A successful baby shower is an important milestone for any mom-to-be.
It’s your chance to celebrate your coming bundle of joy with friends and family, open handy gifts and, most importantly- let it all sink in.
Having a themed baby shower makes decorating a blast.
If you love all things elephant, why not bring this adorable animal into the festivities?
A baby shower with an elephant theme works well no matter the gender of your baby.
Timeless, versatile and plenty cute, a theme like this can add a dash of whimsy to your celebration.
Planning a surprise shower for a friend or relative? They’re sure to love this idea as well, especially if they’re an animal lover!
Consider the tips below when planning your very own elephant themed baby shower.
33 Best Ideas for Elephant Themed Baby Shower
From decor to guest activities, your baby shower should come together seamlessly.
Having an elephant theme already in mind will help you visualize, budget and organize the event well in advance.
1. Baby Shower Guestbook Sign
2. Elephant Baby Shower Guestbook
3. Elephant Table Centerpieces
4. Elegant Elephant Themed Baby Shower Cake
5. Elephant Toy DIY Centerpiece
6. Elephant Baby Shower Gift Idea
7. “It’s a Girl” Elephant Cake Topper
8. Elephant Burp Cloth
9. Elephant Themed Cake Pops and Rice Bars
10. Little Peanuts Bags
11. Simple Elephant Baby Shower Cake
12. Sophisticated Elephant Baby Shower Favors
13. Elephant Themed Mini Cakes
14. Elephant in a Box Table Centerpiece
15. Elephant Baby Shower Door Wreath
16. Elephant Balloons
17. Cute Crocheted Elephant Plush Toy
18. Little Peanut Pop Cakes
19. Elephant Themed Dessert Table
20. Chocolate Covered Strawberries
21. Elephant Themed Party Treats
22. Elephant Baby Shower Sash
2. Elephant Baby Shower Cake
24. Elephant Cupcakes
25. Donut Stand
26. Chocolate Covered Pretzels
27. Gift Table Sign
28. Baby Shower Favors
29. Burlp Elephant Cake
30. Little Peanut Cupcakes
31. Mama and Baby Elephants Decoration
32. Sweet Little “Peanut” Cookies
33. Personalized Elephant Poster
DIY Decor Ideas
Adding a personal touch to your baby shower is easy, as long as you’re willing to take on some DIY crafts.
Handmade decorations allow you full control over the aesthetic of your celebration.
They can also be re-used for the baby’s welcome home party or first birthday.
The following decor ideas require nothing but a few easy-to-find supplies and a bit of patience.
Handmade elephant garlands
Making your own elephant garlands is a simple way to brighten up any indoor or outdoor space.
You’ll need colored paper, scissors, a long string and a hot glue gun.
First off, you’ll want to find a printable elephant shape- this can be as simple as downloading a template online and printing it out.
Look for simple elephant outlines as opposed to filled-in shapes.
Then, load your printer with colored paper.
Your paper can be a standard pink or blue for a gendered baby shower, or you can go with a more general rainbow color scheme.
There are even fluorescent and sparkly colored papers available, so it’s all up to you.
Make sure you have colored your paper in your printer and print out as many copies as you need to make a full garland.
It’s a good idea to measure the are you want to hang the garland across and use that to determine how many elephants you need, and of what size.
Two elephants can generally fit on one standard sheet of paper, but if you want a larger garland, stick to one elephant per page.
If you trust your skills as an artist, you can also draw the elephant silhouettes on colored paper or cardstock.
Once you have as many elephant printouts as you need, carefully cut along the lines.
Lay your elephants out on a flat surface with a drop cloth or scrap paper underneath.
Make sure their trunks are all facing the same direction and that they are spaced evenly apart.
Then, grab a string cut to the length of your ideal garland.
Lay the string out straight across the line of elephants, making sure it hits each elephant at the same spot.
There should be a few inches of string leftover at each end.
Using a hot glue gun, attach the string to each elephant.
After the glue dries, you’re ready to hang your garland up!
Tape each end of the string to the wall or tie it to another object.
Keep in mind that your garlands can be either vertical or horizontal, depending on where you’re hanging them.
Personalized banners
A personalized banner can announce everything from a simple “Congratulations!” to the name of both mom and baby.
With a couple of cut-out letters, you can customize your message to fit the occasion.
All you need to start are as many sheets of colored cardstock as there are letters in your phrase, cut-out letter stencils, scissors, a glue stick and a roll of string or ribbon.
Start by choosing a shape for each piece of the banner.
Simple rectangles are fine, or you can experiment with hearts or circles.
Trace your chosen shape onto each piece of cardstock and cut it out carefully.
You can purchase cut-out letters online or trace your own and cut them out in a different color than the backing paper.
Carefully center and glue each letter onto a cardstock shape.
You can add other embellishments, like stickers or even pressed flowers from a craft kit.
When you’re done, punch a hole on the top two corners of each cardstock piece.
You can wind your ribbon through these holes, allowing the letters to hang in order.
You might want two or three separate ribbons, depending on how long your phrase is.
Hang your banner above the front door to let everyone know the party’s on!
Elephant flower centerpieces
If you’re already planning to add floral centerpieces at your baby shower, consider throwing in a few cute elephants as well!
To do so, follow the instructions for printing and cutting out elephants mentioned above, under the elephant garland section.
You can match your paper color to the color of your flowers or tablecloths.
Then, simply hot glue each elephant to a short and thin wooden dowel.
You can purchase these at any craft store- in a pinch, you can even use chopsticks!
Place the dowel in the vase with your flower arrangement.
These make a clever addition to any flower centerpiece.
Elephant-Inspired Treats
Elephant Sugar Cookies
When it comes to a quick and easy themed dessert, you can’t go wrong with simple sugar cookies.
