So you are in charge of throwing a baby shower. Whether it is for a friend or family member you want to make sure that your guest of honor has a great time and feels special. Here are some tips to ensure that you throw a spectacular party.

Invitations: Talk with the guest of honor and discuss possible themes for the shower. If you are throwing a surprise shower, choose an appropriate theme. For example, if you know that the mom to be is having a boy, try a teddy bear theme. You can find free printable baby shower invitations at The Craft Café.com and at Momsbreak.com.

Games: Games are an essential part of any shower. Don’t worry; you don’t have to come up with them on your own. You can find an array of free printable baby shower games online. To encourage competitiveness among game participants, make sure that you have prizes for the winners. Great prizes include plants, candles, and scented toiletries. Most of these items can be purchased at your local discount store. To add an extra special touch, put the prizes in cute baby themed bags. You can find free printable baby shower games and gift bags at The Craft Café.com.

Food: Great food will make a great shower. Make sure you ask the mom to be what her food preferences are. Chances are she is craving something! Finger foods are usually your best bet. Chicken salad croissants, cucumber sandwiches, mints and punch are very popular with everyone and very inexpensive to make. Be sure to set out some peanuts and other snacks as well.

Gifts: A great inexpensive but personal gift for new mom and baby are wooden letters that spell the baby’s name (if known). These are great for nursery decorations and sell at baby stores for about $10 per letter! You can make them for about $2 per letter. Simply purchase wooden letters that spell baby's name, acrylic paint, a foam paint brush and ribbon from your local craft store. Start by laying down newspaper on your work surface to protect it from any stray paint. Paint each letter starting with the front of each letter. Once the front dries, paint the back and then apply a second coat once the back is dry. Let the letters set for about an hour to ensure that they are dry. Next, cut ribbon into 5 inch strips (one for each letter). Loop the ribbon and hot glue the ends on the back of the letter. The ribbon will give mom a way to hang up the letters in the baby's nursery.

Extras: To make the mommy to be feel extra special on the day of the shower, give her a personalized gift. A great idea is an expecting t-shirt or button to wear during the shower. Find free printable iron on transfers for baby showers at The Craft Café.com. To make an iron on transfer simply purchase a t-shirt and some transfer paper at your local discount store. Print the transfer according to directions and iron on to the shirt for a quick and inexpensive gift for the new mom.

Find everything that you need to throw a great, inexpensive baby shower at The Craft Cafe.

About The Author
Amanda Pinkston is a writer for The Craft Cafe. Find card making, scrapbooking, free printables, recipes and more at http://www.thecraftcafe.com.