November 11, 2021

A BABY SHOWER IDEA THAT BECOMES NURSERY ART

One of my very first interior design clients was expecting a baby girl, and while designing her nursery, I had an idea that would bring a little piece of her baby shower into the room. The inspiration actually came from Restoration Hardware in Atlanta. On the floor with the nursery and children’s furniture, near the restrooms, there was this beautiful piece of artwork featuring a dress made entirely out of paper, decorated with little butterflies. I remember thinking how lovely it was, and it gave me an idea.

What if we took something similar and made it personal? Instead of having guests simply sign a guestbook at the baby shower, I thought it would be sweet to have everyone write their names on little paper butterflies. Those butterflies would eventually become part of two framed artworks, one representing each side of the baby’s family.

The result was a pair of botanical paper dresses, covered in handwritten butterflies, that now live in her nursery. It’s one of those projects I still think about because it’s beautiful to look at, but there’s also a little story behind every butterfly. And the best part? It’s surprisingly easy to recreate with a little planning.

01. PLAN YOUR ARTWORK

Before the baby shower, you'll want to source your materials and think about how everything will come together. Start with the shadow box frames, because their dimensions will determine the size of your paper dresses and, in turn, the butterflies. I found the shadow boxes at Michaels that had enough depth to accommodate the pleated skirts without pressing them against the glass. You'll actually want to use the backing boards of your frames as a guide when creating the dresses, so having them from the beginning is important.

Next, choose your paper and color palette. I used botanical wrapping paper in two different colorways, a soft dusty pink and a muted green. I wanted the pieces to complement one another without being identical, with each dress representing one side of the family. Look for papers with subtle patterns, beautiful textures or a slightly vintage quality. You don't need anything too bold, since the butterflies will eventually become the focal point.

The size and number of butterflies are equally important. Think about how many guests will be attending the shower and how many signatures you'll need to accommodate. If you're expecting a larger gathering, smaller butterflies might work better, or you could have couples and families share one butterfly. For a more intimate shower, mixing a few different butterfly sizes can create a lovely composition. I would suggest laying out a few sample butterflies on the backing board before committing to a size. You want enough room for everyone's names without overwhelming the dress itself.

02. PREPARE THE BUTTERFLIES

Once you've decided on the size and quantity, prepare your butterflies ahead of the baby shower. I chose ivory paper butterflies because they felt delicate against the botanical patterns and allowed the handwritten names to stand out. Make sure the paper is substantial enough to hold its shape, but not so thick that it's difficult to work with. And always have a few extras on hand.

At the shower, set up a little station with the butterflies, fine tip pens and a small framed sign explaining what guests should do. One detail I would absolutely include is a little instruction asking everyone to write their names on the correct side of the butterfly, with the butterfly facing upward. It sounds simple, but you don't want to discover afterward that half the names are upside down or written on the back! If your butterflies have a particular front or finish, make sure that side is facing up when you display them.

I loved the idea of having everyone from both sides of the family contribute to something the baby would grow up with. Rather than collecting signatures in a book that might get tucked away, their names would become part of the room itself. Since I was creating two artworks, one for each side of the family, keeping the butterflies separated into two little collections also made assembling everything afterward much easier.

03. CREATE THE PAPER DRESSES

With your frames and botanical papers ready, it's time to make the dresses. Remove the backing boards from your shadow boxes and use them as your working surface. This will help you determine the proportions of each dress and make sure there's enough space around the finished artwork once it's framed.

Before cutting into your beautiful botanical paper, I highly recommend creating a template using paper you're not using first. This is exactly what I did to figure out the shape and size of the bodice and skirt without wasting any of the decorative paper. I kept the bodice simple with a straight neckline and shoulder straps, then experimented with the skirt until I was happy with the proportions. Once I had the shapes figured out, I used those paper templates as stencils to trace and cut the pieces from my botanical paper.

For the skirt, I used a larger piece of botanical paper and folded it into pleats to give the dress dimension. You want the folds to create a little movement rather than having everything lie completely flat. Once I was happy with the shape, I secured the pleats and assembled the bodice and skirt. Before gluing everything onto the backing board, lay out the entire dress and make any necessary adjustments. Remember that the butterflies will add another layer to the composition, so leave yourself enough space to arrange them without making the artwork feel crowded.

04. ARRANGE THE BUTTERFLIES

Once the dresses are assembled, you can begin arranging the butterflies from the baby shower. I placed them across the bodice and skirt, allowing some to sit closer together while giving others a little more breathing room. I wanted them to look as though they were floating across the dresses, while still keeping everyone's handwritten names visible.

This is where the scale and number of butterflies really come into play. If you have quite a few, you might want to concentrate them along the skirt, where there's more surface area. With fewer butterflies, you can space them out a little more generously. Play around with the arrangement before gluing anything down, and make sure the names are facing the right direction and aren't hidden beneath another butterfly. Once you're happy with the placement, carefully secure each one with a small amount of craft glue.

This was probably my favorite part of the entire project. Seeing all those little names come together on something I had made by hand was really special.

05. FRAME YOUR ARTWORK

For the finishing touch, I used the two shadow boxes I had sourced from Michaels. They originally had a darker walnut finish, which didn't quite work with the soft palette of the nursery, so we painted them ivory. If you're working with a stained or varnished wooden frame, you may need to lightly sand the surface first and use a suitable primer to help the paint adhere. Spray paint is a great option for achieving a smooth, even finish, especially around the corners and edges. Just make sure to remove the glass and backing before painting.

I chose shadow boxes rather than traditional picture frames because the folded paper skirts have dimension, and I wanted to preserve that detail without flattening everything behind the glass. I mounted each dress against a neutral background, leaving plenty of space around the artwork so the dresses could really stand on their own.

The two finished pieces were placed side by side in the nursery, one pink and one green. Together, they feel like a little collection, but each one tells its own story.

THE EDIT

I've always loved finding ways to bring something personal into a space, especially a nursery. There are so many beautiful things you can buy, but sometimes the pieces that mean the most are the ones that carry a little history.

What I love about this idea is that it begins at the baby shower and becomes something the family gets to enjoy long afterward. Every butterfly represents someone who was there to celebrate this little girl before she was even born. And years from now, when she's old enough to ask about the artwork hanging in her room, there's a lovely story to tell.

You could even recreate this idea with different shapes, papers or colors. It doesn't necessarily have to be a dress. The concept of turning handwritten wishes or signatures into something beautiful enough to frame is what makes it so special.