Admit it: We like to get in on the action at the craft tables during our kids’ birthday parties. I’ve been known to get consumed and even take over as my little one is making a bead bracelet or painting a piece of pottery (“No mommy! Let ME!”). So when we attend baby showers, we grown-ups can fully participate, guilt-free, in games and activities meant to shower the mom-to-be.
“Lots of women love to play classic baby shower games. If your guest of honor is looking forward to that tradition, then by all means, indulge her. If not, there are lots of other options, such as crafty DIY projects, which are fun and sometimes practical too,” says Jennifer Shea in her idea-packed new book,Trophy Cupcakes and Parties!: Deliciously Fun Party Ideas and Recipes from Seattle’s Prize-Winning Cupcake Bakery.
Her favorite shower DIY activity of all? Paint pen onesies. Here’s how to plan it all out in five easy steps:
Paint Pen Onesies
1. Cover a long table with butcher paper or a disposable tablecloth and place small buckets of nontoxic fabric paint pens or markers in the center. (Be sure to avoid glitter or small embellishments that could flake or pull off and become a choking hazard for baby.)
2. Provide at least one plain onesie per party guest. I like white, but you can choose any color you like. Many stores sell them in packages (my favorite affordable brand is Gerber, which makes a four-pack of unisex organic onesies). I recommend buying three sizes—newborn, 3-6 months, and 6-12 months—so the parents (and baby) can enjoy them for the entire first year.
3. Prewash the onesies, then fold them in neat stacks and place them in the center of the table on a pretty platter or cake plate.
4. Place lots of stencils and decorative images around the table for inspiration, crank up the tunes, and let your guests go to town!
5. String a clothesline nearby and have guests use clothespins to hang their finished
onesies on the line to dry. (It looks super cute, too!)