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Decorate a Onesie — baby shower game

✍️ Best Baby Shower Games Editorial Team · Updated May 2026

Decorate a Onesie

Set up a craft station with plain white onesies, fabric markers, and stencils. Each guest decorates one onesie. After the shower, the host iron-sets the designs so they survive the wash — and the baby actually wears every single one during the first six months.

  • 💝 Sentimental
  • 🤝 Low-pressure
  • 🧒 Kid-friendly
⏱ Prep
30 min+
👥 Best for
6–25 guests
🍷 Coed
Yes
📹 Virtual
In person

What you'll need

  • Plain white cotton onesies in mixed sizes (a 10-pack from Gerber, Target, or Amazon runs ~$25)
  • Fabric markers in 6–8 colors — Tulip or Sharpie fabric markers, NOT regular ones (regular markers wash out)
  • Cardboard rectangles cut to fit inside each onesie (prevents bleed-through to the back)
  • Stencils of letters, hearts, stars, simple animals (optional but a lifesaver for non-artists)
  • A covered work surface — newspaper, plastic tablecloth, or craft mat
  • An iron and clean cotton towels (for setting designs after the shower)

Before the shower (setup)

  1. A week before the shower, buy a 10–15 pack of plain white cotton onesies from Target, Amazon, or Gerber's site — $25 for 10 newborn/3-month/6-month assorted is the sweet spot. Pre-wash them once with mild detergent and dry them. The first wash strips the manufacturing sizing off the fabric — without that step, the fabric markers won't soak in properly and the designs will fade after one cycle.
  2. Pick up Tulip or Sharpie fabric markers from Michaels, Hobby Lobby, or the Target craft aisle — NOT regular Sharpies or Crayolas. Regular markers wash out completely in the first laundry. Get 6–8 colors so guests have options without overwhelming the table. Cut cardboard rectangles roughly 5×7 inches from any old box — those slide inside each onesie before guests draw, preventing the ink from bleeding through to the back panel. Print a small set of stencils (hearts, stars, the alphabet, simple animals) — non-artistic guests will save the whole game.
  3. About 30 minutes before guests arrive, set up the craft station on a covered table. Newspaper or a $3 plastic tablecloth from the dollar store works fine — fabric markers stain. Lay out the onesies in stacks by size, the markers in a row, the cardboard inserts in a stack, and the stencils. Tape up a small sign explaining the rule: "Pick a onesie. Slide a cardboard insert inside. Decorate with fabric markers only. The host will iron-set every design after the party so it survives the wash."
Front-door setup for Decorate a Onesie — basket of clothespins and a chalkboard rule sign by the entryway
Set up at the front door so the game starts the second guests walk in.

How to play

When guests have settled in — usually after food, during the open mingling time — point them at the craft station. Read the rules out loud: "Each guest picks one onesie, slides a cardboard insert inside before you start, decorates with the fabric markers only. Stencils on the side if you want them. Twenty minutes." The mom-to-be does NOT participate — she walks through and watches what her friends and family are making for her baby, which is half the magic.

Give the room 20–30 minutes. Some guests will draw a quick heart and sign their name; others will spend the full half hour on a detailed scene. Both are great. The variety is the point. Walk around once at the 10-minute mark to remind everyone about the cardboard inserts — guests forget and bleed-through ruins onesies. Keep a damp paper towel on hand for accidental smudges on hands and the table.

After the shower, the host (you) iron-sets every onesie within a week. Lay each finished onesie flat with the cardboard still inside, place a clean cotton towel over the design, and iron on a medium no-steam setting for 3 minutes per side. That heat locks the fabric marker ink into the fibers so it survives normal washing for years. Fold the finished onesies into a small basket lined with sage tissue paper and gift them to the parents — they'll rotate them onto the baby across the first 6 months.

A hand lifting a clothespin off another guest's shirt — the steal moment in Decorate a Onesie
The moment of the steal — someone slipped, someone caught it, pin changes hands.

