Baby Shower Invitations

A baby shower invitation that looks like you had it made

Someone you love is having a baby, and you offered to throw the shower. Now there is a guest list on your phone, a cake to figure out, and a stack of games nobody will admit they like. The invitation is the one part that should feel effortless — and it can. Every design on this page is a finished, hand-painted watercolor card with a clean space for your words. Pick the one that feels like her, write in the mom-to-be's name, the date and the address, and send it. No account, no fee, no watermark, nothing to cancel later.

How it works

Open any design and the words on it are yours to change: the mom-to-be's name, the day and time, where you are gathering, who to reply to. Choose a font that suits the card, move a line, make the name a little bigger — it all happens right in your browser, and nothing you type is ever sent to us or stored anywhere. When it looks right, send it as a picture or a short video, print it, or save it for later. Guests simply open it in their messages; there is nothing for them to sign up for either.

Why a video invitation gets opened

A photo of an invitation sits quietly in a group chat. A short video with the card coming to life stops the scroll — people watch it to the end, then reply. For a baby shower that matters, because you usually want a headcount from a wide circle: college friends, coworkers, both grandmothers and the neighbor with the good punch recipe. Make the video version, send it, and follow it with a plain message asking everyone to reply yes or no. You will hear back faster.

What to write on a baby shower invitation

Keep it to the things a guest needs: whose shower it is, when, where, and how to reply. A short line that sets the mood is lovely — "a little one is on the way," "we can't wait to meet her," "please join us for lunch and love" — but one is plenty. If the parents are keeping the name or the sex a surprise, say so warmly rather than leaving guests guessing. Mention if it is a couples shower or a sip-and-see, and add anything that helps a guest plan: a dress code for a garden party, or "kids welcome." Gift details, if you include them, belong in the follow-up message or on a small line at the bottom, never as the headline.

When to send it and when to ask for replies

Most showers land four to eight weeks before the due date, when the mom-to-be is still comfortable and there is time to wash and fold everything that arrives. Send invitations three to four weeks ahead, a little earlier if guests are traveling, and ask for replies about a week before the day so you can order food with real numbers. A gentle reminder a few days after the reply date is normal and expected — nobody minds.

For a girl, a boy or a surprise

You will find blush bows and carousel ponies for a girl, gingham and whales for a boy, and plenty that belong to nobody's team: honey bees, a storybook cottage, a stork over a sleepy town, wildflowers, a swan with her cygnet. If the sex is a secret, choose a scene the family will love regardless — it also makes the invitation feel like a keepsake rather than an announcement. Many of these designs suit a baby sprinkle for a second or third child just as well.

Printing it at home

Every card downloads at full quality, so it prints crisp on a home printer or at a copy shop. Heavier paper makes it feel like real stationery; a matte finish suits watercolor best. Print a few extras for the grandmothers and one for the baby book — years from now it is the invitation, not the cake, that anyone keeps.

Ideas to carry the picture into the party

Let the invitation set the theme and the rest of the planning gets easier. A honey-and-bee card asks for lemon cake and little jars of honey as favors; a tea-cup design wants scones, macarons and mismatched china; a safari card is happy with palm leaves and animal crackers; a woodland scene works with pinecones, moss and a s'mores bar. Match a color or two from the card in the napkins and flowers and the whole afternoon looks planned — even if you planned it on the couch the night before.