Winter Baby Shower Ideas: Warm Drinks, Decor, and a Coat Plan

A winter baby shower has its own problems. Guests arrive in coats and boots, it gets dark early, and snow can change everything the night before. The theme is the easy part. This short guide covers the parts that are different in winter: the coats, the warm drinks, the lights, and a backup plan.

Quick facts for 20 guests:

• Start time: early afternoon, such as 1:00 pm, so guests drive home in daylight.
• Warm drinks: 30 cups of 8 ounces in all (cocoa, cider, and tea together), which is about 2 gallons.
• Coat plan: 20 hooks or hangers, and 4 boot trays.
• Decor and drink supplies budget: about $59, a planning estimate. It excludes food, cake, and tax.
• Setup: about 1 hour on the morning of the party.

1. Plan the coats and boots

Twenty guests means about 20 coats and up to 20 pairs of boots. If you do not plan for them, they end up on the sofa and the floor.

• Put 2 coat racks of 10 hooks each near the door, or clear a closet and add 20 hangers.
• A boot tray of 30 by 15 inches holds about 6 pairs, so use 4 trays for 20 guests (24 pairs).
• Add a small basket of clean socks or slippers, if you want guests to take off their boots.
• Put a doormat outside and a second one inside, to stop water on the floor.

2. Set up a hot cocoa and warm drink bar

Warm drinks are the best winter idea, because people can serve themselves. Plan 1.5 cups of 8 ounces per guest. For 20 guests that is 30 cups, or about 2 gallons in all, shared between the cocoa, the cider, and the tea.

• Drinks: hot cocoa in a large pot or a slow cooker, plus a pot of hot cider or decaf tea. Offer a decaf option, since many expecting mothers limit caffeine.
• Toppings: whipped cream, mini marshmallows, crushed candy canes, and cinnamon, in small bowls.
• Cups and stirrers: 30 insulated paper cups with lids, and 30 stirrers.
• Keep it warm: a slow cooker on the “warm” setting keeps cocoa hot for hours. Put a sign to say that the drinks are hot.

Cocoa in a slow cooker, with four toppings in small bowls.

3. Cozy winter decor

Keep the look soft. Use white, soft blue, and a little silver or gold.

• White lights: 20 feet of warm white fairy lights along the main wall. It gets dark by about 5 pm in many places in winter, so lights matter.
• Paper snowflakes: 9 snowflakes in 3 sizes, hung on clear line at different lengths.
• Faux snow branches: 6 white branches in 2 tall vases, which look like a winter garden.
• Balloons: 40 balloons in white, soft blue, and silver. Keep balloons away from the door, since the cold air can make them shrink.
• Flameless candles: 3 candles in different heights on each table.

For more ideas see our baby its cold outside baby shower ideas, cloud baby shower ideas, and winter wonderland party ideas.

4. Food that stays warm

Serve 2 hot items and 3 cold ones. A soup or chili in a slow cooker, a baked pasta, a veggie tray, a cheese board, and cookies work well. Keep hot food at 140°F or higher, and cold food at 40°F or lower. For more food ideas see our baby shower food ideas.

5. Have a snow plan

• Pick a date with a backup: tell guests the day before if the weather looks bad, and have a second date in mind.
• Check the forecast 48 and 24 hours before. Send a short message to all guests if you move or cancel.
• Clear the path: shovel and salt the driveway and steps in the morning, and again before guests arrive.
• Confirm the headcount the day before: pick food that keeps, such as soup and baked pasta, so leftovers can be frozen if fewer guests come.
• Keep the decor easy to move: string lights, snowflakes, and balloons are light and set up in an hour anywhere.

Two coat racks, boot trays, and a mat keep the floor dry.

Budget for 20 guests

This is a planning estimate for U.S. stores. It excludes food, cake, tax, and the coat racks and trays, and prices vary by store and region.

Mistakes to avoid

• No coat plan. Coats pile up on the sofa.
• Dark rooms. Turn on the lights before guests arrive.
• Only caffeinated drinks. Always offer decaf.
• Hot cocoa without a sign. Guests may burn their mouths.
• Late start time. Start in the early afternoon.
• No backup date. Snow can change the plan overnight.

Safety

• Hot drinks can burn. Keep the slow cooker away from children, and put a sign on it.
• Wet floors are a slip risk. Keep mats at the door and wipe up water.
• Use flameless candles near paper snowflakes and balloons.

Helpful safety sources

• NFPA: safety with candles: Fire safety tips for candles, such as keeping them away from anything that can burn.
• USDA: keeping food out of the danger zone: Why perishable food should not sit out for more than 2 hours.
• FDA: food safety for pregnant women: Foods the mom-to-be should avoid, useful when you plan the menu.

FAQ

What do you serve at a winter baby shower?

Serve 2 hot items, such as a soup in a slow cooker and a baked pasta, with 3 cold items like a veggie tray, a cheese board, and cookies. Add a hot cocoa and cider bar, with a decaf option.

How much hot chocolate do I need for a baby shower?

Plan 1.5 cups of 8 ounces per guest. For 20 guests that is 30 cups, or about 2 gallons. Keep it in a slow cooker on the warm setting, and offer 4 toppings.

How do you handle coats at a winter baby shower?

Plan one hook or hanger for each guest, so 20 for 20 guests. Two racks of 10 hooks work, and 4 boot trays of 30 by 15 inches hold about 6 pairs each. Put a mat inside and outside the door.

What time should a winter baby shower start?

Start in the early afternoon, such as 1:00 pm, so guests can drive home in daylight. It gets dark early in winter, so turn on the lights before guests arrive.

What if it snows on the day of the baby shower?

Check the forecast 48 and 24 hours before, and message all guests if you move the date. Have a backup date in mind, clear and salt the path, and confirm the headcount the day before. Choose food that keeps, such as soup, so leftovers can be frozen.

How much do decor and drink supplies cost for a winter baby shower?

Decor and drink supplies for 20 guests cost about $59: 40 balloons $12, snowflakes $10, fairy lights $8, faux branches $12, a tablecloth $9, and 30 insulated cups $8. This is a planning estimate and excludes food, cake, and tax.

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• Baby Its Cold Outside Baby Shower Ideas
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