I wait all year to see those first golden leaves and feel the new sharpness in the air on fall mornings, so when I was asked to throw a fall baby shower, I was thrilled. In my preparations for the upcoming event, I did some research and found some amazing baby shower themes that are perfect for fall. Some of these themes require a little more work than others, but you can customize any of them to create the perfect shower for the lucky mom-to-be. Fall in Love This theme highlights falling leaves and plays on the word "fall." If you already know the baby's name you can print invitations that say, "Fall in Love with Baby Charles." Create banner decorations by cutting heart-shaped leaves out of tissue paper and stringing them on twine. This is a very sweet theme that is best executed in muted shades of orange, green, and blue, though you should definitely add some pink of the new arrival is a girl! Harvest Shower Take advantage of delectable fall foods with a harvest theme. Serve pecan bites, cranberry scones, and pumpkin muffins, and give your shower attendees a half-pint of homemade jam to take home with them. Round up some orange and white platters and bowls to give your serving table a decidedly fall-ish look, and weave some orange and yellow flowers and vines around the buffet table. Bring baskets or Radio Flyer wagons for hauling the baby gifts to the lucky mom-to-be's car after the shower is over. Pumpkins This is one of my favorite fall baby shower themes. It's so easy to find pumpkin decor in the fall, but there's also that sweet baby connotation with the word "pumpkin," as in, "How's my sweet pumpkin?" Create a pumpkin monogram for the shower by carving an initial in each of three small jack o' lantern pumpkins. Put a candle or small lantern inside each pumpkin, even if you're not holding the shower in the evening. Hang a clothesline, and pin the baby's new clothes to it as the presents are opened. Decorate the cake with a picture of a little pumpkin nestled next to a bigger one. Apples and Cinnamon This combination of flavors is one of the best things about fall. Find a way to incorporate apple cider, apple pie, and candy apples into your baby shower, and keep a scented candle or two burning during your festivities. Use red and green colors for your decor, and send out apple-themed invitations: "Baby Hazel is the Apple of Mom's Eye." Owls If you've been anywhere near Pinterest, you've noticed that owls are huge right now. Owls are showing up on baby bedding, baby clothes, and more. Owls are great for fall, and you can use a brown-and-pink color theme for a girl or a brown-and-blue theme for a boy. You can probably find ready-made owl invitations, or you can create your own. Owl cupcakes would be a terrific final touch for this theme. Nests For a restful, nature-inspired baby shower, create a simple, earth-toned atmosphere. Create rustic centerpieces by filling oversize glass vases or Mason jars with smooth stones, bits of moss, and chunks of bark. Create pedestals out of wood slices, and make nest-themed place cards using mini peat cups, moss, white jelly bans, and tan card stock for the name tags. For the food, serve salads nested into Parmesan cheese cups.
Woodland Forest This is one of my favorites of all the baby shower themes I found in my research. Gather decorative accents of bark, green moss, and deep woodland greenery for the party, and then search for bright splashes of color to accent all that greenery. Make red-and-white mushrooms, plump acorns, and little yellow birds out of felt, and disperse pine cones and pieces of interesting wood throughout your decor. Make cupcakes that look like mushrooms for your refreshments. Any of these baby shower themes would be wonderful for a fall shower. Enjoy your time with your friends, and welcome that baby! Do you have any other baby shower themes you'd like to share?