Throw a Cowboy Theme Baby Shower for the Newest Buckaroo

Roundup a group of friends and family to celebrate the soon-to-be “rootinest tootinest” cowboy you’ve ever met — and their parents-to-be. Complete with cowboy boots, hats, cactuses, horseshoes, cow patterns, and so many more Western decorations, hosting a cowboy theme baby shower can be an extra fun experience. 

You’ll be charging forward with your party in no time with this guide that’s chock-full of ideas. From the early planning and invitations to decor, games, favors, and food, we’ll have you roping together a memorable and fun Western-style celebration. 

How to Plan a Cowboy-Themed Baby Shower

Design: Carmia Jordaan | Country Cutie Invitation

If you’ve never planned a Western-style baby shower let alone traveled out West, don’t sweat about it! It’s not so different from the average baby shower, and the basic steps are all the same. It isn’t our first rodeo, so we’ll share our top tips!

Where Should You Start with the Process? 

Design: Anna K Design | Western Baby Invitation

Like any party, you should start with the Five Ws: who, what, where, when, and why. If you’re positive you’re marching forward with a cowboy-themed baby shower, then you already know the “what” and the “why.”

Decide on Where to Host the Baby Shower for the Little Cowboy

The “where” typically comes down to budget and the type of venue the honorees would like. For a Western-style theme, hosting the event in a barn, on a farm, or even in a field (under a tent for inclement weather) would be a nice touch and close to the rustic vibe of a cowboy-themed baby shower.

Alternatively, if a friend has a house that would accommodate everyone with a nice deck for a BBQ or if there’s a local restaurant they love, those are good options as well. 

Determine When to Have the Cowboy Theme Baby Shower

To figure out the “when,” ask the parents-to-be for a few dates that work best for them. Once a venue is determined, go with a date that matches the expecting parents’ schedules and the venue’s. 

Create the Western Baby Shower Guest List

To make sure all loved ones are included, it’s best to have the parents-to-be create the guest list. If you think you have a pretty good idea of who they would invite, go ahead and kick things off with a draft and have them fill in any gaps to save them some time. 

What Kind of Cowboy Theme Baby Shower Invitation is Best? 

Design: Carmia Jordaan | Western Howdy Baby Invitation

After you have the 5 W’s nailed down, you can start creating an invitation to get the event on everyone’s calendars. We have an array of online invitations that fit the cowboy baby shower theme and plenty of wording suggestions you can consider as well.

An online invitation is best because it’s customizable and makes it super easy to round up RSVPs. In just a few clicks, a guest can respond to the invitation. Plus, you can automate reminders so you don’t have to worry about checking in with guests you haven’t heard from yet.

Here are some more tips for creating your invitation.

Choose a Design That Sets the Baby Shower Vibe

Rustic-styled invitations rich with earthy colors, natural textures, and of course, iconic Western-inspired elements are the primary way of setting the vibe for a cowboy or cowgirl theme baby shower. 

The color palette is pretty gender-neutral — making this theme a good choice for a gender reveal party — and should span browns and natural hues to give a sense of ruggedness with things like cowboy boots and hats, horseshoes, desert scenes, cactuses, or cow print patterns rounding out the invitation. 

If the parent-to-be knows the gender and, for example, for a baby girl prefers pinks and bright colors for a more defined cowgirl baby shower theme, customize the invitation to match. 

Add Fun Western Wording

It’s time to channel your inner Matthew McConaughey and craft wording that will draw in the herd and get them ready for the Western affair. Don’t forget to encourage guests to wear cowboy boots and hats to celebrate in style!

Here are some wording suggestions to get your creativity flowing:

• Saddle up and get ready for the rootinest tootinest baby shower you’ve ever been to!
• Howdy! The baby’s not in the saddle yet but will be soon. Come honor his mother-to-be.
• Y’all ready to celebrate a little cowboy/cowgirl on the way? 
• We’re rounding up loved ones to celebrate the parents-to-be! 
• Come celebrate the newest cowboy in town by enjoying some grub and showering [Name] and [Name] with love.
• Don your cowboy boots and get ready to celebrate a little buckaroo’s impending arrival.
• Yeehaw! We’ve got some celebrating to do, y’all! Join us for a couple’s baby shower. 
• A little cowboy is on the way. Join us and the rest of the herd for a swell time.  
• It’s mom and dad’s last rodeo without kids! Come help them saddle up for the new arrival. 

