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Thursday, January 13, 2011

Party: Golden Books Baby Shower (Free Printables)

 

Though I was out of town and missed the fabulous food and, more importantly, a really fun gathering of our and our mother's friends, before I left I helped my sister, Sarah, set up the Golden Books baby shower. I was so sorry to miss it, and to not be able to help with food and hosting, so I instead worked on the concept and design. As often happens when an idea gets in my head, I ended up spending a lot more time on this than I intended! About forty-five minutes after Sarah called saying she wanted to do a book shower with the colors blue and white, I thought of taking inspiration from Golden Books and doing a shower in blue, white and gold. I just love the feel-good era represented by Golden Books, and other vintage children's books. It suggests that all is right with the world and we are ready to welcome another little person. In this case, we were welcoming two! It was a double shower for two moms expecting baby boys.
 

I personally love remembering who gave me the books in my children's library so I thought it would be nice to provide book plates for guests to fill out and provide with their gifts. (This also meant someone at the shower didn't need to take notes about who gave which books--nice!) I used the Golden Books motif I'd developed for the baby shower invitations to make book plates, which we also used as gift tags.


This yellow and white candy striped ribbon and polka dot ribbon (purchased at Michael's) was such an easy and great way to pull the color theme throughout the rooms. We used the ribbons to wrap presents and decorate my sister's apothecary glass jars, which she filled with vintage candy, also in the party colors.


One of the things I enjoyed the most about staging this party was that Sarah and I pulled out any children's books, vintage (and vintage-looking) toys, and serving pieces we had that fit the theme and then started to put together little vignettes. It was so much fun and less stressful than doing a party all on my own. I wish I could raid my sisters' (all three!) homes every time I put on a party. Maybe I should. I'm sure I'd find plenty.


We also reused some of the pom poms I made for my Fiesta Forty birthday party last summer. So nice to get another use out of those!  The only things purchased for this party were the ribbon and the food. But I also at the last minute (the night before) painted the canvas of Little Toot. The setup was just begging for something larger scale hanging on the wall and we couldn't come up with the right thing in our possession (turns out Audrey loves it and now has it in her room).

  

In the dining room we created a large tablescape with vintage books, apothecary glass jars filled with sandwich cookies (I hate that I love them!) and children's toys.  One of my favorite things are the embellished bows on the glass jars. I punched out pictures of vintage books floating on a scalloped square background and taped them in the middle of the bows.  


  

I found the vintage bookends on eBay. Ok, I guess that's another thing I purchased for the party. The red stepstool was just the thing we needed to add a bit of color and height.



I used paper with my Golden Books motif to line this white tray--such an easy way to perpetuate the theme. Those are two of Scarlett's favorite toys: a rubber ducky and little bear from her room.


Cupcakes were planned for dessert so I made cupcake toppers using the scalloped vintage book squares and scalloped cupcake wrappers with the Golden Books motif. Those are gumballs anchoring the paper flower bouquet (another reuse from the Fiesta party). And one of my favorite toys brands, Plan Toys, airplane and helicopter.


Finally, I took paper with the Golden Books motif and wrapped the drink cooler, finishing it off with another scalloped vintage book square.



Likely the only thing more fun than the staging was the party itself!  

Here's a list of vintage, and vintage-looking toys, books and candies we used for the party:

You can download the free printables used for this Golden Books baby shower here. The PDF file includes:

Golden Books paper
 

Cupcake Wrappers 



Book Plates


Cupcake Toppers (punch out with a 2 1/8" scalloped square punch)


Click here for information about the baby shower invitation, including printable file.
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60 comments:

  1. deebrieseJanuary 13, 2011 at 8:41 AM

    Wow! That is amazing! You are so talented. I just love Golden books. My sister and I are creative together also.

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  2. Jayna RaeJanuary 13, 2011 at 8:58 AM

    It is all absolutely gorgeous! I want to throw one. I just found out a friend will be expecting in September. I think this would be PERFECT!

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  3. Jess@craftiness is not optionalJanuary 13, 2011 at 9:00 AM

    wow. it's stunning! I adore every little detail-you planned and pulled this off to perfection!

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  4. UnknownJanuary 13, 2011 at 9:09 AM

    Wow, this is so adorable! What a gorgeous shower. We just love Golden Books over here - I would have loved if someone did this for me. What a special shower.

