by Nicole Caminiti

Created on: June 22, 2009

Martha Stewart, I'm not! But, I will give her a run for her money with some simple ideas for hand crafted baby shower invitations and corresponding thank you notes. And depending on the number of guests, you can create these greeting cards on a budget. For approximately 40 cards, I spent under $15 for each version.

For an easy baby shower invite, start with several sheets of white, yellow and beige card stock paper. Cut out a rectangle from the white paper and round off the corners to form the base of a bottle. From the beige card stock, create a nipple shape and then cut an oval shape from the yellow paper. Glue the nipple to the bottle and then adhere the yellow oval onto the nipple. Voila, a baby bottle!

Next, purchase some oversize address labels and print all of the shower information directly onto them. Stick the label to the bottle. For some additional embellishment, lightly spread some invisible glue around the label and then sprinkle with white glitter, giving the bottle a glistening affect.

You can purchase envelopes for your cards at Office Max, Office Depot or another supply store for just a few dollars. Envelopes are available in an array of different sizes and colors. Adhere an adorable baby sticker to the back of each envelope for added flair. You can purchase an abundance of cute baby stickers for a few bucks at your local dollar store.

For simple baby shower thank you notes, purchase several sheets of 8 by 11 inch green card stock paper. Cut each sheet in half and fold into cards. Next, purchase white card stock, white felt or white gauze. Then, cut the white material into squares and trim off the two bottom corners. You will be left with a mini diaper template. Glue the diaper onto the card and then adorn it with a safety pin tied with some yellow ribbon.

Print the phrase thanks a bundle onto some white paper or card stock and adhere to the front or inside of the card. And of course, if you know the sex of your baby in advance you can change your whole color pallet to pink or blue! And you can purchase corresponding ribbon in an array of fun patterns.

I would suggest making an abundance of thank you cards to always have on hand since you may continue receiving gifts well after the shower and birth of your bundle. Also, a stack of these homemade thank you notes make a wonderful shower gift for any soon-to-be super busy mommy!

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