Baby Shower Trends for 2024: Your Ultimate Guide

When it comes to baby shower trends for 2024, the most important one is to do things your way.

That means the party can be as big or as small and as simple or elaborate as you like.

The goal is to come together to welcome the freshest addition to your community and show support for the mama who is making it possible.

Provided that happens, everything else is just details.

So, first up, we’re here to take the pressure off.

We’ll take you through all the details of organizing a fabulous celebration with minimal stress.

(That being said, if you want to get super creative and go all-out, total permission to do that too!)

Read on.

In this article: 📝

Who organizes a baby shower?

Traditionally, baby showers are organized by a close friend or relative of the mama-to-be.

But, as we explain in this article on baby shower etiquette, the rules are a little more lax these days.

Organize your own if you like!

Or get your partner to do it for you.

It’s totally up to you.

(One thing we would say, though, is that it’s probably not a bad idea to accept all offers of help. You have a lot on your plate right now.)

When should I have my baby shower?

There are no hard and fast rules about when to have the party — your baby shower is your baby shower.

But there are some rough guides to follow that may help you get the most out of the day.

Here’s the deal — you want to be pregnant enough that you’re (fingers crossed) over the worst of your first-trimester pregnancy symptoms.

Not fun to be dealing with pregnancy nausea while you cut your gorgeous rainbow cake.

And if you want to have a noticeable baby belly in your pictures, then waiting until well into the second trimester is a good choice.

But you also don’t want to be too far along that you feel like your little one might make an appearance at any moment.

In late pregnancy, you might be dealing with some serious fatigue, aches and pains, and sleep disturbances that could make a big party less than enjoyable.

So where’s the sweet spot?

Opting for a date that falls somewhere between the six and eight-month mark (between 24 and 32 weeks) is usually optimal.

That being said, there are all sorts of reasons why you might want to have your shower earlier or later than that window.

Perhaps you have family traveling from other parts of the country for the occasion.

Or the 6-8 month window is going to be really busy for you at work.

Your baby, your shower, your timeline.

How far in advance do you plan a baby shower?

Once you’ve set a date, we’d say you should give yourself between four and six weeks to plan.

As a ballpark, if you’re opting to hold the baby shower at the end of Month 7 of pregnancy, make sure those invites are out before the end of the second trimester.

The reason for starting early is to give you and your guests enough prep time.

The goal is not to be running ragged at the last minute.

You’ll need to secure a venue (and yep, it could definitely be someone’s home), figure out whether there’s going to be a gift registry, and start thinking about everything from food to favors to fun.

And here’s the catch — if possible, a lot of these wheres and whats should be on your invites.

Sending out the invites about three to four weeks before the event should give your guests enough time to plan.

For some of your guests, this may be the event of the year, and they’ll be wanting to organize everything from what to wear to what gifts to buy.

Here are the key things to consider for your invitations:

Venue?

Well, there are so many options here. You may want to opt for gorgeous gardens for an outdoor affair, your favorite restaurant for baby brunch, or someone’s house where you have more freedom to roam.

We take you through our Top 10 baby shower venue options here.

Theme?

No way are they mandatory, but picking one can really help streamline your planning.

And yes, the right theme can come with a seriously high cute factor.

(Read on. We’re going to take you through our favorite 2024 baby shower themes below.

Gifts?

If you’re setting up a gift registry — which can be helpful for your guests when it comes to shopping for things you really need — you’ll probably want to put the details on the invitation.

A baby registry is basically a wishlist of items that you would like to get as gifts.

They’re typically organized by a particular store or online marketplace.

We’ve listed our favorite places to set up a registry here.

Need help putting all that info onto one card in a stylish way?

Check out our guide to invitation wording.

Breaking down the planning into smaller chunks and starting with enough time to spare means lower stress levels.

And all that being said, if, for whatever reason, you need to have an impromptu shower, that can definitely work too.

Life happens, and sometimes it’s impossible to plan.

Back to that same ol’ principle of doing what works best for you.

How much does a baby shower cost?

