Throwing a baby shower for an eco-conscious mama? It’s not all about choosing green décor instead of sickly sweet pastels. A truly green baby shower has a small impact on the Earth while also symbolizing the promise of a healthy, beautiful planet for the new baby to enjoy. Here are some tips for planning a stylish, eco-chic soiree.

Invitations

When sending out invites, consider going electronic – you’ll save a whole lot of paper that way, and Evites.com has some super cute baby shower invitations. If your guests aren’t exactly technologically inclined, there are plenty of pretty recycled versions out there, like the simple yet elegant designs at Baby’s Here. Skip the reply cards – ask guests to phone or email their RSVP.

Gifts

Throwing an eco-friendly baby shower doesn’t mean guests have to pony up for uber-expensive green baby gifts. Politely let guests know that the mom-to-be prefers natural and secondhand baby items, and ask them to use reusable or recycled gift packaging, which can be as simple as a dressed-up brown paper bag. Since most big-box stores don’t offer a whole lot of green items, the expectant mother may want to register at MyRegistry.com (which allows her to put together a single registry with items from any stores on the web.

Of course, baby showers don’t have to be gift-a-thons. Most eco-mamas aren’t big into ‘stuff’, anyway – they’re more likely to stick with just a handful of basic items rather than accumulating a house full of primary-colored plastic. Perhaps the expectant mom would like a book-themed shower, in which guests bring their favorite children’s book, or a Mother Blessing, which focuses on celebrating a woman’s passage into motherhood without a focus on material gifts.

Décor & Favors

Use bouquets of local organic flowers in recycled glass bottles or jars full of river rocks as décor – they can double as favors at the end of the party, too. Or, you could take a cue from party planner Traci Phillips, who was responsible for Sheryl Crow’s beautiful eco-friendly baby shower, and stick plantable cards printed with a thank-you note or poem in little pots of locally grown herbs or wheatgrass and place them at each table setting. Organic jelly beans in miniature twig bird’s nests are super sweet and symbolize the start of a new life.

When decorating the room, choose items that will leave as little waste as possible. The most creative – and helpful – way to do this is to decorate with items that mom-to-be can use after the shower. Phillips strung a clothesline pinned with baby clothes and toys above the front door to welcome guests at Crow’s fete. You could also stack rolled-up cloth diapers in the shape of a cake, secure them with colorful ribbons and place a toy on top for an adorable, reusable centerpiece.

Food & Drinks

Baby shower menus are typically light, consisting of finger foods, salads and desserts. Create your own eco baby shower menu with local and organic ingredients. Vegetarian treats are all the more earth-friendly and healthier, too. Veggie spring rolls, Asian cucumber ribbon salad, green tea cupcakes and custom homemade fortune cookies would pull an Asian theme together nicely, or you could use some of the expectant mother’s favorite recipes. If you don’t want to cook, check out local caterers in your area who use fresh, organic, local ingredients whenever possible.

Serve beverages from pitchers with reusable glasses rather than individual cans or bottles.  Sheryl Crow’s baby shower guests sipped on organic blueberry cocktails in martini glasses, with blueberries on a diaper pin as a creative garnish – take this idea and run with it for any cocktail recipes you can think of. Include a few pregnancy-friendly cocktails so the guest of honor doesn’t feel left out.  

 Image sources from top to bottom:  Lucky Crow Gift Bags, Beaucoup, Super Cool Baby, Flickr

>> Check out "Bring Back Potlucks! Eat Well While Saving You (and Your Friends) Cash" for more green gathering ideas!