What Will It Bee? Baby Shower: Complete DIY Guide with Supply List
The "What Will It Bee?" baby shower is one of the buzziest themes around — and it works perfectly as a gender reveal, a gender-neutral celebration, or just an excuse to cover everything in adorable bumblebees and honeycomb. With its sunny yellow palette, sweet honey accents, and endless pun potential, this theme is cheerful, easy to pull together, and guaranteed to get your guests smiling. Here's your complete guide to throwing the sweetest bee shower ever.
Watch the video inspo!
See our What Will It Bee Shower Short on YouTube for a quick visual tour of this theme.
Color Palette
Think sunshine and honey: bright yellow, golden amber, classic black, crisp white, and touches of soft green. This palette is bold, happy, and instantly recognizable. It works beautifully for any season and photographs like a dream.
Decorations — How to DIY Them
Bumble Bee Balloon Arch
A balloon arch in yellow, black, white, and gold is THE centerpiece of this theme. Mix regular balloons with polka dot ones for that classic bee look, and tuck in a few bee-shaped foil balloons for extra buzz. Set it up behind the dessert table or as a photo backdrop — it's instant party magic.
Shop Bee Balloon Arch Kit (100 PCS) →
"What Will It Bee?" Banner
This banner sets the whole vibe and works perfectly whether you're doing a gender reveal or just celebrating the baby-to-bee. Hang it above the dessert table, across a doorway, or on the photo backdrop. A glittery gold version pops beautifully against a black or white background.
Shop "What Will It Bee?" Banner & Balloon Set →
Honeycomb Backdrop
A printed vinyl backdrop with sunflowers, honeycombs, and bumble bees creates an instant photo station that looks way more expensive than it is. Pair it with the balloon arch for a layered, professional look. Guests will think you hired a party planner.
Shop Bee Baby Shower Backdrop (7x5ft) →
Tissue Paper Honeycomb Puffs
Hang yellow and white tissue paper honeycomb balls from the ceiling at different heights for a whimsical, 3D effect. They look like little beehives floating overhead. Mix in a few black ones for contrast. These are super cheap and take seconds to open — instant impact for almost no effort.
Sunflower & Greenery Accents
Sunflowers are the perfect complement to a bee theme. Scatter faux sunflower stems in mason jars on each table, weave them into the balloon arch, or create a sunflower garland across the dessert table. Add eucalyptus or ivy for a fresh, garden-party feel. Grocery store sunflowers work beautifully and cost almost nothing.
Wooden "What Will It Bee?" Sign
A wooden cutout sign adds a rustic, crafty touch to the backdrop. Lean it against the dessert table, hang it on the wall, or prop it on an easel at the entrance. After the shower, it becomes nursery decor!
Shop Wooden "What Will Baby Bee?" Sign →
Food & Dessert Table
- Honeycomb Cake: A stunning yellow cake with a honeycomb fondant pattern, drizzled with real honey and topped with a "What Will It Bee?" cake topper. Don't stress about the fondant — a simple buttercream cake with a bee cake topper looks just as gorgeous.
- Bumble Bee Cupcakes: Yellow cupcakes with black and yellow striped frosting. Use a star tip to pipe alternating rings. Top each one with a bee cupcake topper — instant adorable.
- Honey Butter Biscuits: Warm biscuits with whipped honey butter. Set up a little station with a sign that says "Honey Butter — Sweet as Can Bee." Easy, delicious, and different from the usual shower food.
- "Bee-utiful" Fruit Platter: Arrange pineapple, mango, and honeydew in a beehive shape on a wooden cutting board. Use blueberries for the bees' stripes. It's healthy, it's gorgeous, and it takes 10 minutes.
- Honey Lemonade Station: Fresh-squeezed lemonade sweetened with honey, served in a glass dispenser with lemon slices and lavender sprigs. Add a sign: "Bee Refreshed!" Offer a sparkling option too.
- Honeycomb Crackers & Cheese: A cheese board with honeycomb, crackers, grapes, and nuts. Drizzle fresh honey over brie. It's elegant, easy, and adults love it.
- Bee Cake Pops: Yellow cake pops with chocolate stripe details and almond sliver wings. Stick them in a block of floral foam wrapped in yellow tissue paper for a "beehive" display.
Complete the table with themed tableware:
Shop Bumble Bee Plates, Cups, Napkins & Cutlery (serves 24) →
Shop Gold Foil Bee Tableware (serves 16) →
Table Setup
Cover tables with white or yellow tablecloths and add a burlap or black-and-white striped table runner down the center. Place mason jars with sunflowers and greenery every few feet. Scatter small wooden bee cutouts or honey dippers along the runner. Add votive candles in amber glass holders for a warm glow at evening showers.
For place settings, use the bee-themed plates with yellow napkins. Tie each napkin with twine and tuck in a small sunflower or a honey stick as a favor at each place.
Games & Activities
What Will It Bee? Prediction Cards
What you need: Printed prediction cards (bee-themed), pens, a decorative box or basket
How to play: Each guest fills out a card predicting the baby's arrival date, weight, length, hair color, and of course — boy or girl? Collect all cards in the basket. After the baby arrives, the person with the most correct predictions wins a prize! If you're doing a gender reveal, have guests write "He" or "She" on the back and reveal the answer at the end of the party.
Pro tip: Mail the winner their prize with a photo of the newborn — it's a sweet surprise weeks later!
Honey Pot Baby Word Scramble
What you need: Printed word scramble cards (bee/honey pot design), pens, timer, answer key
How to play: Set a 3-minute timer. Each card has 12-15 scrambled baby-related words (e.g., TTBLOE = BOTTLE, PDIARE = DIAPER, YBONNET = BONNET). Guests unscramble as many as they can before the buzzer. Most correct answers wins!