The good news is that you can go as big or as small as you like — the spectrum is wide.

You can even pull one off on a $100 budget, potluck-picnic style.

And that doesn’t mean you have to skimp on the fun.

Print out these free printable baby shower games, and your entertainment is set.

Another option is to have a baby sprinkle.

Think Baby Shower Lite — a small, casual affair to celebrate and show support.

This mini version is becoming more popular, particularly for second and third (and fourth and fifth) babies, where the mama likely already has a lot of the big ticket items needed for their new arrival.

Where you have your shower will have a huge impact on cost.

If you opt to hire a venue and bring in outside catering, for example, the bills are going to rise.

So if you want to keep costs low, it’s a great idea to opt for someone’s house where you are able to organize the food and entertainment yourself.

(That being said, if you have some extra money and not that much extra time, a catered venue can be a lifesaver.)

When it comes to baby shower decor, if you feel like going full Martha Stewart — awesome.

But there are also really simple, inexpensive ways that add flair and fun without depleting your resources.

From bunting to banners, welcome boards to wreaths, we’ll give you the full low down on baby shower decor here.

(And yes, there is such a thing as a diaper cake. And yes, you can make one. Here’s how.)

Baby shower trends: 2024

Baby shower food ideas

Now onto baby shower nosh.

There are just so many options on the table that could be on yours.

Because there will likely be quite a bit of activity on the go at the shower, finger food that people can help themselves to is often a great option.

Think cheese plates, mini hot dogs, spring rolls, meatballs, falafel balls, and chips and dips.

It can help to organize your food around a theme.

Teddy Bear’s picnic?

Everything in mini?

If you have a color theme, you can incorporate it into your food options.

Ice cream with pink sprinkles, anyone?

And, of course, the cake has to be on point.

Head here for our favorite designs — everything from the more traditional baby-themed cakes (topped with baby bottle or stroller decor) to adorable barnyard fun.

(If you need to hear this right now, you have full permission to buy rather than make the cake. Unless making cakes is fun for you. Then you have full permission to do that.)

Baby shower activities

If you feel like sitting and chatting in the garden, that’s a perfect activity.

But baby shower games can be a real hit.

And if you have kids at the party, fun activities can be an ideal way to include them.

Equal parts giggle-fest and bonding opportunity, there are so many awesome options for baby shower games — everything from baby bingo to name generating to, um, snot sucking.

(Yep, it’s a thing — but don’t worry, the game version involves marshmallows instead of mucous.)

Looking for some ideas for prizes?

Head here.

And if you want to put it all to music, we’ve put together the ultimate baby shower playlist here.

Baby shower favors

OK, favors are not mandatory in any way, and if it already feels like you have enough on your plate, nobody says that you have to factor this in.

That being said, if you’re up for it, baby shower favors can be a great way to remember the day.

Some easy-to-pull-off options?

Little chocolates, keyrings, or small scented candles.

And one we just love?

Seeds for your guests to plant to mark the occasion.

Baby shower themes in 2024

We guess you might know what we’re about to say — you don’t have to have a theme for your baby shower.

But they can be a wonderful way to bring synchronicity to your food, decor, and activities.

Also, a theme can make planning a little easier.

Rather than standing in front of an aisle of dozens of beautiful napkins, uncertain which ones to pick, you can go straight for the seashells for your underwater adventure.

And there’s another reason to love a theme — they’re adorable.

These are the hottest baby shower themes for 2024.

Baby shower themes for girls

If you’ve found out what sex your little one is likely to be assigned at birth, you might want to take this into account when it comes to your planning.

And it doesn’t have to be all pretty-in-pink.

There are many mighty girl themes that break the stereotypes.

Here’s your taster menu of baby shower themes for girls:

1. Bee-you-tiful 🐝

Cute and easy to pull off, a bee theme is hard not to love.

This is also a great theme for baby shower table decorations.

Black and yellow all the way.

And a bee cake?

Well, they’re all the buzz.

2. Superhero style 🦸🏽‍♀️

A new little hero is about to arrive on the scene.

