Rustic Barn Baby Shower

Thanks for joining us for Baby Shower Week!

The last shower I want to share with you is the most recent one I did along with a team of ladies.

 

This one we decided to do at a friends barn. Luckily it was all decked out for their daughters lovely wedding. This shower was the first one I did with a team, as well as in such a large space.

 

We went with a mix of rustic and vintage. Rachel was doing Nash's nursery in yellow, grey and chevron. Some of the highlights were the adorable cake, mimosa bar, and a long table.

 

Note: It is completely okay to do a theme that may be more on the feminine side, even if the mom-to-be is having a boy. This shower is to celebrate HER, and the baby inside won't have much say;)... yet!
 

 
The shower planning started with the single idea to do one long table with lots of decorations down the middle. We grabbed every single vase, nick knack and candle stick we could find. Tip- once we were actually ready to set this table up, we started by pulling all the larger items, and then filled in with the smaller.

 

 

 


One of my favorite things about this shower is the mixture of patterns and textures. Seeing clear glass mixed with mercury and milk glass and chevron with maps! Speaking of maps, the pinwheels were super easy to make! They were the perfect addition among the fresh flowers.

 

  Tissue paper poms are a great way to add a big impact on a small budget. Hanging them over the food table really helped anchor the space since the ceilings were so tall.  They are also super easy to make! The banner was also made by yours truly! Note- If you plan on hanging them, be sure to allow plenty of time to do so! This task wasn't difficult, I just recommend doing it in advance! Can't hang them? They still look great placed around.

For the menu, we came together to provide two breakfast casseroles, one sweet (French toast) and one savory (ham and cheese). Both were so delish! We made individual fruit cups, These were great and super easy to do! Just buy small plastic cups and fill with frozen fruit, or fresh! We had croissants with jam as well as spinach dip with cucumbers, pita chips and bread. Note- If you or any of your friends have a Costco/ Sam's club membership, we would definitely recommend using it for the food! They had tons of pre-made brunch items such as muffins, pastries, and also frozen foods. Not to mention its in bulk!

 

 

 

 

 For the desserts, Rachel's mom ordered an adorable cake that matched perfectly with the theme. The first layer was the mom's favorite, carrot cake. The second was a lemon cake with raspberry filling. Soo good!! I made my MIL's Oreo balls and ordered some doughnut holes! Ordering a cake that matches your theme is such a great way to add a big impact!

 

For the mimosa bar, we used the dollar store chalkboard labels, my trusty beverage dispensers, and some galvanized tubes and buckets!

 The chalkboard is another item from my home. This was a DIY project I did a year ago. I found the frame at a thrift store for six dollars and had a board cut to fit. Then added some chalkboard paint and we were in business. Note- Chalkboard paint is seriously my best friend. It can go on practically anything! This is great to make your own food labels. As you can see from the mimosa bar, I purchased dollar store frames, and painted the glass with chalkboard paint. I then spray paint the frames to match whatever event is taking place!


These blocks were order online and were a great addition to the shower. Guest were able to paint ones for Nash's nursery!

 

 

 Since the space was so big, we wanted to spread out the different areas. This was our photo booth / present spot. The yellow chair was a yard sale find that resides in our master bedroom.  Our areas included the following:

 

Welcome station

Cake table

Food table

Main table

Gift table

Photo area

Block station

Mimosa bar

 

Now clearly you don't need to have all of these areas, but while planning, you will want to think through all the spaces you will need. Will drinks be on the same table with the food? Do you have a specialty bar? Think ahead to make sure you have enough space for all those items!

 

 -What I Learned From This Shower-

Are you planning with a group? Be clear from the beginning who is responsible for what items. About a week before, be sure to go over a detailed list of who is doing/ bringing what.  It is easy for things to be forgotten when there are many hands working!

Working with a large space? Try to space out your areas to make the space not feel ginormous. Regardless of the size of the space, I usually make up a mock floor plan to make sure I like the layout, and to make sure I'm not forgetting anything.

One of my all time favorite things is to see furniture used in outdoor spaces, or where you wouldn't expect it. One of my fav's from this shower is the yellow chair and side table. The map helped anchor this area as well. Try to use items like this you already have in your home for an unexpected twist to your event.



Once again, the food prep for this shower took forever. Most of the items were already prepared, like everything was. But it seriously took so long to get all the items out of the containers and into the dishes, and water bottles in the tub, and the mimosa bar set up. No matter how much you prepare, food set up always takes forever. If you can plan out which dishes will house which food item along with the location on the food table ahead of time, you will save time the day of!

In the same vein, if you are doing the event at a different location, really put thought into as many details as possible. There were a few items we forgot, such as smaller spoons for all the jams and fruit and plastic wrap to line the buckets for the mimosa bar.

Always consider the weather while planning your event. We got lucky with a not so super hot day in Florida. However it still go a little toasty, so we opened up another bay door in the barn to let some air flow in. The last thing you want is a hot, pregnant guest of honor!

It's always nice to include a personal item that the mom-to-be can take home with her.  The girls wanted to include the book, Where the Wild Tings Are, for guest to sign. This book is one of the parent's favorites!