Micah Ryan Designs

‘Great Adventure’ Baby Shower

Hosting events for my friends and loved ones is my love language. So last November, when my best friend told me over a Friendsgiving dinner that she was pregnant, I was immediately excited to spoil her with my best baby shower yet!

We mulled over themes, she and her husband debated options, and we also carefully ensured we did not accidently set the same theme as her sister-in-law, whose baby would be born in the same month. After months of exchanged ideas, the excited parents landed on an Adventure Theme Shower, with an emphasis on the color blue.

I’d never made a balloon arch before, thankfully the childhood best friend of the mom-to-be was going to be involved in the baby shower, and agreed to make a large balloon display for the event. Thus, I created mockups of the 2 displays we would create for the event.

The first display (above) would be located at the entrance of the shower with a globe on the table that would double as our guest book for the event. The second display (below) would be setup on a short stage where the expecting parents would open gifts.

We spent an evening into the early hours of the next day, and then an early morning before the shower setting up, thankfully we had a venue that allowed us that time. Starting with the entry display, I used 3 metal arches from a set of 4. On the far left, I used a plain dusty blue arch cover, in the middle, a light blue map patterned cover, and on the right a cover featuring a blue and khaki hot air balloon. I ordered vinyl lettering from a local vendor and paid her to come early the morning of the shower to install the custom lettering ‘Baby Caden Landing Soon’. After much research on the best method, we had her print the lettering with permanent vinyl, and transferred carefully using transfer paper.

After setting up the arches and covers, I placed mountains that I made in various sizes using tri-fold project board, a yard stick for measuring, tape on the perforated side so they would not fold, and painted with blue watercolor paint. I also taped the scrap pieces from the project to the backs to help them stand up on their own.

I ordered a 4 ft train cutout, and a set of travel cutouts, of which I used one plane and 2 clouds for the entry display. I secured the plane to the arch by taping a large safety pin to the back of the plane, and pinning it onto the fabric. We made a balloon arch from Tuftex ‘Pearl Sugar’ balloons to resemble smoke coming up out of the train. For these we tied 2 17′ balloons together and twisted into a quad (cluster of 4) of 11′ balloons. We made 4 sets of that formula, and pulled them all together by tying size 260 balloons end to end to make a circle, and wrapping around 2 balloons per cluster, until it was one large arch. This was then secured to the arch using a clamp with a 260 circle clamped to the arch, then the 260 was wrapped around 2 balloons on the arch, 2 of these secured this small balloon arch to the backdrop.

For final touches here we pulled up a small round table and covered in a khaki tasseled tablecloth. We used a vintage travel case and a decorative map suitcase stacked up with a globe and sharpies for signing inside the top one. We draped a dusty blue cheesecloth table runner over the tablecloth and nestled a vintage camera on one side, and printed/framed ‘Check In’ sign on the other so guests would be instructed to sign the globe upon arrival.

Ingredients to a ‘Great Adventure’ Entry Display:

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The next large display we setup was on stage where the couple would open gifts from the baby shower. For this I stated with a background of a 7′ metal circular arch covered by a blue map patterned cover that came with the words “Adventure Awaits” already printed on it. Next to that I used the final metal arch frame from the kit of 4 and covered with a khaki map patterned arch cover. I ordered custom lettering in the same size and similar font as the pre-printed lettering to turn the phrase ‘adventure awaits’ into ‘Caden’s Great Adventure Awaits’, adding personalization and being the big reveal of the baby’s name to many of the guests (at approval of the parents to-be). This lettering was ordered from the same local vendor as the lettering in the entry display and installed by her as well.

After setting up the main back drop, our expecting mother’s childhood best friend started working on the balloon arch, using a kit from Etsy with that was were pre-curated for size and color to take out any guesswork. When the arch was made, we secured it the same way as the entry, using clamps that secured a 260 balloon tied end to end then securing the balloons onto the 260 in multiple places. For a finishing touch, we secured a plane where to the display where the balloon arch ended also by taping a safety pin to the back of the cutout and then securing it to the fabric.