Superhero parties are not just for boys.

There are so many inspiring girls on the scene — from Supergirl to Shuri.

Stick fun posters on the wall, grab some fun superhero decor from the dollar store, and even encourage your guests to come dressed as their favorite character!

3. Baby’s brewing! 🫖

A tea party is super versatile and can take place in someone’s home or in an outdoor area.

If you want to add a bit of quirky fun, make it a Madhatter’s Tea Party and enjoy your trip down the rabbit hole.

Baby shower themes for boys

And if a little boy is about to make their appearance, we’ve got some top-notch baby shower themes for boys right here:

4. Joining the league!

Sports lovers may be keen to take their shower out to the ball game — or at least bring the ball game to you.

It’s an easy theme for your guests to dress to.

And as for food?

Hotdogs for the win!

5. Woodland wonder

Animal themes are easy to pull off. Stuffie toys, a cute cake and some leafy decor to top it all off?

A winner!

6. Under the sea

OK, this one never gets old.

Nautical themes have stood the test of time — for a good reason.

Goldfish crackers, a boat of chips, and some seaweed streamers, and you’re well on your way to marine magic.

Twin baby shower themes

Are multiples on the way?

Check out these sweet options:

7. Twin-kle, twin-kle little star

This is definitely one of our favorites for both ease and cuteness.

A star cake, star decorations — and hopefully at least one round of the littlest guests at the party singing the famous song — and you have yourself a stellar event!

8. Noah’s Ark

The new little twins would be in good company on this vessel!

9. Taco Twosday

Yep, this fun theme sorts out the decor and the food in one fell swoop!

It might be fun to set up a taco station where guests can help themselves to their favorite fillings.

And if anyone feels like dressing up as this beloved food item, we’re just saying that outfits of this type do exist.

Do what you will with that information.

And we have a whole lot more inspiration from where that came from.

Head here for more ideas for twin baby showers.

Virtual Baby Shower in 2024

The pandemic taught us how to do many things — how to have meetings in pajama pants, why we should (or shouldn’t) bring tie-dye back, and what a sourdough starter is.

But above all, we learned how to socialize at a time when it was really challenging to be in the same physical space.

And we’ve taken those lessons into the present moment.

The drive-by shower became a real hit.

As did the virtual version.

We’re happy to report that the virtual baby shower is here to stay.

Consider it a little gift from our time of serious social distancing.

It’s allowed us to bring together our dearest ones, no matter where they live.

And there are so many creative ways to make it an extra-special event.

Here are our top tips for virtual baby showers:

1. Keep it small.

Again, if you’re after a hundred little blocks on your Zoom screen, that’s entirely up to you!

And it would definitely be a fun way to show support from the community.

But if you’re looking to interact, play games, and open gifts together, it can be difficult as the numbers start to increase.

To keep a virtual baby shower manageable, try to stick with about ten guests.

If that feels too small, remember you can have separate virtual parties.

Maybe do one hour with college friends only, and another hour with extended family.

2. Preempt tech issues.

This is obviously not always possible, but it can help to get the invites out early so your guests can get used to the platform you’re using.

And if you have any elderly guests or others who aren’t so tech-savvy, maybe give them a tutorial before the big day.

3. Don’t forget the games.

Virtual baby shower games are an excellent way to bring everyone together, particularly if you have invited people from different social circles.

From baby trivia to bingo to the Price is Right, there are so many options for serious fun.

We give you the full lowdown here.

4. You can still have a registry!

Yep, just an online one!

And you can have gifts shipped to the new mama’s address.

5. You can get just as creative.

Pick a theme.

Tell everyone to wear the same color.

You could even send out a recipe so that you’re all eating the same snacks.

Baby shower trends for 2024: the bottom line

A baby shower can be as complicated or as simple as you want it to be.

It’s a time to celebrate and support the mama-to-be — and there are just so many ways you can make that happen.

So we say, get inspired by these baby shower trends — and then make them your own.

And if you feel like exchanging tips with the Peanut community, head here.

We wish you a very happy event!