When searching for the best baby shower prizes for your guests, you want to keep two things in mind:
- Rule #1: Is it something that is useful or practical?
- Rule #2: Is it something that EVERYONE will love?
Finding gifts that meet both criteria will ensure your guests will actually like and keep their gifts, rather than throwing your hard-earned dollars in the Goodwill bin… Or worse… The trash.
This list will cover the different types of baby shower prizes that you might want to have at your event, and some ideas for each group to fit all different types of budgets.
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Setting A Budget For Baby Shower Prizes
Before you start thinking of the best baby shower prizes for your guests, you and your host should decide on a budget for all of the shower prizes that you will need.
Having a budget will help you determine which of the baby shower gift ideas you should pick below.
For my examples, I will say that you have a $100 budget limit for prizes.
This is a completely arbitrary number. Depending on the size of your guest list, and how crafty you are with DIY projects, you could easily slice that number in half.
On the flip side, if you have 100+ guests on your guest list, your budget will need to be much higher.
So again, I’ll use $100 as a nice even number for an example, but you and your host can start with any number that you are comfortable with.
Mom Tip: Are you in the early stages of planning your baby shower? Check out the best baby shower venues to host your event.
Popular Door Prizes And Party Favors
This one is the easiest because you should have one door prize or party favor for each guest on your list to take home with them.
You should spend 50% of your baby shower prize budget on party favors. So, with my example budget of $100, I will use $50 to buy party favors for each guest.
Say you have 25 people on your guest list that are attending, this means you can spend about ~$2 on each guest.
Again, this is just an example to get you started.
Maybe your budget will only allow you to spend $0.50 on each guest, and maybe your budget will allow you to spend $5-$10.
Here are the best baby shower prizes for party favors (as well as the approximate cost of each):
- Cookies/Chocolates/Candy ($0.50+ Per Person)
Everyone loves sweets. Whether you buy your goodies from a professional baker or choose to make them on your own, your guests will love this party favor.
To save on money, get goodie bags from the dollar store and some nice ribbon (in pink or blue) and package the sweets yourself.
I love this Oreo truffle recipe! It is easy, inexpensive, and does not disappoint.
- Nail Polish ($1-$6 Per Person)
Grab some nail polish for your guests in a color that represents the gender of your baby (like pink nail polish for a baby girl shower or blue nail polish for a baby boy shower), or goes along with the theme of your shower. Tie a cute ribbon around the top and you are all set!
Want to make it a little fancier for only a few cents more per person? Tie a colorful nail file with the bow!
- Succulent Plants ($2-$10 Per Person)
Everyone loves succulents (A plant you can’t kill? Yes please.).
Plants symbolize new life and depending on the theme of your shower, they might be the perfect baby shower party favor.
Major retailers like Target, Walmart, Home Depot, and Lowes sell succulents all year round. Most come in nice succulent pots, but if not you can pick up inexpensive pots at the dollar store.
- Mini Bottles Of Champagne, Wine, or Spirits ($2-$10 Per Person)
Just because you can’t sip on champagne doesn’t mean you can’t offer some to your guests!
Keep in mind Rule #2: is it something EVERYONE will like?
Champagne is generally well-liked by all, but might be out of budget depending on where you buy it.
Make a fun prize by pairing a mini bottle of champagne with a mini orange juice for single-serve mimosas!
Is champagne too expensive?
Mini bottles of wine tend to be much less expensive. To make sure everyone finds something they like, grab a 50/50 selection of red and white wine and let your guests take whichever they prefer.
- Sugar Scrub ($2+ Per Person)
Making sugar scrub is so easy and so inexpensive!
In my opinion, this is one of the best baby shower prizes out there. It is affordable, impressive, luxurious, and can be dyed and scented to go along with any shower theme.
Grab some inexpensive jars at the dollar store, whip up a batch of scrub, package it with a bow, and you are all set!
Sugar Scrub Basics:
The basic sugar scrub recipe is: 2 parts sugar and 1 part oil.
You can use any sugar or oil you like but I like a raw or natural sugar for a more abrasive scrub, and regular white sugar for a gentler scrub.
I also like to use coconut oil because it solidifies so you don’t have to worry about oils leaking from your jars. Warm the coconut oil to liquid, mix in the sugar, and then let it harden again in the individual jars.
Feel free to add scents to your scrubs, but remember Rule #2 and use only universally appealing scents like lemon or orange essential oils.
Best Baby Shower Prizes For Baby Shower Game
Now that we’ve covered party favors, we can think about the best baby shower prizes for the baby shower game-winners for the games you are going to play.
Pro Tip: Any of these baby shower prizes could also be used as party favors or door prizes, but they tend to be a little more expensive.
You should plan on spending 50% of your baby shower prize budget on prizes for games. In my example, we will spend $50 of our $100 budget on prizes for games.
You only need 1 prize per game* so you can decide on the prize amount depending on how many games you are going to play.
Let’s say you only want to play 2 games, you can spend $25 on each prize.
If you want to play 5 games, you can spend $10 on each prize.
*You want to avoid having a tie in any of your games. If you have a tie you might not have enough prizes for everyone. Have a tie-breaker handy, or buy 1 extra “backup” prize in case of a tie.
Diaper Raffle Grand Prize
If you are planning on doing a diaper raffle (which you totally should!) to build a diaper stash, the grand prize should be separate from your other game prizes.
The reason is that diaper raffle prizes need to be a little more extravagant to get people to participate–and to get you more diapers!
Not sure how to do a diaper raffle? I walk you through it step-by-step in my article on How To Do A Diaper Raffle.