What Baby Shower Decorations Should You Use?

Design: Owl and Toad | Diecut Doily Invitation

Similar to the invitations, break out all of the Western-inspired embellishments for cowboy baby shower decorations, including cowboy boots and hats, horseshoes, saddles, desert scenes, cactuses, cow print patterns, and more. 

Dress it up further with party decorations and table decor like:

• Decorative tablecloths
• Bales of hay
• Red bandanas
• Wooden barrels
• Wagon wheels
• Wooden serving plates and serving spoons
• Old crates
• Milk jugs, Mason jars, or even cowboy boots filled with flowers for centerpieces
• Horse-inspired decor or toys

If you’d prefer to have a backdrop at the ready instead of a DIY project, check out the cowboy baby shower decorations and backdrops that Amazon has on sale. Plus, odds are good if you find a backdrop on Amazon, there are extra party decorations (centerpieces, serving sets, napkins, etc.) that match. Go the extra mile and complement the backdrop with a balloon arch or balloon garland featuring browns, tan tones, cow patterns, and pops of blue or pink balloons depending on the gender. 

What Baby Shower Games Match the Theme?

Design: Mint Parcel | Howdy Baby Invitation

Yeehaw! There are plenty of fun and entertaining baby shower games to engage guests at a cowboy-themed baby shower. Here are a few thought-starters:

• Guess the baby food flavors: Have guests taste an array of baby foods while blindfolded with bandanas. 
• Diaper derby: Have attendees race to see who can get a baby doll in a diaper the fastest. Similarly, do this blindfolded to add to the challenge.
• Guess how many: Fill up a cowboy boot with matching items and have guests guess how many are in there. Closest guess wins!
• Lasso the bottle: Have guests participate in a ring toss style game using rope loops as lassos and baby bottles as the targets.
• Diaper raffle: Ask guests to bring a pack of diapers for a chance to enter to win a prize.
• Gold rush sock hunt: Set up a scavenger hunt with baby socks (or even pacifiers) for attendees to participate in. The guest who finds the most is named the winner. 
• Rope the bump: Use a “lasso” (in this case twine) to estimate the mom-to-be belly’s size. 
• Cowboy hat decorating: Let guests get in touch with their inner artist by decorating plain cowboy hats with a range of supplies set up at a specified station. 

Be sure to have a variety of prizes for the game winners!

What Other Baby Shower Ideas Should You Think About?

Design: frau brandt | Yeehaw! Invitation

The good news is that all of the main items have been covered above, but there are still some things to consider including for an extra special touch:

• Party favors: Every guest should walk away with a baby shower favor. Keep it simple with treats in clear bags with a Western-themed thank you sticker attached or pass out gifts like lucky horseshoe pendants, cowboy hat key chains, or mini cactus plants. The options are endless!
• Photos: Assign somebody the job of taking pictures, or hire someone to snap photos at the celebration.
• Gift table and recording: Ensure you have enough tables to set up an area as the designated gift table. Also, have a notepad on hand for someone to write down the gifts that were opened, so the parents-to-be can send thank you cards with detailed messages. 
• Food: Another item that heavily depends on the budget is food. The budget will likely determine the amount, type of food, plated vs. family style/buffet, or if it’s a potluck or catered. A common go-to menu for a cowboy themed baby shower would be BBQ and comfort foods like mini pulled pork sliders, cornbread muffins, a chili bar, baked beans, coleslaw, etc. Sweet tea and lemonade are popular beverages to serve to complement the theme. Don’t forget to have cupcakes or a baby shower cake with a decorative cake topper to appeal to the sweet tooths in the room!

Happy Trails Are Ahead!

Design: Signature Greenvelope | Better in Boots Invitation

Now it’s time to giddy up and start rounding up the crew for the most epic cowboy baby shower party of the year. With these tips, you’ll send the soon-to-be parents riding off into the sunset toward the happy trails ahead: the arrival of their own cowboy or cowgirl.

If you’re still not sold on the cowboy theme and want to consider other options, check out our Stationers blog for other baby shower ideas. Or, if you’re already looking ahead for 1st birthday party ideas, we have lots of tips for that too.