Happy Friday! I’m so looking forward to this weekend, we’re going to be painting and laying floors and building a kitchen in our basement (UPDATE: It’s done!!). Fun, right? After dry walling for weeks- you bet it is! This is the part where it all comes together, it’s definitely exciting. But before I run downstairs to get started, I want to share with you this super sweet DIY Vintage Story Book Baby Shower we threw for my nephew. He’s actually almost two years old now- he has the same birthday as my little babes. Even though it’s been a while, this is still one of my favourite baby showers we’ve thrown yet. 
My nephew was the second in the family, so they already had all the ‘baby’ stuff they needed, but we still wanted to shower the new mama and baby boy with love. They love to read with their kids, so we thought it would be special to build their library by asking our baby shower guests to bring a favourite children’s book as a gift. I created book plates for everyone to write a sentiment inside the book they brought. It was so sweet to see what everyone brought to the baby shower and the notes they left, explaining why each book is so important to them. I brought along The Little Engine That Could
because I’ve always loved that story!
For this baby shower, we decorated with vintage books and book pages. I had so much fun scouring the thrift stores in town for some pretty looking vintage books. I found some that were in less than perfect condition to use to make the garlands, bunting, table runners, and labels. Oh, and that vase is paper mached in book pages too.. We had way too much fun with those old books.
For activities (we had a lot- the mama loves her games!), we played he said/she said and had guests guess which parent said which phrase. We’d asked the parents questions before the shower, so had some fun predictions like, ‘He’ll grow up to be a firefighter’. We also had a mad libs style activity to write a fun story about the new baby and his family- Some of these came out so funny, and others were just precious. You can find lots of printables for baby shower games like this on Etsy, but I just made my own.
We also had our baby shower guests illustrate each letter of the alphabet to make a book out of them for the little guy. We had a couple kids at the party too, so their illustrations were definitely the cutest. I really loved this activity and actually built a whole shower around it- you can check out my Watercolour Baby Book Party right over here! The last activity we did was a hot potato type game during the gift opening. I love playing games during the gift opening to keep guests engaged. Usually, my go to is Baby Bingo– but this alternative was a ton of fun. Something about having a prize in your hands makes you pay pretty good attention!
Can we talk food? Everyone loves some good eats. I think it’s always a good idea to accept help when it comes to feeding the masses. We had some guests bring food as well, but we supplied a popcorn bar and mini pancakes with all the fixin’s. These two are so SO frugal guys- pennies. We had different popcorn seasonings in salt shakers, and paper bags stamped with ‘Oh Baby’ stock up on popcorn. The apple baskets are vintage finds we already had, but I’ve found them difficult to find lately so I would just get them on Amazon
and save the hunting. We made little flags out of old book pages for the pancake stacks and for the cake.
So last but not least, I made these bookmarks as favours for the guests. It was fun searching for different quotes to put on the bookmarks- and I love them so much I’m still using them almost two years later. Do you love the graphics from the party? I used the free scrapbook pack from Digital Design Essentials. *UPDATE: So I hear ya- you like the bookmarks! I’ve got the free printable files available for you to use now– thanks for the love :)*
So, what do you guys think!? Is this a baby shower theme you’d go for? I love how we were able to make it a bit boyish but still pretty… if you’re going all girl, Martha Stewart has a cute set of printables for a girly book-themed baby shower! Do you have a favourite party theme that you just can’t get over (even years later)?
Partied LT style? I’d love to see! Tag me @colleenpastoor on social.
DIY Found Driftwood Garland
This is adorable!! I love it all, so lovely! Pinned it!
Thanks so much Whitney! I really appreciate it.
I love all things books so this is right up my alley!!!
I’m pretty sure the vintage book theme would work for a birthday too… *hint hint* I’d love to see you do it!
I love it! All of the sweet touches and book page toppers and that popcorn bar… yum! Thanks for linking up to Monday Funday!
Thanks Jamie! I don’t know an event that couldn’t benefit from a popcorn bar :)
books are my favorite thing, so i love all these details you put into this shower. the bunting, the games, the bookmarks as gift. so so good!
b
Gotta love books :) Those bookmarks are so my favourite, if you like- shoot me an email and I can send you the file :)
Please please send me the file for those book marks! I’m a reading specialist having my first kiddo and of course doing a story book themed shower ? jmoore0618@gmail.com
I’m so glad you like them Jennifer! You can find the free printable file right here.
oh, what an absolutely gorgeous baby shower — i love how you used book pages for decorations, and the popcorn and pancakes is so, so creative <3
Thanks so much Jenn! I felt a little guilty destroying a book, but I love the way it turned out :)
GAHHHH stop posting such cute things! I haven’t seen anyone go this all out on the baby book shower thing yet, and I love it! Some day when I have a baby maybe I’ll request something similar! :)
Aw thank you! You definitely should :)
You do such amazing parties! I love how your parties are always beautiful and fun and unique, but also come off as kind of effortless. Amazing! I really love the hot potato gift opening game. So fun!
