I love getting creative when it comes to planning a special party – from the over-the-top decorations to the perfect finger foods.

Baby showers have always been some of my favorite events to host. In addition to crafting the centerpieces and themed foods, I like to make sure the guests have fun activities during the party. 

Baby shower games have evolved from the traditional “Don’t say baby!” and “How big is mommy’s belly?” games of years past. A quick Pinterest search will bring up tons of ideas.

When I started planning a shower for a special mom-to-be, I knew I wanted to do a “Onesie Decorating” activity. Personalized baby clothes are always special gifts. They are extra special when grandmas, aunts, and friends make them!

Since there was a range of ages and skill levels, I made it easy for friends and family to become pro-level decorators with the help of Supacolor Heat Transfers.

In this article I will teach you everything you need to know to recreate this same activity the next time you host a baby shower.

Supplies you will need

• Supacolor Heat Transfers – If you’re not familiar with using or ordering Supacolor transfers, check out this article for all the details.
• Siser Heat Press (easy size to travel with and setup at your event)
• Heat resistant tape (optional)
• Parchment paper
• Blank Onesies in various sizes

Heat transfers? Really?? over HTV or screen printing

Surely you know by now I am crazy about screen printing with vinyl so you might be wondering why I chose heat transfers for this project over my favorite screen printing process or even HTV.

For this project, it all came down to simplicity. With Supacolor heat transfers you just need a heat press and a good imagination.

At an event like a baby shower, I didn't want to spend time weeding vinyl or getting messy with screen printing ink.

Using these heat transfers allows everyone to join in on the fun – no matter what their experience or skill level is. All the guests have to do is pick out their design and iron it on. They can even get creative by piecing together multiple designs or letters.

There are no messy setup steps, no meticulously weeding vinyl, and best of all – clean up is a breeze.

Another bonus of using Supacolor transfers is that you can use full color designs for the same price as one color.  

Getting ready for a Onesie Decorating Activity

The main thing to remember with this activity is there is some pre-planning required.

You will need to design and order the Supacolor transfer gang sheets in enough time for them to come in. Before my party, I ordered my Supacolor transfers and cut out each of the designs from my gang sheet. I used plastic baskets to keep the designs separate and easy for the guests to see.

You will also need to order the onesies.  For my party, I ordered these Blank Onesies in various sizes.

I love how they come in a variety of sizes. I didn’t want the mom-to-be to have 50 newborn onesies (although not having to wash clothes for the first month might not be a bad idea).

These packages came with 5 of each size that way mom is set up for the next several months at least. I ordered enough for all of the guests to be able to make one.

If you’re like me and want to go overboard just a little, you can also bring along burp cloths, blanks, or hats. Supacolor transfers work great on these fabrics too.

Heat pressing onesies with Supacolor transfers

Once you have all the supplies in and prepped to go, it’ll be a breeze on party day. For this project, you’ll want to use a quality heat press. I like to use this Siser Heat Press set to 320 degrees. For best results, be sure to press for at least 15 seconds.

Supacolor transfer are a hot peel. As soon as you finish pressing, you want the guest to peel the backing paper away quickly. You might want to demonstrate this once so everyone can see how it works.

*** Pro Tip ***

Supacolor transfers need the firm pressure of your heat press to adhere the transfers. The seams and buttons on a onesie make it difficult to get a firm, even press. I had guests place a mouse pad inside the onesie. This lifted the fabric away from the seams and buttons just enough to get a nice even press. 

Show mommy and baby some love!

The guests at my party absolutely loved this project. Some of them used lots of little letters and pieces on their onesie. This took them a little longer to peel away but they enjoyed doing the extra work to make their special personalized gift.

The best part for me was the mom-to-be loved it more. Getting to see everyone have some much fun making customized gifts for her and the baby meant the world to her.

I hope you will give this project a try the next time you host a baby shower. If you do, be sure to tag me and let me know how it goes. Happy Crafting!