Hosting a baby shower is undoubtedly an honor, but the costs associated with it can definitely add up. Thankfully, there are plenty of ways to save money without cutting back on the fun! Here are our top 7 tips for throwing the best baby shower on a budget ever.
1. Send Digital Invitations
Not only do digital invitations like Evite save time and are more eco-friendly, but they’re also significantly less expensive vs. their traditional paper counterparts. Plus, you can find animated designs for every theme and track RSVPs from any device
Some of our favorite free baby shower invitations include:
Among the Trees Baby Shower Invitation
Gold Foil Dots Baby Shower Invitation
Wildflowers in Bloom Baby Shower Invitation
Baby Pink Elephants Baby Shower Invitation
2. Hold the shower at someone’s house, a park or a church
Many parks (especially in cities) charge reasonable rental fees if you want to reserve a space for a party, but if you want to spend $0 on a venue (remember—this is usually the most expensive part of a baby shower!) a private home or church is the way to go. Holding a shower at someone’s home will forever be a top location choice, not only because of cost, but because it offers more flexibility and can be more comfortable for everyone involved.
3. Don’t go to the florist for flowers
Instead, opt for a trip to the farmers market or mix and match bouquets from Trader Joe’s!
4. Decorate with balloons and reusable decor
The incredible balloon arches you see all over social media? They sell kits for those on Amazon! They can take a little time to construct, but you can’t argue with the savings vs. hiring a company. You can also find balloon centerpieces to fill up tables for impressive yet affordable decor. And when we say reusable decor, we’re talking about purchasing items that the parent(s)-to-be can use post-party, like giant stuffed animals and diaper cakes. While they aren’t the cheapest decor, if they’re being used long after the party is over, it’s doing more than just being party decor.
Our party decor recommendations for top baby shower themes:
Woodland
BABY Blocks, Table Runner, Banner, Balloon Garland Arch Kit, Balloon Centerpieces, Tissue Paper Pom Poms, Wooden Cake Stand
Celestial
Balloon Garland Arch Kit, Banner, LED Light-Up Balloons, Gold 3D Star Garland, Table Runner, Tablecloth
Boho
Balloon, Banner & Pom Pom Kit, Table Runner, Balloon Garland Arch Kit, Macrame Backdrop, Candle Holders, Dried Pampas Grass, Tablecloth
Bears
Balloon Garland Arch Set, BABY Blocks, Table Centerpieces, Giant Plush Bear with Baby Bear, Table Runner, 12” Plush Bears, Balloons, Banner, Tablecloth
Floral
Table Runner, Balloon Garland Arch Kit, Leaf Ribbon, Tissue Flower Decor, Glass Bud Vases, Gold Round Mercury Glass Vases, BABY Blocks, Bunting, Banner, Balloons
Bees
Balloon Garland Arch, Banner, Honeycomb Cupcake Stand, Balloons, Tissue Paper Pom Poms, Tablecloth, Table Runner, Ceramic Pitcher, Vases, Candles, Candle Holders
5. Buy baby shower supplies on Amazon or at the dollar store
Amazon has SO many options when it comes to great party supplies (seriously, you can find supplies for any and every theme), and TikTok has made the dollar store the place to shop now. Between the two, we bet you can find everything you need at the prices you want.
Our party supply recommendations for top baby shower themes:
Woodland
Napkins, Plates, Cups, Cutlery, Straws
Celestial
Full Tableware Set, Star Plates, Cups, Cutlery, Napkins, Straws
Boho
Rainbow Plates, Scalloped Plates, Cutlery, Cups, Napkins
Bears
Plate, Cup, Napkin & Straw Set, Cutlery, Tumblers, Bear Bottles, Napkins, Straws
Floral
Plate, Cup & Napkin Set, Cutlery, Tumblers, Napkins, Straws
Bees
Plate, Napkin & Fork Set, Honeycomb Plates, Napkins, Cups, Drink Stirrers, Cutlery
6. Create a DIY buffet
Instead of catering the food, consider heading to your local bulk grocery store for apps and snacks. Charcuterie, crudités, chips, finger sandwiches and wings are all low-effort, low-cost bites that people love. If you’re serving alcohol, a signature cocktail you can premix before the party starts is a fantastic choice, or you can stick with water and flavored seltzer.
7. Opt for DIY or inexpensive baby shower favors
Party favors are simply a bonus “Thank you!” to your guests they can take home and enjoy. Keep things simple and sentimental by either creating them yourself (little plants/succulents, jars of honey and even ornaments are easy to personalize) or checking out Etsy and Amazon for bulk purchases. Etsy offers tons of adorable, customizable party favors at all price points, and Amazon is a great place for finding supplies to craft your favors. Don’t forget—cookies and candy are fabulous party favors, and you can easily make them yourself or purchase them and package them in charming little boxes.
Some of our favorite baby shower favors under $5 each:
$58 for 12 cookies ($4.83 each before tax/shipping)
Personalized Baby Shower Little Pumpkin Candles
$35.75 for 10 candles ($3.58 each before tax/shipping)
$43.99 for 15 succulents with bags ($2.93 each before tax/shipping)
Personalized Engraved Bunny Ornaments
$20 for 10 ornaments ($2.00 each before tax/shipping)
$37 for 10 jars ($3.70 each before tax/shipping)
Personalized Wildflower Seed Packet Cards
$24 for 16 cards ($1.50 each before tax/shipping)
$27 for 10 bath bombs ($2.70 each before tax/shipping)
Personalized Essential Oil Soap Bars
$39 for 10 bars ($3.90 each before tax/shipping)
All of the products we feature are hand-selected by our editors! You see only what we love and what we think you'll love too. If you buy something through links on our site, Evite may earn a commission. Prices are subject to change.
