Brainstorm with Me - Hundred Acre Woods Baby Shower

[TechWife]

I am hosting a baby shower in April. The nursery theme is the old-fashioned Winnie the Pooh. I am thinking of planning the baby shower around the theme of the "Hundred Acre Wood." I have been to Pinterest and gleaned enough to get started. 

 

Here are the ideas I am considering: 

 

Wood sign outside pointing to door "Hundred Acre Woods" (mom can have this sign for baby's room door if she wants it)

Use wood for table decor - I'm thinking of the cut logs they have in the wood dept at Michaels and AC Moore, putting some live plants and a stuffed Pooh Bear

Maybe a cake decorated like a beehive if I can find someone to do it

Use burlap and brown kraft paper for "table cloth"

Decorate fireplace mantle with cut branches (I'll trim my bushes the day before and keep some of them in water), use as staging area for games

 

Games will be typical baby shower games: 

Price is Right with baby items (diaper rash cream, wipes, baby food, etc. - I figure I'll throw in some Burt's Bee's baby shampoo)

Who Said That? (quotes from children's books)

One or two more games (no "how big is the mom's tummy" type games, I don't like to draw attention to things people might be sensitive about)

 

What else can I do to carry out the theme? Does anyone have any party favor ideas for me? 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Chris in VA]

I love the old-fashioned, "Classic Pooh" illustrations (as opposed to the Disney Pooh). Maybe you could put some you print from the internet in small frames on little easels on your tables as decor.

 

Could you blow some up with a projector and trace out and then color in with pastels, and put among some branches on a large wall?

[Xuzi]

Pin the tail on Eeyore? ;)

 

If you're not expecting too many guests, you could do those little teddy bear jars of honey as favors. Or maybe as game prizes.

 

For decorations maybe an umbrella, with a "Tut tut, it looks like rain!" sign, and red balloons, along with the woodland-themed stuff.

Edited March 15, 2016 by Xuzi

[HomeAgain]

What about doing a book of advice for the parents to be?  On every other page you can copy a line from the poem Now We Are Six and encourage guests to give their hints for each age.

 

I would do honey spoons for favors with a small bag of tea or some chocolates.

[FaithManor]

If you can find yellow pots, cheaply, I'd be inclined to paint the words "Honey Pot" on the sides and have treats within as centerpieces. Also, you might be able to find Winnie the Pooh books at the Goodwill or other thrifts, and books make very cute decorations as well.

[happi duck]

I think it's "hundred acre wood" not "woods".

 

I like the ideas you have and what others have mentioned...especially the beehive cake, illustrations in frames and honey as favors.

 

For the quote game perhaps the game could lean heavy towards Winnie the Pooh.

[happypamama]

Little cakes with pink sugar icing!

 

And balloons! Definitely balloons. Simple, easy, and right in theme.

 

You can use "In Which" a lot, like sending out the invitations as "In Which Sally Has a Baby and We All Celebrate."

 

(Oh, this brings back memories. Much of my baby stuff was Pooh themed. . . I had a couple of tiny Pooh sleepers that were shower gifts and neutral, because we didn't know DD was a girl beforehand, so all five of my babies have worn them. Sniff. They grow up so fast.)

 

I love the "who said that" idea!

[Tammi K]

Such great ideas.  The only thing that stands out as an 'ummm' maybe rethink the burlap. The fibers get everywhere. How about a homespun in a tan/ natural color. It is a lot less likely to get into the food.

[eternalsummer]

Little cakes with pink sugar icing!

 

And balloons! Definitely balloons. Simple, easy, and right in theme.

 

You can use "In Which" a lot, like sending out the invitations as "In Which Sally Has a Baby and We All Celebrate."

 

(Oh, this brings back memories. Much of my baby stuff was Pooh themed. . . I had a couple of tiny Pooh sleepers that were shower gifts and neutral, because we didn't know DD was a girl beforehand, so all five of my babies have worn them. Sniff. They grow up so fast.)

 

I love the "who said that" idea!

 

These are all perfect.  You can use the capitalization for effect thing Milne does, too.  I *love* that.

[Katy]

Use the Pooh font for anything you print?  http://www.fonts101.com/fonts/view/Handwriting/18610/Pooh

[LibraryLover]

A tea party?  Free range play? Eyeore. :)    When I think of Christopher Robin, I don't think of burlap etc. I think of a little upper class British tot lucky enough to live in a hundred acre wood. 

Edited March 15, 2016 by LibraryLover

[Liz CA]

If I had the time, I might search for some stuffed characters to have the whole cast from Rabbit to Owl. This could go home with Mom and be given to baby later.

We were such Pooh Bear fans at our house that I cut out a large felt wall hanging which depicted Winnie-the-Pooh hanging by one arm from the honey tree and licking his other paw. My dh who can draw better than I transferred the picture from a small image in a book onto large paper which I used for the cut-out. This may be too much work unless you have some willing and craft talented kids.

Some goodwill stores have Pooh themed bowls and plates which you could use to serve dessert. If you have a Cost Plus nearby, you may be able to find tiny honey bears or even honey pots. Years ago, they had something like this.

