From cool “Message in a Bottle” invitations adorned with lighthouse stamps to tons of homemade treats, it’s clear that Jennifer Kenning of Seakettle put so much love – and lots of DIY hours! – into this creative Nautical Baby Shower for her (sea-and-sun-loving) sister-in-law. Clever details like folded “sailboat” napkins at each place setting, playful nautical themed props in the photo booth, and wonderfully simple licorice rope knots are all great reminders that you don’t have to break the bank to pull off a creative and stylish soiree!

PARTY HIGHLIGHTS to look out for:

• Licorice Rope Knots, Sea Glass Candy, Sand Dollar Cookies, & more themed treats
• Homemade nautical tier cake with an ombre petal design + glittery anchor topper
• Napkins folded into the shape of sailboats + Rosemary Sea Salt Party Favors
• “Messages in a bottle” for mom from the guests + anchor charm bracelet making

PARTY DETAILS as told by Jennifer…

Hosting this nautical baby shower in honor of my sister-in-law and very first nephew was such a treat! I chose a nautical theme before knowing the baby’s sex (or even offering to host a shower!) — I felt it was absolutely perfect for the sea-and-sun-loving mom-to-be!

INVITATIONS:

Since invitations are so important in generating excitement for a party, I decided to pay a little extra postage and mail “Message in a Bottle” invitations to the guests. I rolled up the paper invitations and slid them into little plastic bottles. I printed address labels and attached a series of lighthouse stamps directly on the bottle.

DECORATIONS:

I adapted the traditional nautical flags to our party’s aqua and coral color scheme and made banners to hang both inside and out. For lunch, guests dined al fresco at one long table, dressed with a homemade muslin tablecloth, scrapbook paper placemats and napkins folded into sailboats. For centerpieces, I wrapped large vases in jute, glued sand dollars and starfish to them, filled them with sand, and added pillar candles. Between those, I made arrangements of coral alstroemerias. A dozen mini sailboats with patterned paper sails floated in the nearby pool, crafted by my husband and father-in-law.

PARTY FAVORS:

At each place setting, guests found jars filled with sea salt + rosemary and “thank you” tags.

FOOD:

Appetizers included crab dip, sea glass candy, and starfish-shaped fig jam crackers. Lunch included grilled-shrimp pasta salad, tropical fruit, and corn and clam chowders served in bread bowls.

DESSERTS:

Dessert tables are always one of my favorite parts of parties, and this one was no exception! I made my first tiered cake — a coconut cake decorated with an ombre petal design and topped with a glittery cardstock anchor. I also made aqua dessert stands (from glass plates and taper holders) and put donut holes on lollipop sticks. The mom-to-be loves Twizzlers, which happened to be perfect in a nautical setting! We tied them into knots. I also made anchor sugar cookies in coral and aqua, and my mother-in-law made her famous shortbread into sand dollar cookies.

ACTIVITIES:

We had a station for guests to write “Messages in a Bottle” for the mom-to-be. Across the yard, we set up a photobooth with nautical props. During lunch, everyone was able to make anchor charm bracelets. We also played fill-in-the-blank with nautical lyrics and quotes, and then matched historic ships to their descriptions.