by Chiara Alberetti Milott

What do you do when you’re co-hosting a baby shower, you’re in charge of decorations, and you live 612 miles away from the shower location? Perhaps you’d make these hanging ribbon hoops and pack them in your suitcase, ready to unfurl and hang when you arrive the morning of the party.

Since I live in New York and the shower was in Ann Arbor, Michigan, I needed to make some suitcase-friendly, portable decorations. It couldn’t be too big or too fragile – I needed something that would survive the flight intact. These ribbon hoops were just the ticket. They’re virtually indestructible – just fabric and hula-hoops. The shower was held at a local flower shop called Pot and Box – which has a beautiful event space off the back, with high ceilings, white walls, and floor to ceiling shelves piled high with pretty vases and containers.  I knew there were pipes and metal hooks on the ceiling, so that hanging the hoops wouldn’t be a problem.

Materials needed: strips of fabric, hula-hoop, scissors. (I used a 20” diameter hula-hoop, and it took about 60 strips of fabric cut into 2” inch strips. There’s no need to be exact though. You can add more or less fabric strips depending on what you have).

Step 1: Cut your fabric into 2” x 40” – 48” strips.

Step 2: Fold a strip of fabric in half, lay it under the hoop, and then flip the bend of the strip over the hoop. Pull the two loose strips through, tightening as you pull.

Step 3: Continue all the way around, until you have enough fabric strips to cover the hula-hoop.

Step 4: Shake out and smooth the fabric ribbons down, and hang.

My friend Abigail’s beautiful baby boy arrived 6 weeks early – so he was able to make an appearance at his own baby shower. Not every baby can boast that ~ welcome, Baby Ezra!

Everyone at the shower took turns scrapbooking and decorating one-sies and bibs for the baby.  The food was all potluck, and the homemade peach cupcakes finished off a sweet celebration.