Under the backdrop we placed a blue rug and on top of that rug we placed two blue chairs for the expecting parents to sit in while opening gifts. We placed a large cutout train to the left, along with more of the homemade mountains, and on the right we placed a cutout of stacked suitcases. This would symbolize the “luggage drop-off” or gift area.

To make sure it was perfectly clear (and on theme) where folks should by dropping of their gifts, we used a vintage suitcase opened up with a globe and framed ‘Gift and Card Dropoff’ sign inside of it. Cards were to be dropped off directly inside of the open luggage.

Ingredients to a ‘Great Adventure’ Main Display/Gift Opening Area:

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With the bulk of the decor complete it was time to focus on the tables where the guests would be setting. The venue came with round tables and black fabric chairs, so we covered each table with a khaki tablecloth and homemade centerpieces.

To create the centerpieces we used hot air balloon shaped paper lanterns which we painted blue on every other section. We hot glued twine to the edges, dividing the sections, and then hot glued ribbon across the middle. We used different ribbons throughout the different tables. To finish the hot air balloons we used wooden sticks wrapped in twine, and small cardboard cups which we put a small ribbon on just the top of.

To make it look like the hot air balloons where emerging from clouds, we placed a clear plastic box on the table, then took the wiring out of cloud clusters purchased from amazon and created a hole on the bottom of the clouds. We then covered the box with the cloud material and nestled the hot air balloon on top, sitting on the box, which could not be seen under the cloud fluff.

The final touches were felt airplanes cut from cheap crib mobiles placed along the clouds (3 each) and a dusty blue cheesecloth runner around the clouds tucked just under them. We also printed a few “reserved” signs to look like postcards on cream cardstock and sat upright using table number holders.

Ingredients to a ‘Great Adventure’ Tablescape:

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We happened to have an extra 5×7 “adventure awaits” backdrop. We hung that using command strips to the ‘tech’ area of the venue opposite the main display. It was perfect to bring the theme into the back of the venue. We also added another piece from the set of travel cutouts for height, and some flowers for color.

Ingredients to a ‘Great Adventure’ Extra Space:

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We finished up by setting up the food and beverage area. The venue also supplied rectangular tables, so we used 3 tables and setup in an ‘L’ shape in the right back corner of the venue. We put a khaki tablecloth on each table and draped a dusty blue cheesecloth table runner on the front of each.

On the back wall we hung a map backdrop and bordered the left and top of it with a white balloon arch that we had spill onto the table like clouds. We hung this to the metal vent using fishing line and magnetic hooks. For this we used the same formula for clusters and connecting as we did the “smoke” arch for the entry area.

On the far left of the table we setup a coffee station with 2 large carafes, creamer and cups. We added color and height with another hot air balloon, used command strips to hang a cutout above the area on the wall, and set another cutout on the table attached to the balloon arch by taping a 260 to the back of it and wrapping the 260 around 2 balloons. This made it look like the helicopter cutout was landing on the table.

To the right of the coffee station was a framed ‘In Flight Beverages’ sign, sweeteners for tea, and 3 beverage dispensers for tea, water and juice. I used blue glass bud vases with flowers and ‘adventure’ themed decorations inside throughout the food table for color and visual interest.

Past the drinks was the display of desserts, there were sweet pastries as the shower was held in the morning, displayed in a hot air balloon metal display and a cake made my the most talented local cake artist with custom toppers and a custom design.

The cake was designed to be a blue-scape map sitting on a realistic luggage layer (the WHOLE thing is a cake). The toppers were custom printed by the cake artist to fit the theme and watercolor used throughout the decor.

In the corner we stacked some blue decorative luggage and added a framed print on the top of it and another globe to the left. We found different visuals and tiers of displays for the food items, and placed through the rest of the table along with additional vases with flowers and decor.

The last of the cutouts from the set were hung on the rest of the empty wall space above the food table.

Further right for the final piece of decor that served as a napkin/utensil holder was a wooden train.

Ingredients to a ‘Great Adventure’ Extra Space:

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The shower was magical and so much fun. The parents-to-be were blessed with many new baby gifts, and we had a great time celebrating them.

I hope this helps inspire your own decorative travel adventure. Bon Voyage!

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