Baby Shower Fruit Tray Ideas

Hosting a baby shower can be fun and exciting, especially when the menu is easy to prepare. Finger foods are ideal for a baby shower because they can be easily eaten while guests mingle or watch the mother-to-be open gifts. In particular, fruit trays are light, cool, pretty and easy to eat. You can purchase one at the grocery store if time is tight, or spend just a few minutes making one yourself.

Although some fruits, such as bananas, don't stand up well to being out for several hours on display, others work very well, including strawberries, pineapple, cantaloupe and watermelon. Apples can go both ways, as they tend to turn brown the longer they are exposed to the air.

Cut fruits such as watermelon, cantaloupe, strawberries and pineapple on the day you need the fruit tray. If you prepare the tray any sooner, you run the risk of the fruit becoming soft and mushy. Apples need to be cut right before the tray is put out. If you are offering bananas, cut them right before placing the tray out as well. Offer only a few bananas at a time; when those run out, cut up a few more.

If you have a large area in which to put your fruit tray, consider dividing the fruits onto smaller platters and grouping them together on the table. This works well for crowded tables where you might not have room for one large platter.

Alternatively, arrange the fruits together on one large tray; set aside a section for pineapple, a section for strawberries, and so on, or mix all of the fruits together on the tray. The latter makes the tray look more like a fruit salad, but it is still delicious. Mixing the fruit pieces together works well if you only have a large bowl to hold all of the fruit.

As a special touch, make a centerpiece out of your fruit tray. Buy a large watermelon and carve its top to look like a baby buggy. Scoop out all of the fruit from the watermelon and fill the rind with the pieces of cut-up fruit. Set the watermelon in the middle of the table with a tray underneath it; the mom-to-be will love the look of it. Although this centerpieces does not take very long to do, it looks very impressive.