Enchanting woodland baby shower ideas

If your next chapter in the storybook of your loved one is parenthood, why not turn the page with a celebration reminiscent of nursery rhymes, children’s books, and snuggly stuffed animals?

Woodland-themed baby showers are fertile ground for welcoming a new little cub to the family fold, with endless opportunities to enchant guests throughout the festivities. From sending an owl to deliver baby shower invitations (digitally!) to woodland baby shower activities that are bonafide hoots, follow the trail and read along as we plot your path to a magical celebration.

How to set a magical mood for your woodland theme baby shower

Before you indulge in a bulk order of woodland baby shower decorations, take a moment to imagine what it would be like to step into a spellbound forest: the cool moss beneath your feet; the sweet fragrance of towering pines; the sound of crickets chirping from an old oak hollow.

To conjure up the ultimate woodland-themed baby shower, your task is to tap into each of these senses. Below, find our top baby shower ideas for planning a woodland-inspired party for your near-and-dear one’s bundle of joy.

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1. Mystical visuals

Like the journey of parenthood itself, the course through the woodlands can be labyrinthine.

Give your guests some forest-inspired signage to help them orient! 

We love wooden signs pointing the way toward the gift drop-off table, mimosa (and mocktail) bar, and, if you’re hosting at the mother-to-be’s home (and they feel ready to give guests a tour), the incoming baby’s nursery. Use chalk to give your where-to signs a rustic feel, or write with white paint markers if you’re going for forest elegance.

Once you’ve mapped the premises for your guests, embrace organic materials with old-world character for your woodland decor. You can liven up the atmosphere with:

• Antique accents like crates, heirloom furniture, or analog clocks
• Fresh floral arrangements that feature branches, wildflowers, or blooms pruned from your garden
• Vintage stuffed woodland animal characters like the Velveteen Rabbit or Winnie the Pooh. Aslan from The Chronicles of Narnia

Lighting can enhance or throw off any social gathering, so strive for an ambiance reminiscent of a twinkling forest. Fairy string lights are a classic, but don’t underestimate the power of a few strategically placed candles if you’re skipping the bonfire and keeping the festivities indoors.

“Nature’s Nursery” by Paperless Post; Image by Le Comptoir Du Bonheur.

2. Woodsy scents

A woodland baby shower theme is all about cultivating the sweet feeling of childhood nostalgia—and if there’s any sense that’s sure to stir up memories, it’s the sense of smell.

Incorporate forest fragrances into your party using candles or incense scented with:

• Spruce
• Cedarwood
• Pine
• Tobacco
• Cypress

If you want to keep candles to a minimum, you can also infuse the party with the nostalgic (and mouth-watering) scents of freshly baked goods. After all, bear cubs go wild for blueberries, so don’t forget to add them as a cake topper—or bake woodland creature cookies to keep your space smelling bear-y delicious.

Image by Roxy Hutton; “Bunny Bibliophiles” by Paperless Post.

3. Tastes of the thicket

While forest foragers may rely on nuts and berries to get their fill, lavish your guests with a woodland banquet to celebrate the guest of honor’s bun in the oven. Your menu could include:

• Cupcakes dressed up as adorable woodland creatures, from bear cubs to baby foxes
• Mini pinwheels or tea sandwiches for “Alice in Wonderland”-like appetizers
• Pigs in blankets (note the slight resemblance to a swaddled babe))
• Rustic crudité like carrots, radishes, and cucumbers from your local farmer’s market
• Mulled wine, apple cider, or hot toddies to give beverages a back-to-the-land vibe

However you style your menu, plating your food on woodland-inspired flatware or lady(bug)-like napkins are guaranteed to give any dish an earthy feel. To go the extra mile, cluster your paper critters by habitat to make your table feel like a real forest family feast.

“Primrose Shower” by Rifle Paper Co. for Paperless Post; Image by Jen Klementti.

4. Songs of the forest

Your shower venue doesn’t need to be next to a babbling brook to summon the power of nature’s orchestra. Turn up the volume and get the party started with music genres that call to mind a rustic, magical baseline for the baby shower. We love:

• String quartets
• Bluegrass
• Folk music
• Appalachian music
• Honky-tonk music
• Ragtime
• Jazz-style blues
• Country music
• Recordings of good old-fashioned nature sounds

Whatever the soon-to-be parents’ musical tastes, if their baby boy or girl gives the kick of approval, that’s a sure sign your music picks are the perfect baby shower fit.

Tips for throwing a woodland-themed baby shower

Once you’ve set the stage for the baby shower, it’s time to refocus on details that bring your forest to life: invitations, a welcoming banquet table, and animal-inspired amusements.

5. Send enchanting woodland-themed invitations

Like a mysterious envelope tucked beneath the branches of a tree, woodland baby shower invitations have the power to beckon guests into your magical world long before they set foot at the event itself. 

From irresistible fox kits to toadstools glistening with dew, these woodland-inspired invitation ideas will inspire a magical mood from the moment guests tear open their digital envelopes.