What makes Evite SignUp Sheets different from SignUpGenius?
Developed hand-in-hand with community organizers, PTA presidents, parents and teachers, Evite's signup sheets are designed to make organizing volunteers a breeze. Here are a few ways SignUp Sheets are different than SignUpGenius:
- 100% free: SignUp Sheets are free to use.
- Ad-free: No popup ads ever! Our signup sheets remain clutter-free, keeping your volunteers focused on signing up.
- No extra login required: Seamlessly use your Evite account to create and manage your signup sheets, keeping all your events in one convenient location.
- Automatic reminders and notifications: Stay on top of your event with automated reminders and notifications for you and your participants. Perfect for busy parents, teachers and anyone juggling multiple commitments.
- Customization options: Tailor your signup sheets to your specific event, whether it's a school fundraiser, potluck, volunteer opportunity or team activity. Add custom tasks, time slots and requirements for smooth coordination.
- User-friendly experience: Our intuitive interface makes creating and sharing signup sheets simple for everyone, regardless of tech experience.
- Real-time updates: Get instant notifications whenever someone signs up or makes a change, so you always know where things stand.
Choose Evite SignUp Sheets for the easiest, most streamlined way to get volunteers and signups for your next event!
What is a signup sheet?
Signup sheets are the perfect way to streamline scheduling, volunteer recruitment, class parties, snack duty, potluck organization, parent-teacher conferences and more! You can think of them as your digital assistant for coordinating events and tasks and ensuring that your event is a success.
Evite SignUp Sheets offers parents, teachers and event planners customizable online forms that organizers and volunteers can access and update effortlessly. Volunteers can choose their preferred time slots, sign up for tasks or indicate what they'll bring to the event. It only takes organizers a few minutes to create a signup sheet and send it out with a shareable link, so they can get the word out via text, email or social media—whichever way they prefer!
Long story short, signup sheets save everyone involved tons of time, avoid scheduling headaches and ensure everything runs smoothly before and during the event.
How do I create a signup sheet?
Creating a signup sheet has never been easier than with Evite! Here’s how to create a sheet that’s sure to make your event an absolute success:
- Go to Evite SignUp Sheets and choose the template that best fits your needs. Evite offers multiple signup sheet templates perfect for every occasion, including:
- Signup sheets for one day events (without different time slots), perfect for when you’re organizing a class party, potluck or end-of-season party.
- Signup sheets for single or multiple day events (with time slots), perfect for when you’re organizing concession stand volunteers, fundraisers, parent-teacher conferences, meal train, post-game snack duty or during appreciation week.
- After selecting your sheet template, create a title for your signup sheet and add the date, the location, the time (if applicable), who the organizer is, the organizer’s phone number or email and an optional note describing the event to your volunteers. You can also change your signup sheet background and title image if you wish!
- Next, create slots for your signup sheet. If you aren’t logged into your account, you will need to do so at this point, but luckily, you can use your existing Evite account (no need to create yet another login!). What you’ll include here will depend on what your event needs, but you can include a list of what’s needed (along with optional descriptions), how many volunteers are needed, and dates and times.
- After creating your slots, you can then add a wish list from any retailer or include supply suggestions from Evite’s retailer partners. These are to help your volunteers find and purchase supplies quickly and easily.
- Finally, review your sheet, copy your shareable link and send it out to everyone on your list! Every time a volunteer signs up for a slot on your signup sheet, Evite will email you. We will also send reminders to you and your volunteers before your event so no one will forget about it, and we’ll even let volunteers know if you remove their slot or cancel your event sheet so you don’t have to!
What information should be included on a signup sheet?
When it comes to signup sheet information, there are some essentials to include regardless of what you’re organizing:
- A title for your signup sheet. Tip: Aim to keep your signup sheet title concise but clear. You want volunteers to read it and have a general understanding of what your event is about, and also make it easy for them to look for later if they need to reference your sheet again. You have the option to include a more descriptive note in a different field about your event, so save the more in-depth details for that!
- When and where the event is taking place.
- The organizer’s name and phone number.
- Slots for volunteers to choose from. Once you choose the SignUp Sheets template that fits the occasion, the slots you’ll need for your sheet will be right there and ready for you to add the relevant info, such as dates, times, items to bring and tasks to complete.
When adding your slot information, clearly define what people are signing up for, especially for a what-to-bring list or role assignments. If you want someone to bring healthy snacks for kids to enjoy after a game, specify that. You want your volunteers to feel confident in what they’re bringing and to make it easy for them to know what’s expected of them. It will save them time and stress (and you, too!). That being said, if you make your ask too specific (for example, asking for a hard-to-source item or something expensive), you may not end up with a volunteer for it. So be clear about what you expect, but also be reasonable!
Aside from providing the basic signup information, you can also add optional descriptions to both your entire signup sheet and individual slots. While not required, they can help guide your volunteers further and provide more information. You can add information about allergies, preferences and general info about the event. You can also add a wish list to make it easier for your volunteers to bring exactly what you need!
What are the benefits of using a signup sheet template?
Signup sheet templates offer a ton of advantages for both organizers and volunteers and with Evite SignUp Sheets, you'll enjoy even more benefits than other digital and paper signup sheets! Some benefits our signup sheet templates offer include:
- A 100% free experience (no subscriptions required!).
- Shareable links for quick and easy sharing.
- No need to create another login—you can use your existing Evite account.
- The option to add a wish list to help your volunteers out.
- Automatic reminders—we’ll remind everyone on your behalf.
- An easy-to-use experience with eye-catching guided templates.
- Clean, modern designs with no pop-up ads.
With Evite SignUp Sheets, you can enjoy organizing and coordinating all your events with ease. Signup sheets streamline the signup process for everyone involved, ensuring that everything will go to plan on the day of your event while saving you precious time in the process.