Variations to try

  • Onesie signing station. Pair with [[onesie-signature-station]] — one large 12-month onesie that every guest just signs and adds a tiny doodle to. Less per-guest work; one collaborative keepsake instead of 20 individual ones. Easier for big shower groups (25+).
  • Themed color rounds. Pick one color palette for the whole party — all pastels, all sage-and-blush, or all black-and-gray earth tones. The finished set looks coordinated and intentional, like a Target boutique line. Limits creativity but the photos are beautiful.
  • Bibs instead of onesies. Run [[decorate-a-bib]] with this same setup. Bibs are smaller, easier to draw on, faster (10 minutes instead of 20), and parents go through bibs faster than onesies. Combine both for a bigger craft station — guests pick which they want to decorate.
  • Iron-on transfer version. Instead of fabric markers, provide pre-made iron-on transfers (sold at Michaels in baby-themed packs) and let guests pick designs. Fewer creative options but the finished onesies look professional. Good for non-artistic guest lists or hosts who want a more polished outcome.

Pro tips from hosts who've actually run this

  • Fabric markers ONLY — Tulip or Sharpie fabric-specific ones. Regular markers and Crayolas wash out in the first laundry cycle, no matter what.
  • Pre-wash the onesies once before the shower. Skipping this step means the fabric sizing prevents ink from soaking in and designs fade fast.
  • Cardboard inserts are non-negotiable. Without them, ink bleeds through to the back of the onesie and ruins both sides.
  • Iron-set every onesie within a week of the shower. The longer you wait, the more the ink fades from the first wash. Don't put this off.
  • Mix sizes — have one or two 6-month and 12-month onesies, not just newborns. Newborn-size feels less generous because the baby outgrows it in 6 weeks.
  • Don't hand out scissors. Guests will inevitably "creatively cut" the onesies and then they don't fit anymore. Save yourself the heartbreak.
  • Keep one or two extra onesies as backup. Guests mess up first attempts and need a fresh try; spares prevent the awkward "sorry, you only get one" moment.

Common mistakes to avoid

  • Buying regular markers instead of fabric ones. Designs wash out in the first cycle and all that work is gone.
  • Skipping the pre-wash. The fabric sizing repels ink, designs fade after one cycle even with fabric markers.
  • Forgetting cardboard inserts. Ink bleeds through to the back, ruining the onesie.
  • Not iron-setting after the shower. The ink stays loose, washes out partially on the first cycle, looks faded forever after.
  • Buying only newborn-size onesies. Baby outgrows them in 6 weeks; mix in 3-month, 6-month, and 12-month for longer wear.

Best prize for this game

Skip the prize — this is a keepsake-only craft, not a competition. Adding a winner ruins the tone (guests start trying to "win" and the joy of casual making disappears). If you really want recognition, hand out small "Most Creative" and "Best Color Use" certificates printed at home — fun acknowledgment without turning it into a contest.

→ More baby shower prize ideas, by budget

Our verdict

The highest-effort craft station on the list, but it produces real, wearable keepsakes the baby genuinely uses. Most shower crafts end up in a drawer; these end up on the baby every other day for six months.

Decorate a Onesie — FAQ

Do fabric markers really hold up in the wash?

Yes — IF you iron-set them after the design dries. Skip the iron step and they wash out in two cycles. With the iron step, designs survive years of normal washing. The iron is the load-bearing step here.

How many onesies do I need to buy?

One per guest plus 2–3 spares. A 10–15 pack from Target or Amazon costs around $25. Mix sizes — newborn, 3-month, 6-month, 12-month — so the baby grows into all of them across the first year.

Will the baby actually wear these?

Most of them, yes. Parents rotate decorated onesies onto the baby for casual home wear during the first six months. The simpler designs get the most everyday wear; loud designs become "photo day" outfits.

What about guests who aren't artistic at all?

Provide stencils, a "trace your hand" prompt, or pre-printed simple designs guests can color in. The point is participation, not artistic skill. The mom-to-be will love every onesie regardless of execution.

How long does this craft station take?

20–30 minutes for guests to decorate during the party. Iron-setting afterward takes the host about 10 minutes per onesie. Plan about an hour of total host time across the whole game (party + post-shower iron-setting).

Can I run this on Zoom?

Not really — the materials need to be physically present. You could mail a kit (onesie + markers + cardboard) to each Zoom guest in advance and have them craft live on camera, but the logistics get pricey fast. Better to pick a Zoom-friendly game like [[memory-or-wishes-jar]] instead.

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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.