This football themed Sip and See might be my favorite idea for a new baby celebration to date!

NFL Homegating is like tailgating in the comfort of your own home – which is fun on its own – but even more so with a brand new baby to show off! ;)

Football Baby Shower Printables

My Touchdown, BABY! printables are available in our store! Use them to add instant style and personalized details to your party. 🙌 You can edit the custom text yourself – right on the website – whenever (and as often as) you need to! Click here to buy this collection.

Sip and See …and Cheer

In case you’re not familiar with the term, a “Sip and See” is an open-house style gathering where several people come over to meet a new baby within a specified window of time. They can stay for a while or just pop in for a few minutes. It’s a fun excuse to get together, AND it saves new parents from having to accommodate the various schedules of a zillion different people that are all anxious to meet their little one.

One big thing to consider though: not everyone can hold the baby at once, which means it’s a good idea to have something else to keep your guests entertained too. So… HELLO, WORLD + HELLO, FOOTBALL!

Timing a Sip and See to align with an NFL game provides the perfect extra entertainment for your guests: it’s fun, it’s social, and, most importantly, it’s low-maintenance. They’ve got something to focus on while you’re busy chatting with others, and you’ve got a great theme to work with… your favorite NFL team! Or the favorite team of the guests of honor, if you’re hosting this party for a friend.

So with this in mind, I’m excited to team up with NFL Homegating to bring you some inspiration for hosting your own NFL Inspired Sip and See! NFL Homegating is all about celebrating your team at home. I stuck with my own favorite team here (of course!), but you can easily swap out the Raiders glasses and serveware with versions that feature your own favorite team.

I also designed the football printables featured here in black and white so that they can work with any team color palette!

P.S. Even though this NFL season is coming to an end soon, all of these ideas would work great at a regular football-inspired baby shower too, which can happen year-round. Plus, the next NFL season will be here before we know it!

The Drinks

Since this is a SIP and See, drinks are key of course! Set up a station that makes it easy for guests to help themselves. Make sure to have a variety of options available for people of different ages and tastes. I always like to offer one party punch with a fun name that matches the theme + the standard basics (water, iced tea, wine, beer, soda).

This “Touchdown” Punch is simple yet tasty. It’s just store-bought green fruit punch (kiwi strawberry flavor) + lemon-lime soda. For an extra point though, throw in some lime sherbet and/or champagne!

Speaking of fun names, I couldn’t resist calling the iced tea “Safe-TEA” as a play on the football position/play.

Space for cold drinks can often be an issue, and it’s fine to use your refrigerator as a solution for this! Just make sure to set out a note that lets guests know that more beverages are available for them in the fridge. You’ll probably also need to clean out your fridge... ;)

I’m a big fan of wine myself… and this is a CELEBRATION, after all! These team-branded stemless wine glasses feel a little more sporty and “Homegating friendly” to me:

Since this drink station is also the focal point of the party (similar to how styled dessert tables are often treated), I have a few decorative tips from it to share with you too… :)

1. “Football Family” Centerpiece

First up is this decorative drinkware display, which is a nod to both parts of the theme (sipping and NFL), as well as to the family that’s being celebrated. There’s a wine glass for mom, a beer mug for dad – (both from NFL Homegating) – and a DIY painted bottle for baby (a.k.a. the MVP!).

If you’re hosting for someone else, the glassware can also double as a thoughtful gift for mom and dad after the party. The mini Quarterback, MVP, and Coach flags can be downloaded below.

2. Football Onesie Banner

Since there’s not a whole lot of obviously “baby” stuff happening on top of the table, I thought a onesie banner was in order to help highlight the occasion more obviously. ;)

3. Felt Football Field Table Cover

For this table cover, I used green felt, white duct tape (large lines), and white masking tape (small lines). Having an attractive table cover or linen makes ALL the difference in the world as far as the look of a party station!

The Food

Snacks at a Sip and See can be simple and fuss-free! In similar fashion to the drinks, I like to have one “star”of the food table surrounded by a few crowd-pleasing basics like cheese/cracker and veggie trays.

I chose a 5-Ingredient Chili as the main dish, since it’s quick to make and easy to keep warm all party long in a (Raiders!) Crockpot:

Popular garnishes for the chili (cheddar cheese, avocado slices, onions, and sour cream) were served in cute galvanized pails.

Cheese and crackers were carefully arranged on this ceramic plate so that they didn’t cover up the best part…

Veggies add such a fantastic pop of color to any food station! I pretty much always include them at parties…. even though I’ll admit that I usually reach for a cheese stick first myself. ;)

Hope you found some useful tips here for your next football soirée! Remember to visit NFL Homegating for official NFL team party supplies, drinkware, serving trays and more.

P.S. The football baby bottles pictured above were made by pouring craft paint into the bottles and letting it slowly drip down the sides, similar to what I did in this tutorial post. I cut pieces of duct tape for the “laces”.

Football Baby Shower Printables

Printables are my favorite *secret weapon* for adding unique style to any celebration! Click here to customize my Touchdown, BABY! collection for your own party – instantly, online. 🤗

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Disclosure: This post is sponsored by NFL Homegating. As always, all thoughts and designs are my own. Thank you so much for supporting the companies that make it possible for me to keep the creative content coming your way!