I even include free printables for organizing the event!
Finally, I share the best diaper raffle grand prizes to suit every budget (yes, even a free budget!).
Related Posts:
How To Do A Diaper Raffle: A Guide For Baby Showers (Plus FREE Printable Raffle Tickets And Invitation Inserts)
33 Best Baby Shower Venues
The 7 Best Baby Gadgets That You Haven’t Thought Of
The Best Crochet Stitch For A Baby Blanket: Plus 4 Free Easy Patterns For Beginners
Cheap Baby Shower Prizes
Buying on sale, or in-bulk is the key to getting these baby shower prizes at a great price.
- Lotions And Toilettries ($5+ Per Prize)
Any self-care products make for great baby shower game prizes:
- Hand lotion
- Hand soap
- Body lotions
- Bath bombs
- Shower gel
- Lip balm
- Lip gloss
- Body wash, etc.
These are all things that your guests will use (Rule #1). Make sure to buy a scent that everyone will love (Rule #2).
Note: Popular Bodyworks scents like warm vanilla sugar and cherry blossom are very polarizing (people love them or hate them). Avoid giving a gift that someone won’t use by picking a citrus scent or unscented varieties.
If you want to get really crafty you can make your own bath bombs or your own lip blams.
Pair a couple of these items in a decorative mesh bag that you can find at a dollar store for a cute prize.
Want a more extravagant prize?
Try combining a few of the items listed above into a self-care gift basket that your guests will love.
- Tote Bags ($5+ Per Prize)
Who doesn’t love a good tote bag?
- Cookie Mason Jar Kits ($5+ Per Prize)
Fill a mason jar with all of the dry ingredients to your favorite cookie or brownie recipe.
Attach a recipe card with some pretty ribbon and you are all set.
Check out my go-to mason jar cookie gift.
- Photo Frames ($5+ Per Prize)
A really nice photo frame will never go to waste.
Make note of who wins the photo frame and send them a picture of the two of you from the baby shower to go in it.
- Stationary ($5+ Per Prize)
Snail mail is back in style!
Look for inexpensive stationery sets at places like Five Below for a cute gift that anyone can use.
Best Baby Shower Prizes For A Coed Baby Shower
Hosting a co-ed shower? Finding game prizes can be a little trickier, but here are some ideas (you can use these for a non-coed shower too!):
- Gift Cards ($10+ Per Prize)
My 2 cents? Don’t give a gift card less than $10. It’s very difficult to get anything for $5, even a coffee.
Pick a gift card to a place that anyone would be happy to shop at like Target or Starbucks.
- Insulated Tumblers ($10+ Per Prize)
Insulated tumblers are popular among men and women. Choose a neutral color like metal, green, or blue.
- Coffee Beans ($8+ Per Prize)
Make your own gift set by picking up some coffee bags and a mug from your local coffee shop.
Wrap them together with some tissue paper in a bag and you have an impressive gender-neutral gift.
- Tea ($5+ Per Prize)
Just like with coffee, tea also makes a great baby shower prize. Fill a mug with your favorite tea blends.
- Handmade Soap ($8+ Per Prize)
Handmade soaps are a great gift for the winners of baby shower games.
You can definitely make your own handmade soap, but the materials can be tricky to find, and it isn’t something you would want to do for the first time when you are making such a big batch.
Seek out local handmade soap at a craft fair or farmer’s market. A lot of time the artisans will work with you on the scent, add-ins (like dried fruits and flowers), size, shape, and price.
Best Baby Shower Prizes For Practical People
- Kitchen Utensils ($5+ Per Prize)
No one can ever have enough kitchen utensils.
Find some cute rubber scrapers or spatulas that go along with your colors or theme. Tie them with a recipe card for your go-to meal and your gift is all set.
- Tea Towels ($5+ Per Prize)
Tea towels are useful gifts, but you could also gift them in creative ways like finding one with a funny saying. This will give your guest a good laugh and be a lot of fun for their kitchen.
- Candles ($10+ Per Prize)
Make sure to find a scent that is universally appealing (usually citrus is a safe bet).
- Blankets And Home Decor ($10+ Per Prize)
A cute throw pillow or warm blanket are great ideas for practical baby shower prizes. Pick colors and patterns that will go with any home style (stick with neutrals like beige, white, or grey) and avoid loud patterns and prints or bold colors (like reds or greens).
- Planners, Calendars, And Journals ($10+ Per Prize)
We could all use a little more organization in our lives. These make for great prizes (espcially if your shower is close to the start of the school year or new year).
Miscellaneous Baby Shower Prizes
- Cook Book ($10+ Per Prize)
Gift your favorite cookbook and give your guest all of your cooking secrets and hacks!
- Your Favorite Book ($10+ Per Prize)
Have a book that you can’t get enough of? Grab a copy for a friend. The two of you can talk about the book later.
Pro Tip: There are some books that are universally appealing like cookbooks, mindfulness books, romantic comedies, etc. If you’re not sure if all of the guests would like your book, include a gift receipt in the jacket.
- Flowers ($20+ Per Prize)
A nice flower arrangement and vase is a gift that anyone of any age would be happy to receive. Make sure not to buy your flowers too far ahead of time or they might start to droop quickly for your guest.
You could also spring for an indoor potted flower like an orchid.
- Alcohol ($20+ Per Prize)
While you might offer mini bottles of champagne or wine as a party favor, you can splurge on a full-size bottle for your game prizes.
Since alcohol tends to be a little more expensive, save this as a big prize for your most competitive baby shower game.
Not sure what everyone will like? Stick to champagne, white wine, and clear liquors and you will be fine!