    Lindsay

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  5. BizJanuary 13, 2011 at 9:28 AM

    You are amazing! You painted the little toot painting the night before! I can't imagine! Looks like it will be a smashing success...
    Biz

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  6. RobinJanuary 13, 2011 at 10:10 AM

    Loved all of the little details. This was so inspiring - I want to give a baby shower just to use some of the fun ideas. I loved how graphic and colorful all of your displays were. Thanks so much for sharing. Robin

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  7. LizzyJanuary 13, 2011 at 10:47 AM

    You have such a gift for making a party look wonderful! I love how you don't leave out a single detail.
    --Lizzy Smith

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  8. AnonymousJanuary 13, 2011 at 3:30 PM

    I came across your blog a few months back...you are awesome. For my son's birthday I'm going to ask for books. I love the book plates you created and will do the same. It will be nice to read the gift giver name as a part of our reading time.

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  9. MeganJanuary 13, 2011 at 4:04 PM

    what a lovely theme, it all looks absolutely gorgeous :)

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  10. @jenhalloranJanuary 13, 2011 at 8:30 PM

    Okay, blown away! That painting? Fabulous! I adore the color scheme -- love how the yellow pops against the blue. And those book plates? How absolutely perfect for the theme, and for gift tags. Even the white gumball vase filler is such a simple but stunning effect. Once again, you've outdone yourself...

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  11. RachelleJanuary 13, 2011 at 9:49 PM

    So beautifully done! Makes me want to re-live my childhood.

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  12. Bonnie AlanizJanuary 13, 2011 at 10:25 PM

    This is absolutely adorable! I love golden books! I have a collection of the mini ones...I can not wait to have a reason to throw a first birthday or shower so I can use these precious downloads! Thank you!! fabulous job!

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  13. Amy @ OurScoopJanuary 13, 2011 at 11:18 PM

    See what I mean!? You decide to throw together a canvas in one night. And its beautiful! Your amazing. Your ideas are endless. Thanks for being so generous to share all the details, ideas and free pdf's. You rock!!

    I'm loving this party idea!!!!!

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  14. Maya KuzmanJanuary 14, 2011 at 1:30 AM

    Ok. I started reading the post and I couldn't believe what I was seeing. I even held my breath in anticipation while scrolling downwards! Everything looks smashing and so well thought of!
    This may be the King (or Queen) of baby showers!
    I admire your creativity and imagination Anneliese!!

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  15. mrs.natuJanuary 15, 2011 at 6:15 AM

    wow!! i love this idea. love. i am super impressed!! thanks for sharing!

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  16. Mommy JennyJanuary 16, 2011 at 3:14 PM

    What a great shower idea! It all turned out so cute! Thanks for sharing!

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  17. AnnelieseJanuary 16, 2011 at 3:22 PM

    I love how the book shower resonates with so many people! Doesn't it just perfectly lend itself to happy memories of childhood? Such a nice way to welcome a new baby. Thanks for all the comments.

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  18. Brittany SchwaigertJanuary 16, 2011 at 3:28 PM

    I ADORE this! I loved Golden Books as a child and I would love to have this shower!

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  19. SueJanuary 16, 2011 at 3:36 PM

    THANK YOU so much for your ideas, and generosity in sharing them! We have three grandchildren joining the family this year and I absolutely love this theme! Can't wait to print it all out and plan! :)

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  20. KatieJanuary 17, 2011 at 6:57 AM

    If there is one thing I love it's when a consistent theme can be found throughout a party... like a babyshower! This is absolutely adorable!!!

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  21. KarenaJanuary 17, 2011 at 9:46 AM

    This is so perfectly darling. I love the color palette and the theme!! Your painting is excellent!

    Be sure to come and enter my Gorgeous Giveaway from Blydesign......

    Xoxo
    Karena

    Art by Karena

    ReplyDelete
  22. Alison @ Oopsey DaisyJanuary 18, 2011 at 1:47 PM

    This is just about the cutest shower I've ever seen!! I want to throw one. Or have someone throw one for me!! I just sent out this link on Twitter, too. Well done!

    ~Alison
    (Oopsey Daisy)

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  23. Alison @ Oopsey DaisyJanuary 21, 2011 at 2:05 PM

    I featured this idea yesterday on my blog!

    http://oopsey-daisy.blogspot.com/2011/01/wowzers-on-thursday.html


    Thanks for inspiring!

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  24. AdrienneFebruary 7, 2011 at 11:04 AM

    This is so adorable! And perfect timing too, I am hosting a baby shower for my bestie and she requested a book theme, I will certainly look to your post for inspiration!! Thanks! :)

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  25. KmFebruary 7, 2011 at 9:35 PM

    Spectacular! Sweet! Gorgeous! Perfect! Love every single detail. It is such a shame that you were out of town and didn't get to see the ohhhhs ahhhhhs from all the party guests! Last year I found a huge collection of golden books for 10cents each....so I will have to do something with your incredible printable! Thank YOU!!!!

