Tips for throwing a great baby shower - on a budget

There aren't many parties that are more exciting - or more necessary - than a baby shower. While you're celebrating the new life that will be coming into the world, you're also helping to prepare a new mom for the arrival of her baby. While brides and grooms might already have silverware and toasters, most new parents don't have car seats and strollers just lying around the house, so it's important to help equip them with everything they'll need.

Gift giving is the central feature of baby showers, but you can make the event much more than just watching the new mom unwrapping packages. Even if budgets are tight, you can still throw a charming party that everyone will remember for years to come.

While it's not necessary to choose a particular theme, it can help to guide your decisions about all of the elements of the party. You can make it something elaborate, like having a French theme (with pretty pastries, cafe au lait and Edith Piaf songs) or you could make it as simple as a combination of colors.

Whatever you choose as your party inspiration, the first step is to send out baby shower invitations that go with the theme. Sites like Vistaprint are a great money-saving resource because you can order a number of items, including invitations, address labels and banners - even custom tote bags - and save on shipping. You can choose from a wide variety of designs, or you can upload your own design. To save even more money, search online for codes that will allow you to take advantage of discounts - just type "Vistaprint coupons" into a Web browser.

You don't need to spend a fortune on games and activities for the shower to be a success, either. If you place the focus on guests interacting, the party can be just as meaningful. Try buying two blank guestbooks and passing them around to guests - one can be filled with advice for mom, and one can be filled with messages for the baby to read in years to come.

If you're looking for a low-cost game to get some conversation started, create and then print off a quiz in which guests try to match celebrities to their babies' unusual names. For a slightly more elaborate activity that doesn't cost too much, order a stack of blank board books, and collect as big a pile of old magazines as you can. Provide guests with scissors, glue and permanent markers, and have them create one-of-a-kind story books with images they cut out of the magazines.

While there's no obligation to give party favors to guests, it can certainly be a nice touch. Again, you don't need to spend too much. Consider giving away soothing tea, like chamomile or a chamomile-lavender blend. Another good idea is to give donations in honor of the guests or the mom-to-be. Organizations with a focus on children, like the March of Dimes or a local children's hospital, would make ideal recipients.

The Internet's endless supply of parenting websites is a great resource for ideas for cost-conscious baby showers. If the mom you're celebrating is the stylish sort, go to design blogs, many of which are run by women, to find even more beautiful baby shower ideas.

Courtesy of ARAcontent