And whatever you serve could have honey in it or be topped with honey. Of course you need some alternative to honey since some people cannot digest it.

 

I am getting carried away remembering the days of Winnie-the -Pooh at our house...

Edited March 15, 2016 by Liz CA

[eternalsummer]

Now I just have to talk one of my kids into a Winnie the Pooh birthday party.  Maybe dd4's 5th birthday?

[Chris in VA]

Just to say--

 

My father travelled a lot on business. He was usually gone 2-3 days a week overnight when I was 5-13 years old. When he was back, he'd read Winnie the Pooh to me. He had a slightly British accent, due to coming from England when he was 16 (he was American with Brit parents and was born here, but moved back to Liverpool at a very young age).

 

Pooh was "our" story. Very special memories.

 

I wanted the old-style Pooh decorations for my first nursery (which was really our office, but ds shared with his Dad for a few years! lol), but back then, the only Pooh available was the Disney version.

 

So, this thread is sweet to me. :)

[MercyA]

I wanted the old-style Pooh decorations for my first nursery (which was really our office, but ds shared with his Dad for a few years! lol), but back then, the only Pooh available was the Disney version.

 

There are lots and lots of "Classic Pooh" items on eBay and Amazon now. You might find some inspiration at both places, OP. For example, I love this Pooh quote on blocks for a baby shower.

[pehp]

I don't have any killer tips, but I just want to say I think this is a darling theme, and anything you do with it will be beautiful and much-appreciated!  What a sweet idea!

[momto10blessings]

My sister did a Pooh baby shower for my first baby. She decorated with books and little stuffed animals that we still have after 16 years. But my favorite decoration was a framed picture of pooh that said something like "I knew when I met you, an adventure was going to happen". So, so true. Every time I pass that frame, I tear up. It's been quite an adventure.

[TechWife]

The stuffed Pooh, Piglet and Rabbit arrived today!

[TechWife]

There are lots and lots of "Classic Pooh" items on eBay and Amazon now. You might find some inspiration at both places, OP. For example, I love this Pooh quote on blocks for a baby shower.

I am in love with that! Do you think it would be okay if I made my own version? I can put the stuffed Pooh on top.

[TechWife]

The e-votes went out earlier this week and RSVP's are coming in! It looks like both grandmothers-to-be will be joining us, which I love! I found a woodland themed one to use, with a deer and a rabbit.

 

I found a recipe for honey lemonade that sounds great. I'm going to make a test batch sometime this weekend. I found a drink dispenser at our brand new Costco today. I've wanted one for a long time and this is a good reason to get one. I think it will be $20 well spent. It has a reservoir for ice under it to chill beverages without diluting them with melting ice. While I was at Costco I priced dinnerware. They have some nice white plastic plates with a silver band around the edge of th plate. Each package has 25 salad plates and 24 dinner plates. I can use the salad plates during this party and save the 25 others for another time. They have nice silver look plastic ware that I'm thinking about, but I want to compare shop at Party City.

 

I bought some wood that I'm going to try to get into it somewhere. I do have the sign for the Hundred Acre Wood - I just have to find my son's wood burning tool so I can get it made.

 

Much more to come.

[MercyA]

I am in love with that! Do you think it would be okay if I made my own version? I can put the stuffed Pooh on top.

 

I'm sure that would be totally fine! It would be adorable with the stuffed Pooh on top.  :thumbup1:

[TechWife]

We had so much fun today! I didn't get pictures of everything, but here are some of the table. I decorated it with potted plants (some went home as game prizes and some were for my spring containers), cut flowers in mason jars, burlap, one wood piece for a "platter" of sorts, and chalkboard signs in Pooh style spelling. There were also a Pooh and Piglet stuffed animals and Pooh had a blue balloon tied to his hand. 

 

I served brie and "hunny" with crackers (the honey was in a ceramic bee hive honey pot with a wood dipper), caprizi salad skewers, white grapes, tzatziki with cucumbers and pita to dip, a fruit tart and a single layer chocolate cake. I also made the Honey Lemonade, it turned out pretty well. For once I made it with fresh squeezed lemons. I squeezed four pounds of lemons to get enough juice for one gallon of lemonade - not sure I'll do that again without borrowing an electric juicer from someone!

 

I made a sign for the bottom of the porch stairs - a wooden arrow that I purchased at a craft store and wood burned with "Hundred Acre Wood." The arrow pointed to my door, of course! I put mason jars with cut flowers going down the three steps up to the porch. I also tied some balloons to the sign. 

 

 

Hundred Acre Wood Table by Tech Wife, on Flickr

 

serving table left side 100 acre wood by Tech Wife, on Flickr

 

close up 100 Acre Wood by Tech Wife, on Flickr

Edited April 3, 2016 by TechWife

[TechWife]

For games, we did The Price is Right, Pooh Trivia and a minute to win it nursery rhyme quiz. 

 

Thanks so much for your help and ideas everyone, I appreciate it very much! 

[MercyA]

So adorable! Great job! The food looks absolutely delicious, too.  :thumbup1:

[happypamama]

Adorable!