you to save money on printing, envelopes, and postage, as well as eliminate the use of paper. When you contact me, simply specify that this is the option you would like to choose, and I will email you a digital file. Another option is sending invitations printed on recycled paper, which can give them a lovely, earthy quality that perfectly matches the party’s theme. Whichever option you choose, I will create a signature design that is sure to impress your guests. Visit the contact page to get started!

TWO

Request cloth diapers on your gift registry!

​If parents-to-be choose to practice an environmentally-friendly parenting style (and save some major cash in the process), including cloth diapers on the registry, and other green items, will help guests to better follow the theme and respect parents’ wishes.
​
​Check out these cloth diapers featured on Shark Tank: https://fuzzibunz.com/
​

THREE

As mentioned above, request unwrapped gifts.

Fancy wrapping paper (i.e. metallic, glitter, velvet) is non-recyclable, which means it will most likely end up in a landfill after the shower. Asking guests to bring unwrapped gifts cuts back on paper waste, saves guests time, and allows for the mama-to-be to mingle with guests during the shower rather than spending the entire time opening gifts.
​

FOUR

Ask guests to bring a book instead of a card.

Greeting cards can be outrageously expensive, upwards of $7! (Unless you order them from Design by Faith, in which case, they’re only $3 in my semi-custom collection, and I can print them on recycled paper!) Save the money on a card that may be thrown away and spend it on a book that the little one will cherish for years to come!
​

FIVE

Use green decorations that double as favors!

A few examples of beautiful, sustainable decorations include potted flowers, candles, decorated mason jars, or hand-painted wooden signs.

SIX

Opt for real dishes or recyclable paper plates and cups, and use cloth tablecloths.

Avoid non-biodegradable plastic or Styrofoam plates and cups, and choose recyclable paper tableware instead. Or, add elegance to the event by using real china! Also, ask friends and relatives to borrow their cloth tablecloths for the party, with a promise to return them afterwards.
​

Seven

Use your creativity when planning games and activities!

Ditch tradition and have fun planning a green baby shower! Strive to create a fun experience not only for the mama-to-be, but guests as well. A simple way to ensure everyone enjoys the shower is to think of clever games with sustainability in mind. Examples include parenting trivia, racing to diaper a stuffed animal (which will be given to the mama-to-be afterwards), painting onesies for the baby, diaper bag memory, guess the baby photo, or write letters to the baby or funny advice cards for the parents-to-be. The options are endless!
​

Ideas to Add?

Post them in the comments below!