Splashing Love on the Newest Arrival: A Baby Sprinkle Celebration
A baby sprinkle is a modern term to describe a casual baby shower given in honor of a family’s second, third, or more children. Unlike a traditional baby shower, a sprinkle typically involves fewer guests and fewer lavish gifts, as most of the baby’s essentials have already been acquired from the previous child. The term “sprinkle” is believed to have originated from the idea that instead of a full-on shower of gifts and attention that accompanies a first baby, the parents are showered with just a sprinkle of gifts and love. While the main objective is to celebrate the upcoming arrival of a new baby, the event is more of a social gathering for friends and family to share in the joy of welcoming a new addition to the family.
Why am I talking about Baby Sprinkles? Our neighbors, Rachel and Bob, moved into the house across the street from us, a little over a year ago, with their two small boys. Since they were quite sure that they would no longer be needing baby things, they decided to give all of their baby stuff away rather than packing them along in their big move. SURPRISE! Baby number three is on his way!
Since they are essentially starting from scratch for baby things, and haven’t had a chance to meet very many people in the last year, here in Spokane, I brought the ladies in our neighborhood together to have a little Baby Sprinkle for our mother-to-be.
How to Celebrate Baby With a Memorable and Budget-Friendly Baby Sprinkle
I handmade my invitations to resemble tea bags. Included inside was an explanation of what a “Baby Sprinkle” is, the specifics of the event and what sorts of items our guest of honor was still in need of for her new baby. Rather than putting them in the mail, (everyone was just a house or two away), I hand delivered them.
Getting the Party Started With Creative Invitations
Invitations are essential when it comes to setting the tone and generating excitement for any kind of event. Invitations communicate the theme, style, and feel of the event before any guests even arrive. They provide guests with all the necessary information, such as date, time, and location, and help to generate excitement by providing a glimpse into what guests can expect. Moreover, the design and quality of the invitation can make a big impact on the guests’ impression of the event and on the overall attendance. Whether it’s a traditional paper invitation or a modern digital invite, the invitation should accurately reflect the event and be designed to stand out and grab the guests’ attention. Ultimately, the invitation plays a critical role in creating a successful and memorable event.
Designing the Menu
Since a Baby Sprinkle has fewer guests than a Baby Shower, I determined that an afternoon tea would be a nice choice.
A quick tip when doing a tea– make sure you have a wide range of teas available; from classic black tea to herbal blends, catering to everyone’s taste buds. Don’t forget to serve decaf options for those who prefer caffeine-free drinks.
For the menu, I kept it simple and elegant. For something savory, I served Quiche Lorraine and a selection of sweet treats; lemon cream scones with jam, lemon curd, clotted cream, a variety of berries, meringue kisses and a couple kinds of chocolate treats. For our guest of honor; I prepared a mini (crustless) quiche and gluten free shortbread and scones.
Adding Warmth and Charm to the Table Setting with a Cozy
I made tea cozies to coordinate with the place card/favors. Tea cozies were invented in the 18th century when people realized that tea would stay hotter for longer periods if it was covered. Tea cozies are not only functional but also add charm and decoration to the table setting.
Sprinkling Fun and Games: Celebrating Baby's Arrival with These Entertaining Ideas!
Since it has been a LONG time since I last attended a baby shower, I looked to the internet for inspiration. There are tons of fun and easy games that you can find online, and many of them don’t require a lot of materials or preparation. I printed out two games; BABY WORD UNSCRAMBLE and BABY EMOJI PICTIONARY and gave guests 5 minutes for each game to write their solutions. These were fun and especially tricky for those of us who haven’t shopped for baby things for a while. The next game was, “GUESS THE MELTED CANDY BAR LOADED DIAPERS”. The gist of the game is that guests have to guess what kind of candy bar is melted inside a numbered diaper. (They look very much like the messes a baby might make in a diaper). The guests smell and look at the melted candy and write their guesses down. The most correct guesses won a prize. The candy bar game was orchestrated, (and prize provided), by our friend and neighbor, Sierra. For our final game, we all tried our hand at sculpting a baby out of Play Doh. Our mother-to-be was the judge and everyone got to take their Play Doh home as another party favor.
Unwrapping Love and Celebrating Baby
There were so many beautiful and thoughtful gifts for our beautiful expectant momma and her sweet little boy! Here are just a few:
Leaving a Lasting Impression with a Fragrant Party Favor!
Using the same fabric that I used for the tea cozies, I made lavender sachets for my guests to take home with them. They also served double duty as place cards, indicating where guests should sit at the table.
To make the lavender sachets, I sewed little pouches which resembled a tea bag, filled them with lavender buds and attached a little name tag using decorative twine.
