There are hundreds of themes for baby showers, and perhaps the perfect theme lies somewhere in the region of your imagination. For instance, if the mother-to-be is addicted to reading tabloid magazines, you might want to throw a shower that features a collage of celebrity babies. If she is into astrology, you might want to consider having the baby’s chart done or visiting a site on the Internet that helps you name a star for the baby.

Try a Baby bookworm Party! You might wantThe point of this party is to make sure that baby grows up with a well-stocked library, so guests are encouraged to bring a children’s book as a gift. Really creative hostesses may want to suggest that participants dress up as their favorite character from a children’s story such as Alice in Wonderland or Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz.

Another clever idea is to serve typical foods, yet create placards that give them clever names. Egg salad or tuna sandwiches could be served up as The Mad Hatter’s Tea Sandwiches and pumpkin pie as Harry Potter’s Magic Pie. A cake can also be baked to resemble an open book upon which is a verse in honor of the mother is inscribed with icing.

A good game for literary types is Baby Scrabble, in which guests try to create words that only have to do with babies, or try to invent baby names.

For this kind of party, it is a nice idea to send guests away with a miniature bible as a party favor or a Polaroid photo of the guest with the mom. Make sure to take two pictures so Mom has a copy for her photo album.

You might also want to try throwing her a Sock Party! This party is created around the theme of tiny baby socks. The socks can be blue, pink or yellow depending on whether the parents know the sex of the baby. Usually the invitations are stuffed inside a small baby booty or sock that is mailed out to the guest. Guests may also be encouraged to return the baby sock with a cash donation that is then hung from a clothesline or a “sock tree.”

These kinds of showers are often decorated with what are called “sock flowers.” These are imitations of roses made by rolling back a pair or two of baby socks so that they resemble rose petals. A balled up sock represents the bud and the other socks are folded over to look like flowers and attached to a wooden stem. Mom is presented with a bouquet of baby sock flowers at the end of the shower.

The cake may also be created in the shape of a baby sock or baby bootie. Guests may also take home a party favor, chocolates or a charm, wrapped up in a baby bootie or shoe.