The great news about choosing a baby shower theme is that you don’t have to go far for inspiration. Babies are so darn cute and they need everything, and so do new moms. You can build a theme around virtually anything.

Go hunting for inspiration at a baby boutique, a stationery store, the mall, or even your grocery store. Search through your own closets and cupboards— are you inspired by a color, a dish pattern, a collection of teacups, floral sheets, or antique dolls?

Use the list below for some shower theme ideas or to develop your own unusual shower themes:

• Baby Gender: Sugar and Spice, Little Princess, or Belles and Bows for a girl, and Snails and Puppy Dog Tails, Baby on Board, or Little Boy Blue if it’s a boy

• Babies in Groups: Twins, triplets, and other multiples can be a theme of their own—Tea for Two, Peas in a Pod, Double Trouble

• Baby’s Layette: Booties, onesies, drawstring night sacs, and bonnets.

• Baby’s Nursery: Carriages, cribs, bottles, diaper pins, and pacifiers.

• Baby’s Toys: Ducks, bunnies, lambs, giraffes, elephants, rattles, teddy bears, trucks, trains, dolls, and blocks.

• Baby Animals: Puppies, chicks, kittens, birds, etc.

• Baby’s Schedule: Feeding time, bath time, naptime, bedtime, etc.

• Baby Icons: Hearts, flowers, angels, clouds, rainbows, bows, buttons, stork, etc.

• Nursery Rhymes, Lullabies, and Literature: “The Cow Jumped Over the Moon,” Good Night Moon, “Cat and the Fiddle,” Dr. Seuss, The Tale of Peter Rabbit, “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star”

Fact

Most men will put on the brakes at the idea of a party with tea sandwiches, baby clothes, or shower games. Go with a guy-centric (but mommy-safe) theme from this book, an interesting activity, and a hearty menu served up with a microbrew, and you will have the male contingent cheering.

• Seasonal Themes: Christmas, Hanukkah, Valentine’s Day, Fourth of July, Thanksgiving, Halloween, winter, spring, summer, or fall

• Colors and Patterns: Pastels, primary, monochromatic, nursery colors, pink, blue, yellow, green, lavender; patterns like checks, polka dots, and stripes

• Flowers: Sunflowers, tulips, roses, baby’s breath, violets, pansies, daisies, etc.

• Guest Demographics: Mommy’s girlfriends, coworkers, Grandmother’s friends, cousins, couples, neighbors, book club, religious community, bowling league, etc.