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  26. ChristinaMarch 4, 2011 at 10:27 AM

    This was such an AMAZING inspiration for a shower! I recently threw my friend a shower and used your ideas, I blogged about it here:
    http://christinaclose.blogspot.com/2011/03/special-baby-shower.html
    Thank you so much for the printables and your wonderful ideas. It's gorgeous!

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  27. jelloMarch 11, 2011 at 8:43 AM

    Great parties! i love themed parties! I might steal some ideas (like the pattern for the cupcake wrappers!!)

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  28. AnonymousMarch 18, 2011 at 9:17 PM

    I have been searching the Internet all night for ideas for a Golden Books themed party for my son's first birthday and am so grateful to have just come across your blog! Your ideas are fantastic and thank you for sharing!

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  29. AnonymousJune 11, 2011 at 12:56 PM

    Anneliese,
    You are definitely you "Mother's Daughter"! My mom remembers your mom's beautiful tablescapes and enjoyed many gatherings at their home, now yours. I have bookmarked you blog because it has such beautiful pictures and ideas. I will come here for great ideas in the future!

    Steffanie C.

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  30. God Made PlaydoughJuly 14, 2011 at 4:22 PM

    I'm throwing this shower tomorrow! (a last minute shower!)Thank you so much for the free printables! I went to Goodwill and got a Golden Book for each guest as a favor. Now I'm off to scour my daughter's room for table topper ideas! :)

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  31. The AF WifeJuly 18, 2011 at 3:14 PM

    I LOVED this idea, and used some of it for a shower I threw. I gave you credit, but if you'd like to see my details, it's here. Thanks for posting and sharing! http://afwifeadventure.blogspot.com/2011/07/sarahs-golden-book-themed-baby-shower.html

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  32. AnonymousAugust 13, 2011 at 10:56 PM

    Absolutely lovely and so creative. I love this. Golden Books are my favorite. I'm so doing this party. Even if it's for me.

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  33. GreenBride624October 13, 2011 at 11:01 AM

    Oh my goodness! I absolutely LOVE this idea! I might be using this as inspiration for my younger daughters's 1st birthday party!!! (It is 6 months away! lol!) Thank you so much for sharing your printables!!!!!

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  34. AnonymousJanuary 12, 2012 at 1:31 PM

    It's an awesome idea...but it's hard to download and print..it connects you to another site an you need to login :( please help

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    Replies
    1. AnnelieseJanuary 12, 2012 at 10:11 PM

      Sorry to hear you are having trouble with Scribd. I have been using the site because it's reliable and doesn't force users to look at a bunch of ads before downloading. You can easily set up a login and/or login through an existing Facebook account if you would like. I haven't had more than two or three complaints about the site but maybe I'll add to my to-do list this year and check out some other options.

      Delete
  35. Kristian MercerJanuary 23, 2012 at 3:10 PM

    Thanks so much for this inspiring post - I'm looking forward to creating a similar shower for a friend!

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  36. HeatherJanuary 27, 2012 at 9:15 AM

    I am so excited right now! I am planning to do this for my siser's shower in April...thanks for the awesome inspiration!

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  37. TagalongFebruary 13, 2012 at 7:23 PM

    I tried to download the pdf file. It said it is corrupted, is there any fix?
    Effie -- scrapalot2@gmail.com

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  38. JoyceFebruary 20, 2012 at 8:02 PM

    This is a fantastic idea for a baby shower, as the new little one will have books to associate guests with.

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  39. AnonymousApril 2, 2012 at 2:01 PM

    I would love to do a shower with this theme for my sister, but she is expecting a girl. What would be the best way to adapt the colors to make them more baby girl friendly?

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  40. AnnelieseApril 6, 2012 at 9:41 AM

    @Anonymous: Yellow, white, turquoise and pink would be a great combination for a girl! You could cut out the "book" covers and then adhere them to pink paper you punch out with a scallop and add other pink into your decor. You could also add a pink ribbon to the invite. I think it could be darling for a girl! The invite includes girl wording as well.

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  41. NancyApril 13, 2012 at 2:07 PM

    These are some really creative ideas. Some of these baby shower invitations will go great with your ideas.

