If you're looking for a fun and meaningful yet practical accessory for your baby shower, you might think of using a baby shower autograph frame to fill the bill. It's something that is easy to find, fun to decorate, and wonderful to look at when put on display.
This is a pretty option to the usual baby shower guest book and much more fun to make use of. The mommy-to-be not need to hide all her friends' names away but put them out where she can remember how much fun everyone had at the baby shower. Plus when the baby's picture is added at the center, it would really be something that she would enjoy looking at every day.
There are many pretty frames which you can purchase online or you could also make one which is personalized for the mommy-to-be. For example, you don't need to stick to white, blue, or pink. Why not choose a color of frame or matting which the mommy-to-be loves? There will be more chances then that it will be used instead of kept.
You could choose a plain wooden frame that uses wide frames where the guests can sign. If the frame is unfinished, then you can paint it whatever color the mommy-to-be likes. Don't add any decorations or embellishments, the signatures that will be added may be decoration enough.
When the guests arrive, have everyone sign the frame, not the center where the picture normally goes. After everyone is done, the wood frame can be sealed with a water-based clear coat that could be either brushed on or sprayed. Either way, wait until the frame is dry before presenting it to the mommy-to-be.
Another type of autograph frame is one where the matting is signed. Choose a frame with a wide enough matting to hold all the signatures and even a few messages. Some frames come with a matting wide enough to fit two hundred and fifty signatures, so you'll be sure that everyone can sign their name and more.
An acid-free pen should be used to sign the matting here, as other types of ink can fade or destroy the photo or the paper underneath. You can get these pens at museum archival shops.
It's something that would be truly memorable to the baby when he or she starts to read what's written onto the frame or matting. It is thrilling to recognize a few names and find out how long these people have been part of your life and a great story-telling time can be had when questions come up about the names that are unfamiliar. No matter where it is displayed, it becomes a favorite of everyone in the family.
Even nicer is if you can find a frame that allows you to personalize
the greeting – not a problem when you are making your own.
“Welcome Baby” sounds very generic so it would mean
a lot more if you put in truly heartfelt greeting or even use a
phrase or two from your favorite poem about babies or motherhood.