✍️ Best Baby Shower Games Editorial Team · Updated May 2026
Burp Cloth Decorating
Plain white burp cloths and a fan of fabric paints. Each guest decorates one with a doodle, name, or inside joke. New parents go home with the single most-used gift of any baby shower craft station.
- 💝 Sentimental
- 🤝 Low-pressure
- 🍷 Coed-friendly
- ⏱ Prep
- 30 min+
- 👥 Best for
- 6–15 guests
- 🍷 Coed
- Yes
- 📹 Virtual
- In person
What you'll need
- 10-pack of plain white ribbed cotton burp cloths from Amazon (search "Gerber prefold burp cloths" — $15 for 10)
- Tulip fabric paint set in 6 colors from Michaels or Joann ($12)
- Tulip or Sharpie fabric markers for finer detail work ($14 set)
- Plastic stencils with letters and shapes from Hobby Lobby ($8)
- Cardboard inserts cut to 5x10 inches from any old cereal box
- Disposable plastic tablecloth from the dollar store and a household iron for setting designs after
Before the shower (setup)
- A week before the baby shower, order a 10 or 12-pack of plain ribbed cotton burp cloths from Amazon. The Gerber prefold-style cloths are the gold standard — about $15 for ten and they're what the mom-to-be will actually be using. As soon as they arrive, throw them in the washing machine on warm and tumble dry low. That first wash rinses out the factory sizing so fabric paint and markers can absorb the way they're supposed to. Skipping the pre-wash is the single most common reason burp cloth decorating baby shower game stations end up with faded designs.
- Two days before the shower, cut cardboard inserts from a cereal box or any thin cardboard — 5 inches by 10 inches is the right size for a standard burp cloth. Pick up a Tulip fabric paint set (6 squeeze-bottle colors) and a fabric marker set at Michaels or Joann. The paint is for big bold areas like hearts or letters; markers handle the fine detail. Grab a plastic stencil pack with letters and simple shapes (hearts, stars, paw prints) — guests who don't think of themselves as artists lean on these heavily.
- Morning of the shower, drape a small kitchen table with a $2 dollar-store plastic tablecloth. Lay out the burp cloths stacked, the cardboard inserts beside them, the paints fanned in a small basket, the markers in a separate cup, and the stencils flat. Set a small index card sign that reads "Pick a cloth. Slide the cardboard inside. Paint your design. We'll iron-set them after the shower." Set the mom-to-be's chair angled toward the craft table so she can watch favorites take shape.
How to play
Open the burp cloth decorating baby shower game station as soon as the first guest arrives or right after an icebreaker. There's no timer, no scoring, no host announcement — it runs as an open craft table in the background of the shower. Guests drift over with a drink, pick a cloth, slide in a cardboard insert, and start drawing or painting. Tell each guest to write their name or initials on the inside corner so the mom-to-be knows who made which cloth later.
Walk past the table every fifteen or twenty minutes and top off paint bottles, clean up stray drops, and bring fresh stencils when one gets monopolized. Encourage guests who say "I can't draw" — a single heart, a traced hand, or a simple printed name counts. The cloths aren't a contest. Coordinate quietly with the host so loud games happen on the other side of the room while guests are leaning over wet paint.
Close the station when guests stop drifting over — usually thirty minutes in. Stack the finished cloths painted-side-up on a paper towel so they don't smudge while wet. After the shower, iron-set each cloth (medium heat, three minutes, with a sheet of parchment paper between iron and paint) so the design survives the laundry. Tie the bundle with a ribbon and drop them off at the mom-to-be's house the next week along with any extras.
Variations to try
- Mom and Dad split. Pre-stencil "Mom" on half the cloths and "Dad" on the other half before guests arrive. Guests pick a side and decorate around the word. Cute split for a coed shower where both parents are gifted equally. Adds a fun moment when the dad-to-be flips through later.
- Three-station craft corner. Run this game alongside [[decorate-a-bib]] and [[decorate-a-onesie]]. Three baby-fabric craft stations side-by-side cover a full thirty-minute block of the shower for groups of fifteen or more. Guests rotate at their own pace.
- Just markers, no paint. Skip the squeeze-bottle paint entirely and use only fabric markers. Cleaner, less risk of drips on guests' nice clothes. Less bold final look but easier for a casual shower or a Sunday brunch setting.
- Iron-on transfer station. Replace the paint with iron-on patches from Michaels. Guests choose patches and place them; you iron them on after. Looks cleaner, no creativity required from guests who hate drawing.
- Send-home cloth kit. For a virtual baby shower, mail each guest a plain burp cloth, two fabric markers, and a return envelope. They decorate at home on camera during the Zoom shower and mail it back. Slower but works for long-distance family who can't fly in.
