Guest Book How-Tos & Ideas

Planning a baby shower is all about celebrating new life and creating lasting memories. One of the most meaningful keepsakes you can have from the event is a beautiful guest book that captures heartfelt wishes and fingerprints from friends and family. But why settle for a plain guest book when you can choose a themed design that perfectly complements your baby shower, and even matches the nursery décor? At BonjourEmma, we offer a variety of hand-illustrated, personalized baby shower guest books designed to fit a range of popular themes. Here’s a guide to some of the best baby shower guest book themes, plus tips on how to match them with keepsake ideas and décor for a truly memorable celebration. Why Choose a Themed Baby Shower Guest Book? A themed guest book adds personality and charm to your baby shower. It ties the event’s décor together, making your celebration feel cohesive and thoughtfully planned. More importantly, it creates a treasured keepsake that you and your little one will cherish for years to come. When the guest book matches your nursery style, it becomes a natural piece of wall art or décor that helps tell your family’s story. Popular Baby Shower Guest Book Themes Choosing a themed guest book that matches your baby shower makes your celebration feel even more special, and creates a keepsake you’ll love displaying in the nursery. Below are some of the most popular baby shower themes and how our fingerprint and signature guest books bring them to life. 1. Adventure Perfect for "Adventure Awaits" baby showers, this theme inspires curiosity and imagination. Our Up House Guest Book (available in both fingerprint and signature balloon versions) captures the spirit of exploration with its whimsical floating house and rainbow balloon design. It's a wonderful choice for gender-neutral celebrations. Keepsake Tip: Display it in a travel-themed nursery with map prints, globes, or hot air balloon accents.   2. Woodland Creatures Rustic, cozy, and endlessly charming, woodland themes remain a timeless baby shower favorite. Featuring foxes, deer, and forest motifs, our Deer Antlers Fingerprint Guest Book adds a heartwarming personal touch to woodland-inspired decor. Keepsake Tip: Frame your guest book in a wood-tone frame and style the nursery with natural textures like linen, pinecones, and greenery.   3. Hot Air Balloon This dreamy, uplifting theme is perfect for sky-inspired baby showers. Our Vintage Basket Hot Air Balloons Fingerprint Guest Book lets guests create fingerprint "balloons" to complete the floating scene, a fun and interactive keepsake that looks beautiful on display. Keepsake Tip: Pair with pastel balloons, cloud mobiles, and "Up, Up, and Away" signage in the nursery.   4. Princess & Fairytale Add a touch of enchantment to your baby shower with a princess or fairytale theme. Our Princess Carriage Fingerprint Guest Book features a delicate, regal design that’s perfect for celebrating baby girls with elegance and grace. Keepsake Tip: Complement with soft pink nursery tones, tiara or crown details, and storybook quotes like "Once upon a time."   5. Safari Animals Lively and full of playful spirit, safari-themed baby showers are always a hit. With giraffes, lions, elephants, and zebras, our Elephant and Giraffe Fingerprint Guest Books allow guests to help "grow" a jungle using their fingerprints. Keepsake Tip: Complete the look with animal prints, leafy greens, and wooden safari animal toys. 6. Moon, Stars & Space Celestial-themed baby showers are trending for their dreamy and serene vibe. Our I Love You to the Moon and Back Fingerprint Guest Book features a sweet baby sitting on a crescent moon, lifted by fingerprint balloons - a perfect match for this magical theme. Keepsake Tip: Style the nursery with star garlands, gold accents, and quotes like "Love you to the moon and back". 7. Animals & Pets Perfect for animal-loving families, pet-themed baby showers are warm, joyful, and sweet. From elephants to birds, these designs are gentle and loving. Our Cat on Swing Fingerprint Balloon Guest Book (also ideal for baptisms and birthdays) fits beautifully with this theme. Keepsake Tip: Include pet-inspired nursery prints, paw-print decor, or matching plush animals. 8. Vehicles & Transportation Planes, trains, tricycles, and bikes make for a fun, action-packed baby shower theme—especially popular for boys. Our Tricycle and Airplane Fingerprint Guest Books bring a touch of vintage charm and are perfect for casual or retro showers. Keepsake Tip: Decorate with toy cars, road signs, and bicycle-themed wall hooks to complete the look. Tips for Matching Your Guest Book with Nursery Décor Choose Complementary Colors: Pick ink pads and guest book designs that echo your nursery palette. For example, soft pastels for a calming space or bold colors for a playful vibe. Frame Your Keepsake: Display your completed guest book in a frame that matches your nursery style—rustic wood for woodland themes, sleek white for modern rooms, or ornate frames for princess themes. Incorporate Guest Prints: Use guest fingerprints to create matching wall art or keepsake albums alongside your guest book for a beautiful, personalized nursery gallery. How to Make Your Baby Shower Guest Book Interactive & Fun Set out ink pads in a variety of colors that complement your guest book design. Include a clear, cute instruction card so guests know how to leave fingerprints and messages. Provide wipes or tissues nearby for easy cleanup. Encourage guests to write their names or short wishes next to their prints.

