The Sweetest Centerpieces for Your Baby Shower

A baby shower is something any mother-to-be will appreciate, and that's true no matter what the event looks like. In the time of COVID-19, you'll likely be planning a virtual baby shower or even a socially distanced drive-by gathering, as these are smart, safe ways to celebrate in light of the pandemic. However, if you're keeping celebrations amongst your household or quarantine pod, you can enjoy many of the traditions expected of a baby shower. One of them? A set table with centerpieces.

Centerpieces should speak to your baby shower's theme and overall décor. Does the mother-to-be enjoy literature? Host a shower based on her childhood favorites and celebrate works like Peter Rabbit, Beauty and the Beast, and anything written by Dr. Seuss. If she's a Francophile, whisk her away to the French countryside with flowers and towers of macarons. In a fantasy, craft a wooded wonderland featuring small miniature animals in cloches atop faux-bois pedestals. Balloons elevate the scene, adding height and dimension to your decorations; plus, there are a number of eco-friendly options these days. Considering color palette is always a good idea: sweet pastels, bright candy-colored hues, and muted colors found in nature. Flowers are always welcomed, too: Opt for symbolic varieties such as baby's breath (also known as Gypsophila), a simple delicate flower that evokes innocence and purity. Others include acacia, buttercups, white camellia, and daisies. These can be displayed in cloches, goblets, tiered stands, or the traditional vase. A simple addition of the centerpiece elevates the table settings and sets the tone for the celebration.

Here, choose your centerpiece and set the table for gathering in celebration of the expecting parents and their little arrival.

Even grocery-store roses look stunning when displayed in glass votive candleholders. Snip off the stems and arrange as a set.

Baskets brimming with fruit imbue a table with rustic charm.

Champagne flutes make elegant vessels for displaying flowers. Nestle arrangements of lisianthus, waxflowers, and ranunculus in them.

Vintage and new tins are often decorated with charming, old-fashioned prints and lettering. Clean out these containers, and give them a second life as informal flower vases for a tea party-themed baby shower. We filled one with roses, gomphrenas, and sweet peas. The tins are usually watertight and certainly shatterproof, so you don't have to worry about leaks or breakage.

Flowers and candlelight are nothing new, but together they create tabletop decorations fit for a relaxed summer baby shower. Place votive candles in tall glass vessels, and attach a flower (dahlias are shown here) outside each, trimming the stem to fit and tying with raffia that matches the flower. Set each display in a saucer of water to keep the flowers fresh.

Float flowers like these peonies in small bowls, and arrange them with votive candles on a cheese board for a quick, modern centerpiece. On a long table, you can place a few platters down the middle.

Light up a table with this arrangement perfect for a seaside shower. Use candle adhesive to secure slender tapers to the bottom of a clear glass vase. Carefully pour in a few inches of sand, then arrange shells on top. Besides refracting the candlelight for added ambience, the vase will protect the flames from breeze.

Delicate and airy, this baby shower centerpiece composed of single blossoms lets you make the most of a limited group of flowers. Showcase each one—we used dahlias and garden roses—in clear glass vessels, such as bud vases, jars, or even drinking glasses. To accentuate the arrangement, set the flowers on a runner with a hue that contrasts the color of the tablecloth.

You can boost the height and visual drama of any arrangement with the help of a serving bowl from the kitchen or china cabinet. Set a vase inside the bowl, and then fill both vessels with billowing flowers.

A pedestal vase is filled to the brim and beyond with poppies in all colors. This centerpiece complements the tablecloth stamped in similar colors nicely.