Pro tips from hosts who've actually run this
- Pre-wash every cloth one time before the shower. Sizing on the new fabric blocks the paint and ink, and designs come out streaky or wash out completely if you skip this step.
- Tulip squeeze-bottle fabric paint and Tulip Soft Fabric Markers are the proven combo. Both available at Michaels, Joann, Hobby Lobby, or Amazon for under $25 total.
- Slide cereal-box cardboard inside every cloth before guests start. Paint bleeds straight through ribbed cotton without it.
- Choose dark colors on the white cloths (navy, sage, terracotta, deep pink). Light pastels disappear after two months of real burp-cloth duty.
- Iron-set each cloth within a week of the shower. Set designs survive 30+ wash cycles. Skip the iron and the paint cracks off in the first load.
- Don't put this station near the food table. Wet paint plus a casserole transfer is a hospitality disaster.
- Pair with [[advice-cards-for-parents]] for a quiet block in the middle of the shower — both run as open stations and let guests catch their breath between louder games like [[mummy-wrap-race]].
Common mistakes to avoid
- Skipping the pre-wash. Fresh-from-Amazon burp cloths have factory sizing that blocks fabric paint absorption. Designs streak or fade in week one.
- Using regular acrylic paint or craft paint. It cracks off the cloth in the first wash. Tulip Soft Fabric Paint or another fabric-rated paint is the only option.
- Forgetting the cardboard insert. Paint or marker ink bleeds through the cloth and ruins the back, the table, and probably a guest's blouse.
- Picking pastels and pale colors. They disappear under the inevitable stains burp cloths take on. Navy, sage, dark red, and deep pink survive real life.
- Putting the iron-set step on the mom-to-be's to-do list. She's exhausted after the shower and won't get to it. Iron-set the cloths yourself the next day and gift them already ready to use.
Best prize for this game
No competition prize needed — this is a gift-build, not a contest. For the mom-to-be, tie the finished bundle with a ribbon and pair it with a small thank-you item: a $15 Target gift card, a Yankee Candle, or a Bath & Body Works hand soap trio. For the host who ran the craft station, a $20 Michaels or Hobby Lobby gift card is a nice gesture to refill paints for the next shower they help with.
Our verdict
The most genuinely useful craft station at any baby shower. First-time parents go through ten or more burp cloths a day, and the cute ones get reached for first. Pairs naturally with [[decorate-a-bib]] or [[decorate-a-onesie]] for a full craft corner.
Burp Cloth Decorating — FAQ
Do parents actually use decorated burp cloths?
Yes — heavily. First-time parents go through ten or more burp cloths a day in the first three months, and they always reach for the cute ones first. Hand-decorated cloths get more use than store-bought ones because they feel personal. Pre-washed and iron-set, they survive a full year of regular laundry.
How long does the burp cloth decorating baby shower game take?
About 20 to 30 minutes as an open craft station while other activities run. Guests spend three to fifteen minutes per cloth, drifting in and out. Iron-setting all the cloths after the shower takes another five to ten minutes total. Close the station when guests stop coming by — there's no fixed end.
How many burp cloths do I need for the game?
One per guest minimum. A 10-pack of plain ribbed cotton burp cloths from Amazon runs about $15. For a 15-guest shower, order two packs — the leftover plain cloths go straight into the gift basket. Aim for one cloth per guest with two or three plain extras.
Will the designs survive vomit, milk, and constant washing?
Yes, if you pre-wash, use fabric-rated paint or markers, and iron-set the designs within a week. Tulip Soft Fabric Paint with proper iron-setting survives 30 or more wash cycles. Skip any of those steps and the design cracks off or fades in the first month.
Is the burp cloth decorating a good coed baby shower game?
Yes — it runs quietly in the background and dads, brothers, uncles, and friends all participate. The mechanic is forgiving for non-artists and the final gift is something the dad-to-be will actually use too. Frame it as "the most useful gift you can make" and the engagement goes up.
Can you play burp cloth decorating on Zoom?
Yes — mail each guest a plain pre-washed burp cloth, two fabric markers, and a return envelope a week before the virtual baby shower. They decorate live on camera during the shower and mail it back. Slower than in-person but works well for long-distance family. Pair with [[advice-cards-for-parents]] or [[guess-the-due-date]] for a full virtual shower.
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Decorate a Onesie →
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About the author
Best Baby Shower Games Editorial Team — Party planners, parents & writers. We’re a small team of party planners and parents who’ve hosted — and been guests at — dozens of baby showers. Every game here is sorted by what actually lands in a real room, not by what just looks cute on a Pinterest board.