This page contains affiliate links. When you purchase through these links, I may earn a small commission at no cost to you. These are items we used for creating décor for this tropical baby shower, and would use again for making event decorations.
For each table, we had glass vases with tropical greenery and toy rainforest animals. We wanted the centerpieces to be playful and low to the table for ease of conversation. To add a personal touch, we also placed childhood pictures of the mom- and dad-to-be throughout the party. These pictures were anchored by more toy animals with attached photo clips. Many thanks to Emily of Emily Katherine Events for taking the photos of the centerpieces at the shower that we’re using in this post.
Our Inspiration
Our starting point was based on centerpieces like these from Parties365. The animals having a single color and the few leaves in the vase were really interesting minimalist notes I wanted to try out.
Tabletop Terrariums
Our first iteration started with a vase that was 6” in diameter and about 8”. We got them from Bed Bath and Beyond, and they were pretty affordable for their size. As you can see, we started with monochrome animals and a few single leaves, in addition to these leaves (affiliate link) as a base. Our floor plan for the shower included long tables, so we wanted each centerpiece to have good views from the front and back. This first iteration with the sparse leaves inside the vases seemed like it might be tricky to accomplish that, so we kept exploring options.
Because our vase was fairly wide relative to the inspiration vases, we wanted to try breaking up the sandy surface for visual interest. By carving rocks out of floral foam (affiliate link) and spray painting them with textured spray paint, we broke up the stretch of sand and also got some vertical separation for animal perches. These miniature bushes (affiliate link) we added also gave more color to the space.
Next, we decided to try a different option for the greenery inside the vase. These cascading branches went over the side of the vase, ensuring clear and interesting views from both sides of the table. At this point, we also glued white floral foam to the bottom of the vase so the branch had a strong support. The sand entirely covered the foam disks on the edges and top, with the side benefit that we needed much less sand for each vase.
We wrapped the stem of each branch with small vines we cut from other faux greenery, to camouflage the plastic and also add more vertical details. As a bonus, this created a great perch for certain toy animals like this monkey.
In addition to having cute moments like the monkeys climbing the branches, we super glued floral wire to some of the tropical birds so we could attach them to the trailing greenery. At this point, our vases had really gone in more of a terrarium direction, so we made the call to keep the animals in their original colors.
Animal Photo Displays
I definitely wish that we had found great tutorials like this one from Sugar & Cloth before the shower, so I recommend checking it out for more detailed instructions. We used alligator clips (affiliate link) already attached to thick wire, but otherwise our steps were pretty similar.
For our final design, we actually incorporated the monochrome look that we had liked from the inspiration vases. It definitely made the clips look more like an integrated piece of the décor. Because the holders were cream and goldenrod and we were leaning more boho than modern, we used a matte topcoat that toned down the ‘toy’ look of the piece. Similarly, the photos were given a sepia filter and printed on linen card stock to continue the bohemian style.
At the Party
It was great to see the guests studying the details of the vases, and many friends and family members went from table to table to make sure they saw every baby picture. Overall I think these transformed a lot from the original inspiration, but that’s part of the joy of creating décor. You can make even small details personalized for your event.
The Jeweled Nest 