My sister-in-law, Jamie, is expecting her first baby in a few weeks and it’s a boy! As soon as I heard a new member would be joining the family, I jumped at the chance to co-host the baby shower with my mother-in-law and the wheels started turning. We decided to divide and conquer – I would take the lead on the overall theme, decorations, games, etc., while she would handle most of the food.

Jamie’s husband, Dan, grew up with 2 brothers…so naturally he is a huge sports fan. Right after they found out they’d be having a boy, Jamie said “Dan can’t wait to share his love of sports with his son!” Boom. That was it. Sports baby shower theme.

I don’t love overly cutesy baby décor but I also really wanted to make sure the shower reflected both of the parents-to-be, so I decided to go with a sophisticated, vintage-inspired sports theme that felt a little more like Jamie’s style. Then we got to work. It was definitely a team effort to pull everything together. A big thank you to Jeff for helping bring all of my DIY ideas to life and handling the power tools. 😉 Another huge thank you to my in-laws for not only letting 35 women invade their house, but also preparing the food, helping with all the set-up/clean-up, and of course babysitting E while I was crafting + hosting. Like I said, team effort.

Now the details…. The shower invitations were designed and printed by Etsy retailer ULuckyGirl, which perfectly reflected the theme and Jamie’s shabby chic vibe. They also created this coordinating diaper raffle card. I’m happy to report there is now a full closet of diapers ready for Baby Jackson!

For the guest tables, I found these grass tablecloths, then gathered vases from around the house and filled them with golf balls + sunflowers. The flowers added a much needed soft touch and pop of color, without clashing with the whole theme. Then we added M&Ms, because why not? Simple and understated.

The shower was from 1-4 p.m., so we opted for appetizers and snacks, with the main attraction being a popcorn bar and the amazing cake from Cakeheads Bakery. They did a wonderful job and everyone devoured it!

Mom-to-be said she didn’t want a ton of forced, silly games, so we tried to stick with easy options that worked with a large group. We played “How Big Is Mommy’s Belly?” and “The Size Is Right” baby clothes guessing game. Both were huge hits and the winners loved the Starbucks gift card prizes. We also asked everyone to “autograph” a football for Baby J, jot down wishes for the baby and featured a “Late Night Diapers” station where guests could write a messages on diapers to make the parents laugh during frequent late night diaper changes.

We chose an easy favor that coordinated perfectly with the vintage sports theme – Cracker Jacks! I ordered them in bulk, then created a little thank you tag and tied one to each box. I had the wood crate already, which served as a perfect basket to hold all the favors.

Jeff and I made the sports wood art from reclaimed wood courtesy of old pallets from Jeff’s cousins. They were a labor of love, but I LOVE the way they turned out. In fact, they are now hanging in Baby Jackson’s nursery! We also made the “Welcome Baby Jackson” yard sign from the same pallets. I created all the signage + game sheets, as well as painted the mason jars we used as straw holders (those aren’t my best work, but you get the idea!). 🙂

Overall I’m thrilled with the way everything came together for this vintage sports baby shower! There was plenty of food, drinks, laughter + tiny adorable baby clothes, but most importantly, Jamie, Dan + Baby J were showered with love by all their family and friends.

We can’t wait to meet you, little one. You are so loved already!

xo,
Rachael