How can I cut corners on a baby shower?

For paper goods just do the cake napkins in a print then do the rest in solid colors that work with the pattern.

see if you can find a napkin that has an allover print for a centerpiece open napkin up lay flat in middle of table then add a baby bottle filled with cheap candy or use little things that you will give to your sister as part of her gift.

I don;t think favors are necessary, but if you want something inexpensive get small candles form dollar store & tie with curling ribbon or make chocolates or cream cheese mints & package in cute cello bags or small boxes. If you put favors in cute boxes or in small plain boxes wrapped in pretty paper you can stack those on a pretty plate & use that as your centerpiece

Adjust the time of shower ... do it in the morning for a more basic cheaper menu serve a simple fruit punch pink lemon aide with sparkling water & frozen raspberries OR a fruit juice (orange or pineapple or apple) with sprite or 7 up. Have a fruit salad seedless grapes cut n half, melon balls & mandarin oranges from cans. Muffins or corn and a baked egg casserole.

OR do shower at 2:30, after lunch but before dinner say something on invitation like join for for cake & punch to celebrate the birth of So & so's New Baby. Sevrve punch or iced tea with cake & some very simple finger foods

Go to the 99cent store and check out their decorations, you can atleast get a bunch of streamers and balloons for super cheap. As far as favors, with that many people I really don't think it's necessary. You can always buy some cheap vases or pots at the 99cent store and fill with fresh flowers for your centerpieces, then play a game of musical chairs and whichever person wins gets to take home the centerpeice. Other than that, I don't think the guests will be offended if there is not a favor at each place setting. You are feeding 81 people after all. It's understandable! If the mother to be really thinks favors are that important than ask for her suggestions and go from there. Good luck.

Good grief...have you thought to ask your sister if she realizes this is hard on you financially? Is it too late to get one of her friends or another family member to chip in?

I also was going to suggest you walk around The 99¢Only or Dollar store for decorations and some of the favors...if you have a Michael's, they have a whole section of things for showers. If you're into making things, they will have supplies. They even sell the Jordan almonds if you want a candy favor. It really does depend on how creative you are.....if you paint or do calligraphy, it can make a nice touch to anything you do...like painting bookmarks or something.

Thinking of fun ideas is one thing, but multiplying that by 81+ people puts the pressure on. I'm sure it will all work out!

I'm assuming all these people have been invited - ugh. Too late to pare down the list to around a manageable 30 people.

I know she wants a lot of gifts, but 81 people at a baby shower is insane!

Dollar store - making the food yourself etc. You can cook for 81 for less than $500.

My wife always seems to get stuck doing all this sort of stuff for her family. You'd be surprised how quick it can ad up.

For decorations for our wedding, my wife got nearly all of her ideas from etsy.com or pinterest.com (may want to check the spelling on that last one). Etsy has people selling things, but many of the things they sell are relatively simple to make on your own - and often times you can even google directions for it. Pinterest will have the directions and whatnot right there.

While our wedding was certainly expensive, it had a lot of personal touches that made it much more elegant than what we would have been able to afford without all the craft ideas.If we had bought all those things, I couldn't imagine how much more it would have been.

Go to your local craft shop and get sheets of card and decorations to make your own invites, just email friends and family to help pitch in with the decor and stuff Maybe they could even bring some unwanted decor that they had lying around or something?

favors - use white paper napkin, fold like a diaper and pin (you can buy a box of pins real cheap-) fill diapers with mints or to be a little more comical - chocolate covered peanuts or raisinettes (dirty diapers) - another option is buying baby socks and fill with sachet - tied with cheap ribbon.

have someone print up the invitations on their computer if you are not able to do yourself. I am sure you know someone who can do this - just buy box of small envelopes - they can also be printed on computer with a cute design to represent the shower.

blown up balloons from the dollar store - choose your colors - anchor them with a baby bottle (from dollar store) filled with a colored water or candies if you can afford.

This is pathetically obsessive. EIGHTY ONE guests? That is going to be one helluva boring party. Who wants to sit there for hours on end, watching some greedy person open almost a hundred gifts?

I am sorry to be critical, but this is ridiculous.

Go to some of her friends and ask them to donate their dollars and their time to help you out. Surely out of 81 guests, there has to be a few close friends who can each buy the invites and help you decorate, yes? If not, then this is just a gift grabbing event.

I suggest you go to the dollar store to see what they have to keep costs down.

do the baby shower at home and you will save 1000$ cook food and save more. spend all the savings on the rest

Can you do it as a pitch in? My sister in law gave away unwanted stuff as game prizes. If you do that, make sure the stuff is clean and unmarred. I got a stained purse!