• Precious Package: This precious card pictures sleepy badgers, porcupines, fawns, and more sweet friends as they await an owl carrying a special message:
• The Apple Doesn’t Fall: Perfect for a fall baby shower, this invitation builds anticipation with a cute cottontail springing after an apple that’s fallen (not too far!) from the tree:
• Backyard Blooms: If you’re transforming someone’s backyard patio into a DIY woodland oasis, this verdant baby shower invitation is right up your alley. Decked out in winding branches and leaves, its minimalist graphics remind guests of the growing life you’re all there to celebrate. 

Woodland baby shower party supplies are available at the Party Shop by Paperless Post. Shipping is only available to US addresses.

6. Perfect your woodland party accessories

When you’re throwing a woodland-inspired baby shower, there’s one centerpiece that fosters warmth, arrests attention, and makes for the hearth of your party: the forest banquet table.

Blissfully, there’s no need to go foraging in your local park to assemble a wooden masterpiece from the twigs, leaves, and toadstools you turn up. To create a woodland atmosphere anywhere, there are 5 things your table will need:

• Timber toppers (1): Silhouetted animals perched atop pigs in blankets, cupcakes, and a variety of nibbles instantly give your platings a touch of the animal kingdom. Look for mini toppers shaped like mama bears, great pines, and sly foxes with glitter details to illuminate their shadows.
• Laurels (2): No need to spend hours stitching daisy chains and dandelion tiaras from the florals you turn up in your backyard. Instead, treat guests of honor (the parents-to-be!) to sunflower crowns to don for their moment in the sun. Are any of your guests bringing their little ones along? Treat kids to a pink rose flower crown to share in the spotlight, or award your laurels to the winner of one of your baby shower games.
• Wooden cutlery (3): Shoot two sparrows with one stone and incorporate wooden cutlery into your table or buffet settings. Not only will they give your table an organic, earthen feel—they’ll also make clean-up a breeze once you’ve bid your guests adieu!
• Toadstools for the table (4): Sprout some woodland vibes instantly with whimsical mushroom plates or napkins. Even if they aren’t housing fairies, they’re excellent at holding cupcakes and cleaning up little spills. 
• Tea party-inspired accents (5): Charming tea set staples like kettles, saucers, and teacups give your table an “Alice in Wonderland” vibe without setting any white bunnies on the loose. For a more eclectic aesthetic, aim for pieces in Easter pastels like Robin’s egg blue or soft petal pink. If you’re aiming for an English garden feel, keep your palette minimal with crystalline acrylic goblets and pitchers that bring a touch of elegance to the soiree.
• Lanterns or candles (6):  After-hours forest feasts are lit by the full moon, but your shower reenactment may need a little more electricity. Set your baby shower landscape aglow with some plug-in lanterns strung across the ceiling—and plenty of candles to make your baby shower seem otherworldly. Votives are lovely, but long, tapered candles are ideal for channeling enchanted forest energy. If you’ve got candelabras, now’s the time to free them from the china cabinet to give your party an antique, overgrown woodsy feel.

7. Engage your  forest friends with baby shower activities

Foraging in the forest isn’t all woodland creatures do. Rough and tumble bear cubs, fox kits, and even baby birds love to play—which means it’s time to liven up your baby shower with some critter-inspired games.

Here are some games fit for a forest to add to your roster of baby shower activities:

• Commemorative baby photo tree: A heartfelt game with a woodland twist, ask each guest to bring along their old baby photos to your baby shower. Display the photos on an actual outdoor tree (or an impromptu branch display in a living room vase!), and ask invitees to guess which guests match the babies in the photos.
• Mad Libs Nursery Rhymes: If you’re willing to put in a little extra effort, this woodland baby shower game can bring on the laughs and have guests reminiscing fondly about their childhoods. Gather your favorite nursery rhymes like “Hickory Dickory Dock” and “Mary Had A Little Lamb” online. Omit some keywords from the lyrics, marking the empty spaces “Adjective,” “Noun,” “Adverb,” etc. Then, print them out, distribute them to your guests, and play a Mother Goose-style round of Nursery Rhyme Mad Libs to prepare for all the lullabies you’ll be crooning!
• Baby Food Taste Test: Here’s another woodland-style take on a classic baby shower game. The objective of the baby food taste test is to identify the pureed ingredients in each blend. Instead of assembling at the table, spread out a blanket and corral your contenders picnic-style on the floor. Or, ask your guests to bring their own homemade baby food blends crafted with their choice of forest animals’ favorite foods—berries!

Printouts from Betsy Beier.

Celebrate the woodland magic with Paperless Post

From creating an intimate yet adorable candle-lit meal to creaming that pureed berry bay food taste test competition, woodland animal baby showers are chock full of chances to reminisce and look forward to the hours you’ll soon spend cooing over your loved ones’  newborn.

But before they deliver that baby, deliver your baby shower invitations with an extra pinch of enchantment. Browse the Paperless Post Party Shop, filled with spellbinding woodland theme baby shower supplies, to get the word out and point the way towards this lush new chapter.

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