Pro tip: Add bee-themed bonus words like EVIHEEB = BEEHIVE, YNOHE = HONEY, ZENBU = BUZZEN for extra points!
Don't Say "Baby" (Bee Edition)
What you need: Small bee pins, bee stickers, or bee-shaped clothespins — 1 per guest
How to play: Give each guest a bee pin when they arrive. The rule: you cannot say the word "baby" for the entire party. If you catch someone saying it, you steal their bee. Person with the most bees at the end wins! The more baby-related the conversations get, the harder this becomes.
Pro tip: Give the winner a jar of local honey or a bee-themed gift basket. And the mom-to-bee is always the first one caught!
How Sweet It Is — Honey Tasting
What you need: 5-6 different varieties of honey (clover, wildflower, buckwheat, orange blossom, lavender, manuka), small tasting cups, crackers, scorecards
How to play: Set up a honey tasting station with numbered samples (labels hidden). Guests taste each honey and write down their guesses or rank them from favorite to least favorite. Reveal the varieties at the end. The person who correctly identifies the most wins! It's unique, interactive, and perfectly on-theme.
Pro tip: Include one "trick" sample that's maple syrup or agave — watch the reactions!
Wishes for the Little Bee
What you need: Bee or hexagon-shaped card stock, pens, twine, mini clothespins
How to play: Place hexagon cards at each seat with the prompt: "Dear Little Bee, my wish for you is..." Guests write wishes, advice, or sweet messages. String finished cards on twine as a honeycomb garland, or clip them to a decorative branch "hive." The mom-to-bee takes it home for the nursery.
Pro tip: Use yellow hexagon cards — when strung together they look like a honeycomb and make beautiful nursery decor!
Diaper Raffle
What you need: Raffle tickets (include with invitation), basket decorated with sunflowers and a small bee plush, prize (honey gift set, candle, or gift card)
How to play: Include a raffle ticket with each shower invitation. For every pack of diapers a guest brings, they get one entry. Drop tickets in the basket. Draw a winner at the end. Display the basket with a "Bee Kind — Bring Diapers!" sign.
Pro tip: Suggest various diaper sizes (not just newborn) — babies grow fast! The mom-to-bee will thank you at 2 AM.
Favors & Gift Table
- Mini Honey Bears: Small bear-shaped honey bottles tied with a yellow ribbon and a tag that says "Meant to Bee" or "Sweet as Can Bee." Everyone uses honey — it's the perfect practical favor. Shop Mini Honey Bear Favors (50 pack)
- Bee Keychain Favors: Adorable bumble bee keychains in organza bags with a "Thank you for bee-ing here!" tag. Guests clip them to purses and bags. Shop Bee Keychain Favors (24 pack)
- Honey Sticks: Bundles of 3-4 honey sticks tied with a striped ribbon — simple, sweet, and guests can stir them into tea at home
- Sunflower Seed Packets: Custom seed packets with "Watch me grow!" or "Love is blooming" — guests plant them and think of the baby every time a sunflower sprouts
- Bee Candy Bags: Yellow and black striped treat bags filled with honey candies, lemon drops, or chocolate gold coins. Shop Bee Candy Favor Bags (24 pack)
Complete Supply List
- Bee Balloon Arch Kit (100 PCS)
- "What Will It Bee?" Banner & Balloon Set
- Bee Baby Shower Backdrop (7x5ft)
- Wooden "What Will Baby Bee?" Sign
- Bumble Bee Plates, Cups, Napkins & Cutlery (serves 24)
- Gold Foil Bee Tableware (serves 16)
- "What Will It Bee?" Cake Topper
- Bee Cupcake Toppers (31 PCS)
- Mini Honey Bear Favors (50 pack)
- Bee Keychain Favors (24 pack)
- Bee Candy Favor Bags (24 pack)
- Complete "What Will It Bee?" Party Supply Kit
Budget Tip
Hit the dollar store for yellow and black balloons, tablecloths, and streamers — you can build the base of this entire theme for under $10. Grab sunflowers from the grocery store ($5 a bunch) and put them in mason jars you already own. Print bee-themed games and signs for free from Pinterest. Splurge on one statement piece (the balloon arch kit or the backdrop) and DIY the rest. Total budget: under $40 for the whole party!
The Perfect Shower Gift
Looking for a unique and practical gift for the mom-to-bee? The MomEZ Hands-Free Baby Bottle Holder is a game-changer for new parents. It attaches to car seats, swings, strollers, and more — giving parents their hands back during feeding time. Because new parents are always as busy as bees!
Love This Theme? Check Out These Too
We Can Bearly Wait Teddy Bear Shower
Cozy teddy bears, honey pots, and warm browns — the sweetest gender-neutral theme.
A Little Cutie Citrus Shower
Sunny oranges, lemons, and greenery — cheerful and effortlessly gorgeous.
Taco 'Bout a Baby Fiesta Shower
Bright, bold fiesta vibes with papel picado, cacti, and the cutest nacho bar.
Boho Rainbow Shower
Muted earthy tones, macrame, dried flowers — dreamy and Pinterest-perfect.
Twinkle Twinkle Little Star Shower
Navy blue, gold stars, and fairy lights — pure celestial magic.
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Dr. Judith Mendez , MD, Pediatrician, Board-Certified
Dr. Judith Mendez is a board-certified pediatrician with over 15 years of experience caring for newborns, infants, and children. She is passionate about helping new parents navigate the joys and challenges of parenthood with evidence-based guidance.