All you need are flour, butter, sugar, eggs, baking powder, salt, and, of course, your favorite elephant cookie cutters.
First, beat 1.5 cups of butter and 2 cups of sugar together with a mixer.
Then, crack four eggs into the same bowl and mix thoroughly.
When you have an evenly mixed batter, measure out 5 cups of flour, 2 teaspoons of baking powder and a pinch of salt into a separate bowl.
Mix them together before adding to the batter.
Then, slowly mix the entire mixture until the dry ingredients blend perfectly with the wet ones.
Cover the batter with saran wrap and allow it cool in the fridge for one hour.
After an hour, you’re ready to roll out the dough and put your cookie cutters in action.
Be sure to cover your surface and rolling pin with flour to avoid sticking.
Place the cookies on a baking sheet with at least an inch between them.
Bake them for 6-8 minutes in an oven preheated to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
You can decorate them with colorful frosting to amp up the elephant vibes!
This recipe makes about 60 cookies, so double it if you are expecting lots of guests.
Elephant Cupcakes
Your favorite cupcake recipe can easily fit into your theme with the help of a few goodies.
You can easily find elephant-shaped sugar dessert toppers and elephant sprinkles online.
Decorate any frosted cupcake with these and you’ll turn a run-of-the-mill dessert into a party favorite.
Elephant Cake
For an impressive addition to your party table, consider baking an elephant-themed cake to share with your guests.
If you already have a go-to cake recipe, it’s easy to spice it up with the elephant sprinkles and dessert toppers mentioned above.
Baking a cake in the shape of an elephant is not the easiest- if you’re looking for a quick dessert, bake a simple vanilla cake and let it be your canvas for elephant-inspired designs.
Use your frosting piping bag as a paintbrush and decorate the surface of your cake with a simple elephant silhouette.
You can even practice on an empty plate first.
Consider adding some candied eyes to give your elephant some character.
Games and Activities
Elephant Trivia
Entertaining games for your guests are a baby shower staple- and a great way for everyone to bond!
To keep things on theme, start with a few rounds of elephant trivia.
Make sure your questions aren’t too easy, but not so difficult that guests have a hard time with them.
To broaden the category, consider hosting a wildlife or safari trivia game.
Trivia is a great way for guests to get competitive while learning new facts.
White Elephant
Another fun game idea that can be adapted to a baby shower is White Elephant.
Traditionally played during the Christmas season, White Elephant is all about gifts, meaning your guests can go home with small presents of their own.
To play, everyone has to arrive with a small, wrapped gift.
The gifts are all placed on the table, and everyone draws a number.
The person who drew #1 opens a random gift, after which guest #2 chooses whether they want to steal the present or open a new one.
This pattern continues until all of the gifts are open.
Then, guest #1 goes once more- if they keep their gift, the game ends. If they steal another gift, things continue until a participant decides to keep their gift.
Since you will probably be receiving plenty of baby shower gifts of your own, this is a great way to surprise your guests with a small present to take home.
Gift Suggestions
No baby shower is complete without gifts for the soon-to-be-mom.
If you’re planning a baby shower for a loved one or creating your own registry, consider the following gifts to bring along.
Plush Elephant
Ranging from tiny to human-sized, a plush elephant is an adorable addition to any nursery.
Elephant Wallpaper
If you know mom is planning to decorate a nursery from scratch, a roll of elephant wallpaper is a thoughtful way to help with the decorating.
It might be a good idea to consult with mom’s partner or a relative to decide how much wallpaper will be enough to cover the baby’s new room.
Elephant Onesie
A baby can never have too many onesies, and there are plenty of elephant-themed wardrobe options available from baby clothes producers online.
If you go with this option, consider getting a range of onesies for different ages (newborn, 6 months, one year, etc.), as babies grow fast!
This way, the baby will have a brand-new elephant outfit ready to go when they grow out of their last one.
Babar the Elephant Books
As one of the literary world’s beloved elephants, Babar has been entertaining children for years.
Consider getting a set of Babar books for the new baby to enjoy once they get a little older.
Gifts that Support Elephant Populations
Lastly, keep in mind that elephants are endangered, and need all the support they can get to avoid human-caused risks.
Consider getting mom and baby a gift that directly supports endangered elephants.
Organizations like Save the Elephants and animal sanctuaries often offer a selection of gifts you can purchase, with proceeds going to help animals.
These can include everything from kitchen ware to clothing, jewelry and so much more.
Planning Tips
Baby showers can take a significant amount of planning, and starting well in advance is important. The following tips are crucial to a seamless celebration:
Budget Early
Budgeting for your baby shower can help you determine how much you can spend on decor, venue reservation, catering and more.
Be sure to create your budget early on, and set aside the funds you need to pay for every element of the party.
Reserve a Venue Early
If you’re not having your shower at home, be sure to reserve your venue long in advance.
Take the time to tour prospective spaces and have a rough estimate of how many guests you are expecting.
Create a Guest List
A guest list will help you determine how large a space you need, and how much money to set aside for things like food.
The best way to create a solid list is to send out invitations a few months before the shower and ask people to RSVP.
This can be done via email or, if you’re old-fashioned, through the mail.
If you are committed to mailing paper invitations, give people an option to RSVP electronically to speed up the process.
Conclusion
While any baby shower is a cause for celebration, an elephant-themed party is a unique take on a classic event.
Adorable and inherently associated with the joy of childhood, elephants can brighten up any room.
If you are not announcing the gender of your baby, elephants are also a great way to keep things neutral but festive.
Though planning a large shower can take a lot of time and energy, being able to customize every element of your special day is well worth the effort.
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