How To: Onesie Wonders

At the baby shower I hosted last night, we had one activity for all guests to participate it: Onesie decorating! Since we weren't opening gifts or playing any games, I came up with this activity to give guests something to do other than eat, drink, and mingle. It turned out to be a hit!

First, I went to Michael's to get some fabric markers.I chose to use fabric markers instead of puffy paint because we were using space within a restaurant, and I didn't think that they would invite us back if we messed up their tables and chairs. And I also didn't want people to create onesies that resembled the one Meredith did on Greys Anatomy.

Next, I went and bought several packages of white onesies in various sizes, so that the twins don't out grow all of them at once. I suggest some of the 0-3 months, 3-6 months, and 6-9 months. Since they are twins, I opted for the the 0-3 month onesies because they will most likely be smaller than usual babies for the first few months. However, many newborns outgrow the 0-3 month onesies within the first few weeks, so for a single baby shower, I would recommend using the larger sizes of 3-6 months, 6-9 months, and even the 9-12 months. You can always pair the onesie with cute pants or skirts for a less baby look.

Next, I scoured the web for funny sayings to provide for the onesies. It is always best to give guests a few funny options if they feel they lack creativity in coming up with something on their own. Here are a few of my favorites:

• Daddy's Little Tax Deduction
• Stop Texting and Change Me
• Its All About Me
• Spit Happens
• Nobody Puts Baby in The Corner
• I Crawl the Line
• Does this diaper make my butt look big?
• High Fashion Meets Tiny Toes
• I Drink Until I Pass Out

Before the shower, I pre-washed all the onesies per the directions on the fabric markers, and then I cut square pieces of cardboard and placed them inside the onesies, so that when we decorate, the marker would not bleed through to the other side. I also taped the sleeves and bottom of the onesie up at the back, so that the guests would have a nice square area to write or draw in.

Also, on about half of the onesies, I cut out and traced these shapes (from Microsoft Publisher clip art - template below) onto cardboard.

Then I used a thin line of puffy paint around one shape in the middle of the onesie. I let these dry for a few hours before stacking them to bring to the shower.

Sometimes it is easier for non-creative people to have a small area to write lettering in, if they are not good freehand writers. It also really dressed up some of the lettering!

Our guests had so much fun! And some of them came up with the cutest designs! These are the cousins of the twins, and one of them made a onesie that said "If you think I'm cute, you should see my cousins" - It was my favorite!

And after they were decorated, I followed the directions on the fabric markers and washed the onesies before giving them to the Mom-to-Be. Here's how a few turned out:

Some of our guests got really creative with their drawings and lettering, and I was so happy with the results! You can see from the pic that the Baby Gaga one is a 0-3 month old onesie with long sleeves, and the others are short sleeved ones that are in larger sizes. They were so cute, and the new parents loved opening them all up to see what their guests had come up with! It was such a fun and easy activity, that we may just use it at other showers to come!