There's more than one party that has been timed for when the leaves change color to the brilliant hues of red, orange, and yellow. Fall also brings the Harvest Moon, the pumpkins and other gourds, and Halloween, aside from Thanksgiving. This wide variety of images make it almost impossible to choose a theme.
A favorite image for fall has always been the colored leaves, though. This theme may well be suited to a smallish baby shower since it's all decorated with natural materials that may prove very difficult to gather. Take the color scheme from the leaves themselves – red, orange, and yellow.
Set the table with a cloth in red and then cover it with two over-cloths set at an angle in orange and yellow. A wonderful decoration for the center of this table would be a pile of fine gourds set on a layer of colored leaves in a woven twig basket. Add to that some bittersweet berries and you've got the perfect and simple fall centerpiece.
Use the same colors of cloths on the buffet table. Since fall is the most rustic season of all, just use wooden or stoneware platters to hold the food. Silver would not work as an accent metal here, but pewter or brass would be able to hold the stronger colors well. Find a couple of pairs of metal candlesticks and use that as the backdrop of the table.
As a centerpiece, fashion a large arrangement of colored leaves and complementary flowers to accent it. Mums or simple asters are a beautiful complement to the leaves. If you can find them, the fall-tinted silk leaves in metallic paints would fill out the arrangement very nicely.
Why not choose a chocolate or carrot cake for this type of baby shower? Covered with a lightly sweetened cream cheese frosting and decorated with chocolate leaves, it will make a deliciously-looking and -tasting edible centerpiece.
Other food that can be found at the table could be those comfort foods that are found on the table on Thanksgiving. Or, you can be more adventurous and have some gourmet food that makes use of the best produce of the season instead. For example, chestnuts, especially Marrons Glacees, or candied chestnuts, would make a welcome addition to dessert when served with sweetened, airy whipped cream.
Of course, a baby shower favor will be needed to bring the whole
party together. A beautiful choice would be a chocolate lollipop
that is flavored with a whole mess of wonderful spices and itself
make to look like an autumn leaf, perhaps like the more popular
red maple.