Nightmare Before Christmas is a beloved movie for many families. Whether expecting parents want to start early by introducing their little one to their favorite movie, or they just want to playfully call their baby a little “nightmare,” this theme is a fun, creative, spirited way to bring your little one to everyone’s attention!
In this blog, we share great food ideas, Nightmare Before Christmas baby shower decorations, and everything else you’ll need to know to curate a most unforgettable shower.
Hosting a Nightmare Before Christmas Baby Shower
A Nightmare Before Christmas baby shower is a unique and wonderfully unconventional Christmas theme. For fans of Tim Burton’s classic, this exciting theme blends together a Halloween element with the joy of welcoming a new baby. Not to mention Nightmare Before Christmas was just voted for preservation in the US National Film Registry, so your urge is right on trend!
Nightmare Before Christmas Shower Website
For expecting parents who have family and loved ones out-of-town, virtual baby showers are a helpful add-on to your in-person event. Important details such as the registry and baby information are stored in one place (no hunting for links!) and your themes and invitations can be personalized just like an in-person shower.
To recreate a Nightmare Before Christmas themed website, you can upload any background you like and fully edit the color palette and fonts for just the right look. You can use colors like black, red, white and purple to mimic elements of the movie – feel free to use this time to tap into your creativity!
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Jack Skellington and Oogie Boogie Treat Ideas
Food and treats are a wonderful way to get your guests excited about the theme. Here’s some treat ideas inspired by the movie:
- Jack Skellington chocolate-dipped cookies will be a hit of the party. Grab a pack of oreos, dip them in white chocolate and use your best imagination to paint on Jack Skellington’s face using black dye icing.
- Oogie Boogie Cupcakes – you can’t forget about the ghoul Oogie Boogie. Using chocolate muffin batter, green food coloring for the cream, and black dye icing, this “mud” filled cupcake will make all the parents and kids break out in smiles.
- Jack Skellington Pumpkin Cookies – kick off the party with scrumptious pumpkin cookies topped with pumpkin buttercream frosting and decorated with any of the classic scenes or poses from the movie.
- Jack Skellington Cheese Balls are made from a traditional cheese ball recipe and typically calls for cream cheese, bacon bits, and a few other ingredients to make this a certain guest favorite.
Theme-specific and traditional Baby Shower Games
Next on the list, we share baby shower games that fit this exciting theme, such as:
Nightmare Before Christmas bingo
Bingo is the ultimate game for a baby shower – it’s simple, and everyone gets to be involved. For a free version, here’s this fun resource from Musings of an Average Mom for printable bingo cards. Additionally, you can offer the magic of the Nightmare Before Christmas with a bilingual Loteria version of Nightmare Before Christmas. This collectible has beautiful artwork and illustrations of characters and references from the movie as well as other artwork inspired by Spanish words and Mexican culture.
“Don’t say baby” game
This game is sure to make your guests and the expecting parents laugh out loud! The challenge is to make it through the entire shower without saying the word “baby” – surprisingly hard while at a baby shower. Every person has at least one pin when they arrive. Anytime someone hears a guest say the word “baby,” that person’s pin can be stolen. For a more extensive overview of how to play the game (and how to win), check out this blog post.
“How big is mommy’s belly” guessing game
This game where you measure the expecting mommy’s tummy is a sweet way to highlight the baby and mom without getting too close and personal. For the expecting mamas who don’t mind getting their bump measured and shared, this game is one of those long-standing traditional shower games that’s withstood the test of time. People are often fascinated with a woman’s baby bump and the size of what it measures out to be. Here’s a great resource on the simple items you’ll need to play this game.
Nightmare Before Christmas Decorations to Set the Scene
Baby shower decorations are a must to capture the true essence of “Nightmare Before Christmas. We’ll share some easy ways for you to build that special, spooky and whimsical mood at the shower.
Jack and Sally flower vases
These are a simple, yet fun way to create the expecting parents’ favorite scene from the movie. These themed flower vases can be DIY – using a clear vase from any bargain store to paint on! You can also find specific vases on Etsy and other crafty platforms, if that’s easier for you.
Jack Skellington cheesecloth
Inspired by the movie, a torn, frayed cheesecloth decorated with Jack Skellington heads, or scenes and expressions straight from the film, is a great way to bring nostalgia and spookiness into the space. Here’s a relatively affordable and accessible option from Amazon.
Themed tablecloths and centerpieces
Themed tablecloths and centerpieces are another way to recreate a Nightmare Before Christmas baby shower. A great way to create a cohesive look and mood at the shower is to choose tablecloths and centerpieces that match the color palette of the film.
Party Favors for Guests
Party favor ideas add such a surprise element for your guests that’s sure to delight them. Here are a few ideas to keep party favors budget-friendly and right on theme.
Jack Skellington party favor bags
There are many options and adorable styles for favor bags with Jack Skellington’s face, just do a quick online search to find them! While keeping in mind the ages of any kids attending the shower, a few ideas to fill up the bag could be themed candies, stickers, pencils, playing cards, and ornaments.
Oogie Boogie party favor bags filled with bug candy
Oogie Boogie party favor bags are sure to be a hit with the kids! When we think of Oogie Boogie party favors, we think of bug candy, erasers with cute spiders on it, dyed popcorn, keychains, and stickers. Have fun making this bag very ghoul-friendly and spooky!
Invitations and Music
To add an additional Nightmare Before Christmas element, add themed invitations and music selection from the movie to set the tone for the shower. Design an invitation with the image of Jack Skellington or Oogie Boogie, with fonts that just scream spooky, and don’t forget to create a playlist with the most well-known songs from the movie’s soundtrack!
Cake and Dessert Ideas
Themed cakes and desserts are a wonderful way to build up the movie theme for a shower.
Nightmare Before Christmas-themed diaper cake
These are perfect centerpieces, and also a very practical baby shower gift to boot! To get started, you’ll need a bunch of diapers, potentially a character or two to focus the cake around, and relevant stickers and spooky elements to build around the character choice. For a creative, DIY diaper cake, here’s a coffin-shaped cake on TikTok for inspiration!
“Baby It’s Cold Outside” cake topper
A cake topper with the saying “Baby It’s Cold Outside” is a lovely way to pull together the theme. We recommend finding a topper that matches the colors of your current decorations and themed desserts. For a Jack Skellington cake topper, we love this creative inspiration from Zoes Fancy Cakes.
Gift Ideas for the Mom-to-Be
For guests attending the shower, we love gift ideas that align with the theme. Here are two ideas that stem for our top 44 must-have gift ideas: a monthly growth calendar blanket with a Nightmare Before Christmas theme and a similar baby blanket made with organic baby-safe yarn. We love the idea of having this theme carry into the little one’s life beyond the shower.
Embracing the Unconventional
When planning a baby shower, we encourage expecting parents to embrace their unique style. Not only will this be a very special memory for the family, guests will love the creativity and get to experience the parents’ unique interests. In this case, a “Nightmare Before Christmas” theme offers a delightful way to celebrate new life with a touch of whimsy and silly spookiness!