When it comes to fingerprint or signature guest books, your choice of ink pads and pens can make all the difference. Whether you're planning a wedding, baby shower, or retirement party, the right tools will help guests leave a clear, beautiful mark—and ensure your keepsake lasts a lifetime. At BonjourEmma, we’ve designed hundreds of personalized guest books, and we’ve tested many ink pads and pens along the way. In this post, we’re sharing what truly works best—based on real use, not sponsorships or affiliate links. 🖐️ Why Ink Pad Quality Matters for Fingerprint Guest Books Fingerprint guest books are a fun, interactive way to capture memories. But not all ink pads are created equal. Cheap ink can bleed, smudge, or fade—ruining the look of your artwork and your guests’ prints. Here’s what BonjourEmma recommends looking for in an ink pad: Fast-drying to avoid smudges Non-toxic and acid-free (especially important for baby showers) Vibrant, true-to-color impressions on light cardstock Archival quality to ensure your guest book lasts for years 🎨 BonjourEmma’s Favorite Ink Pads (Tested and Loved!) 1. Tsukineko Memento Ink Pads (Dew Drop & Full Size) These are our absolute go-to ink pads for most guest book styles. They dry quickly, the colors are crisp and elegant, and they don’t smudge easily. The Dew Drop shape is also perfect for little fingers and multicolor setups. 2. Distress Ink Pads (Mini or Regular) Distress inks are ideal for soft, vintage tones—great for rustic weddings, outdoor ceremonies, or designs like our Deer Antlers or Wedding Tree guest books. The color blends have a watercolor feel we absolutely love. 3. Let’s Color Ink Pads Let’s Color ink pads offer bold, punchy colors that really pop. They’re budget-friendly and easier to clean off fingers compared to Memento or Distress inks. While they don’t have archival quality, they’re still a great option for casual events or colorful themes. We love using them for rainbow or pastel palettes, especially with designs like our Up House or Tandem Bicycle fingerprint balloon guest books. 💡 BonjourEmma Tip: Avoid bulk-pack ink pads with generic branding—these often fade, smudge, or feel watery on smooth paper. 🎯 How Many Ink Pads Do You Really Need? Here’s what BonjourEmma recommends based on guest count: Up to 50 guests: 1–2 ink pads should be enough 50–150 guests: Set out 3–5 pads to avoid lines Use 4–7 coordinated colors for themed events or rainbow-style guest books ✍️ Best Pens for Signature Guest Books (Or Writing Over Fingerprints) Many of our guest books have space for guests to write their names beside a fingerprint or sign directly on the page. For a smudge-free, beautiful result, BonjourEmma recommends these tried-and-true pens: Top Pen Recommendations: Sakura Micron Pens – Archival ink, waterproof, and excellent for writing over fingerprint ink. Our top choice. Uni-ball Signo Gel Pens – Smooth, easy to use, and great on matte cardstock. Sharpie Fine Point – A reliable option, but test before your event to make sure it doesn’t bleed on your paper type. For Dark Paper Guest Books: Use white, silver, or gold gel pens (such as Gelly Roll or Pilot Juice Up) for striking contrast. ✨ BonjourEmma Tip: Skip felt-tip markers and wet gel pens—they’re more likely to smear or bleed. 🛠️ BonjourEmma’s Setup Tips Provide a test card so guests can try the ink or pen before signing the guest book Provide wet wipes or tissues for easy cleanup, and place a small trash bin nearby for used wipes Place ink pads in small trays or containers to keep things neat Print a small instruction sign (e.g., “Please leave a fingerprint and sign your name”) to guide guests—for fingerprint guest books only.At BonjourEmma, we include a pre-printed instruction card with all physical fingerprint guest book orders, and a free printable sign with all digital orders. 💬 Final Thoughts from BonjourEmma The ink pads and pens you choose may seem like a small detail—but they help transform your guest book into a truly lasting keepsake. With the right tools, your guests will leave colorful, heartfelt marks that you’ll treasure for years. We hope our tested recommendations help make your event extra memorable. 🎁 Looking for a Guest Book That Guests Will Love Signing? Browse our hand-illustrated fingerprint and signature guest books—personalized for weddings, baby showers, birthdays, retirements, and more:👉 Shop All Guest Books at BonjourEmma

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