Aw Alexis, what a sweet comment! Thank you so much- I could say the same about you (that Ice cream party!). Also-I definitely recommend that game, total hit :)
How is this game played? When does a guest open the gift? Hot potato is usually done with music, so I’m just wondering how do you decide when the gift gets opened. Also, do you have more than one gift? I would really like to do this at my baby shower. Thank you!
We just pass it each time the action written on the bag is taken until the gift opening is all done :) We had one gift per bag (the two bags). Enjoy!
This is just the cutest shower idea! I love all of the handmade touches and DIY popcorn bar! The hot potato game is genius too :) You will be my feature at Thursday STYLE tomorrow morning. Hope to see you back next week :)
Thanks so much Angela (I love that game) You know I’ll be there ;)
Is that the only rules for the hot potato game thats on the front of the bag? I love this game its very unique and thats what i look for when hosting baby showers. I dont like doing alot of the same games everyone else plays unless its requested by the mom-to-be. Do you have any ideas for a rustic/woodland baby shower theme? :-)
That’s it for rules! It was a really easy one and no one felt on the spot- my favourite kind of shower game :)
I am actually sharing my son’s first birthday party today which is a rustic winter theme- I’m not sure if that’s what you’re thinking but there might be some crossover! https://www.lemonthistle.com/modern-rustic-winter-onederland
Did the guests open a prize each time the hot potato gift basket was passed to them or was there just one winner at the very end of gift opening ?
Thank you!
Just one winner at the very end, it get’s passed around a TON! :)
And we’ll just pretend that reply had proper punctuation :)
I love this theme, and the colors and all of the special touches are beautiful.
Thanks so much Kat! I’m so glad you like it :)
I absolutely LOVE this!! Is there any way you would be willing to share the bookmark file?
if so, please send it along! KatlinESmith@gmail.com
Thanks!
Thanks so much Katlin, I’m glad you like them :) I’ll take a look back and see if I can track down the file. That was one or two computers ago! Expect to hear from me either way by the end of the week.
Hi there! I absolutely love everything about this shower! Would you mind sharing the bookmark file with me as well? I’m at honeycombscookies@gmail.com.
Thanks! ;)
Thanks so much! I have an email in to the designer of the pattern suite about rights to share- I’ll put you on the list!
I love all your details here!! Would you mind telling me what the sign behind the alphabet book says?
amandarenee8402@yahoo.com
-Amanda
Ooooh good question! I don’t have the original any more but I’m pretty sure it says something along the lines of, “Colour a letter and sign your name to make the sweet boy’s first ABC book!” But I probably was much wittier at the time ;)
Love this idea! Can you tell me what was in the gift bag for the person who “won”? Just curious.
I think we did some lotion and a nail polish or something like that :)
Do you have the printable file for the “hot potato” type game you played during present opening. I would love to do this, but don’t know where to start!
Hi Sheri,
I don’t have that printable! This baby shower was before I started blogging so didn’t think to keep it. I just used the design pack: http://digitaldesignessentials.com/pages/digitally-smitten-freebie and added text overlays in Word. Hope that helps!
What is in the bag with the dowel rods sticking out that saying pass me around when she opens something blue? It doesn’t show the top and I didn’t see anything about it in the text.
Hi Teresa, Those are just the raffia style handles on the paper bag :)
I want to play your gift opening game but I need more details about it! What did the other cards say? How did someone get eliminated and/or how does someone win the game?
Hi Caitlin! There were only the cards on the bags- when the gifts were done being open, the guest holding the bag one the contents. Easy peasy! The other one was any time someone said ‘cute’ pass one to the right or something like that.
I love all of your ideas! May I ask where you got the big buckets for the popcorn?
Thanks so much Jacki! Those are vintage apple baskets but Michaels sells new ones that would be perfect for this :)
Hi! Love the hot potato game – to make sure I have the game right, do folks pass the bag each time the mama opens a gift and if it’s “blue” (or whatever color), you pick a prize?
Hi Wendy, Thanks so much! YES they pass it each time a gift opened is blue (or whatever you choose to make the rule) but only at the end of the gift opening is the prize (that is in the bag) rewarded to the current holder. Hope that helps (and that I’m not too late!)
Do you have a print out for the mad lib? I would love that!
Hi Beth, I don’t! We personalized it for my sister-in-law so don’t have a generic copy to offer as a download. It’s just made in Word (fill the background shape with an image) if that helps!
Is there a new link for the boomark printable? Its not working.