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  42. SandraApril 23, 2012 at 8:06 AM

    Thank you Anneliese for sharing these beautiful printables.It's so nice to see the younger generation interested in vinatage things.I was wanting to have a vintage book birthday party for my granddaughter,now I can.Thanks for the ideas.I still have some of my tea towels that my mother done for me.Thanks again,Sandra

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  43. LeanneJune 20, 2012 at 8:40 PM

    I love this post SO much!!!!

    www.vintagebooksfortheveryyoung.blogspot.com

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  44. paceysgirl04August 9, 2012 at 7:26 PM

    I have been searching HIGH AND LOW all over Ebay and Etsy for those darn bookends and I can't find them anywhere!!!! Do you have any info on them? are they Lefton? I NEED them by OCTOBER for my sons first birthday party we are doing a golden books theme as well and I can't stop thinking about these nor can I find anything else remotely close or as cute!!!! HELP ME PLEASE
    SOS
    Rachel

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  45. AnnelieseAugust 9, 2012 at 10:29 PM

    @paceygirl04: The bookends are Lefton. I found them on eBay--a great stroke of luck. I'm not sure what I can suggest other than to keep an eye out and try a saved search so you are notifed of any "dog" or "cat" bookend. I was looking a year ago again and saw a lot of Lefton cat bookends but not these exact ones. I hope you can find something you love. Good luck with your party!

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  46. une autre mèreFebruary 4, 2013 at 4:57 PM

    So two years after you wrote this post I'm just now stumbling across it, thanks to Pinterest! :) I'm throwing a baby shower for a friend and this is the BEST children's book party I've seen! Thanks so much for providing us with cupcake toppers and tags! I'm SO thankful I found your post!

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  47. HeatherRossMay 14, 2013 at 6:40 AM

    Love this idea!Thanks for the printables!! Quick question, what labels did you use to print the bookplates on? Trying to figure out how to print them on labels and not sure what size labels I should use or if I should use a full page label and cut them? Any help would be appreciated!!

    Thanks
    Heather

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  48. AnnelieseMay 14, 2013 at 8:08 AM

    @Heather: I buy Avery labels in 8.5"x11" and then cut them to size. Thanks for asking.

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  49. AnonymousJune 22, 2013 at 12:38 PM

    I love this theme so much that I'm doing it for my son's first borthday party. I am having trouble getting the pdf though of the tiny book covers and the cupcake wrappers, etc. Every time I click on the pdf shortcut on your blog, it won't work. I know it worked last week b/c I was going to use them, but didn't have enough ink. However, now it says it's not available. Is there another way to get them? Thanks!
    Christie

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  50. JulieJuly 17, 2013 at 12:18 AM

    What a beautifully well-planned theme! Thank you so much for sharing the pdf files!

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  51. AnonymousOctober 16, 2013 at 7:42 AM

    I love love love this Golden books baby shower! I am having a hard time downloading the printables used for this shower - would you be able to send the pdf file to my email address: jcbowker@buffalo.edu? Thanks so much!!!

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  52. AnonymousJanuary 21, 2014 at 8:35 PM

    THANK YOU!!! Thank you for sharing your files. This is exactly what I have spent the week looking for for my best friends baby shower.

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  53. Summer M.February 24, 2014 at 11:59 PM

    Your blog was a great inspiration for me when planning my daughter and her friend's first birthday party! You are awesome! And thank you so much for the templates - they added the perfect touch to make the decor super cute.

    A friend took photos of the party - you are welcome to check them out!
    http://danielleseguiphotography.pass.us/maggiemason/

    Thanks, again!

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  54. Summer M.February 25, 2014 at 12:05 AM

    forgot to add - For a party favor, I thrifted a bunch of Little Golden Books and cut up the covers to make bookmarks!

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  55. April ClarkFebruary 25, 2014 at 2:13 PM

    I'd love to know where you found the alphabet pictures (giraffe, dragonfly, etc...)

    I'm on the prowl for something similar for my son but can't find anything I love - and I LOVE these!!

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  56. AnnelieseFebruary 25, 2014 at 3:17 PM

    @April: those alphabet pictures are oversized cards, from eeBoo I believe... They come in a full set and are darling.

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  57. AnnelieseFebruary 25, 2014 at 3:18 PM

    @Summer M: Your party looks amazing! And I love the recycled book bookmarks--what a great idea! Thanks for sharing it.

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  58. JustBJune 16, 2014 at 3:32 PM

    These are so great! Can you tell me the best way to print the book plates (what color paper and such). I have printed the others and they are AMAZINGLY PERFECT for the shower we are throwing for my niece, with twin boys. YAY and thank you so much!!!

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    ReplyDelete

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