Sbou3 decorations: ideas for a beautiful, simple celebration that's safe for baby

The living room is tidy, the copper trays are out of the cupboard, and the aunt with "an eye for it" arrives with a box of flowers. Sbou3 decoration does not need to be spectacular to be beautiful. A well-dressed table, a corner for photos and one colour tying it all together are enough to transform the house for the seventh-day celebration (the sbou3, when the baby's name is announced).

What matters is that it is done without the new mother, who has only just given birth, and that it stays safe for a newborn a few days old. Here are ideas by style and by budget, plus the precautions to take with balloons, candles and incense. For how the day unfolds, the aqiqa and regional customs, see our guide to planning the sbou3 and the aqiqa.

Where to start with sbou3 decoration

Start with three elements, no more: the table, a photo corner and a colour theme. Everything else is a bonus. This rule stops you from buying too much, overloading the living room and spending the night before the party blowing up balloons.

Then decide who is in charge. In many families, preparations start well before the birth: the Moroccan mothers' website mamanmaroc.ma reports that in the North, people start about two months ahead. That is the right instinct. Choose the colours and accessories towards the end of pregnancy, store them in a box labelled "sbou3", and hand the setting up over to a sister, cousin or friend. All the new mother has to do is approve a photo.

Finally, keep one quiet room with no decorations or music, for baby's feeds, changes and naps. On that day, it is the most important room in the house.

Traditional or modern: two styles, endless variations

The two styles go together very well. Many families keep a beldi (traditional Moroccan) table and add a more modern photo corner.

One of the charms of the beldi style is that you barely need to buy anything: you borrow grandmother's trays and the embroidered tablecloth from the trousseau, and the house tells the family's story.

Sbou3 decoration for a girl or a boy: do you need a colour?

No, it is not compulsory. Pink and blue remain the most common colours, but neutral tones are popular, and they can be reused for a second child or a birthday. A trick that works: start from what will be in the photos. The colour of the mother's kaftan, baby's outfit or the family tablecloths will give you the palette. Two colours, plus a touch of gold or silver, are enough.

To personalise without spending much, focus on the name: in wooden letters, embroidered on a cushion, calligraphed in Arabic and Latin script on a card. If you announce the birth in writing, the same lettering can be used for the table and for the birth announcement card or online announcement.

The sbou3 table

The table is the heart of the decoration, because that is where everyone gathers. A few simple ideas:

• a central tray with dates, milk or tea, and pastries, raised on cake stands to save space;
• low bouquets, which don't block conversation and don't fall over when a child tugs the tablecloth;
• small favours for guests: bags of sugared almonds, little jars of honey, scented soaps, with a label bearing the baby's name;
• a guest book where everyone writes a wish for baby, to be read again on their 18th birthday.

The menu itself, from the morning dishes to dinner, is covered in our article on the dishes and organisation of the sbou3 meal. On the decor side, think about the heat: fresh flowers wilt quickly near a sunny window, and so do chocolate decorations.

The photo corner: the memory that lasts

The photo corner is often what people remember best, years later. All you need is a clear stretch of wall, near a window for natural light, and a simple backdrop:

• a stretched fabric or a sheer curtain;
• a paper or fabric garland with the name;
• a light wall decoration, firmly hung;
• an armchair or bench for the mother to sit with baby in her arms.

Plan for mother and baby to spend ten minutes there, no more, then return to the quiet room. Guests can take photos there all day. For pose ideas and safety rules with a newborn, see our newborn photo ideas.

From the shop

For the seventh-day keepsake corner

The decorations are packed away that evening; baby's prints stay. A few frames and boxes to place on the sbou3 table, then in the nursery.

• −9 %Tiny LoveTiny Creations Magic Box baby print kit, square metal box – Tiny Love146 DHinstead of 160 DHView product
• −9 %Tiny LoveTiny Creations Magic Box baby print kit, round metal box – Tiny Love146 DHinstead of 160 DHView product
• −9 %Tiny LoveTiny Creations Simple Frame baby print frame, white – Tiny Love209 DHinstead of 230 DHView product
• −9 %Tiny LoveTiny Creations Simple Frame baby print frame, wood – Tiny Love209 DHinstead of 230 DHView product
• −9 %Tiny LoveTiny Creations Double Frame baby print frame, white – Tiny Love291 DHinstead of 320 DHView product
• −9 %Tiny LoveTiny Creations wooden double photo and print frame – Tiny Love291 DHinstead of 320 DHView product
• The whole aisle · Decoration85 products online, delivered anywhere in Morocco.Open the aisle

Products sold by La Maison du Bébé, publisher of this magazine. Prices as of 12 October 2026; please check the product page.

Balloons, candles, incense: decorations that are safe for baby

A seven-day-old newborn doesn't touch anything, but brothers, sisters and cousins do. And baby breathes in everything floating in the air.

Balloons. The American Academy of Pediatrics advises keeping latex balloons out of children's reach until about age 8. Quebec's public health institute INSPQ adds that the danger also comes from deflated balloons and pieces of burst balloons, which can block the airway. Fix arches up high, pick up any burst balloon immediately, and don't let little ones play with them. Fabric garlands or paper pompoms create the same effect without the risk.

Ribbons and small objects. The INSPQ recommends cords of no more than 20 cm and reminds parents that small objects can choke a child: beads, sugared almonds, confetti, small decorative letters. Keep them on the table, away from the edge, and away from the bouncer or Moses basket.

Candles. A flame, a tablecloth and a crowded room make a risky combination. Place candles up high, in glass holders, and never leave them unattended. LED candles are a good alternative, with one caveat: they often run on button batteries. The American Academy of Pediatrics warns that a swallowed button battery can burn through the oesophagus within two hours. Choose models with a screw-fastened battery compartment, and put spare batteries away.

Incense and bakhour. Burning incense is part of the celebration in many families: Le Matin described, in Salé, the fumigations of incense, alum and harmal (wild rue) that scent the naming ceremony. None of our sources has studied the effect of this smoke on newborns, but France's national health insurance asks parents to air rooms and not to expose babies to tobacco smoke, to protect their airways. To be on the safe side, burn incense in another room, at another time, or keep the mbakhra as a purely decorative object.

Heat. A full room, spotlights, candles: the temperature rises quickly. In very hot weather, paediatrician Moulay Saïd Afif reminded Médias24 readers that babies under six months are particularly vulnerable to dehydration. Air the room, and take baby out as soon as they seem too warm.

How much to spend? Ideas by budget

Decorations can cost next to nothing. The ranges below are not prices but ways of doing things.

Small budget. Everything the family already has: embroidered tablecloths, trays, salon cushions. Add flowers from the market, a handmade paper garland and the name calligraphed on a card. It is often the warmest result.

Medium budget. Add some reusable party decorations bought for the occasion: wooden letters, a fabric garland, frames, a table runner. These pieces can then be used in the nursery or for baby's first birthday.

Big budget. A decorator sets everything up, often for a reception in a hall. Ask for a detailed quote and set times for setting up and taking down, and pass on your safety rules: balloons fixed up high, no flames near baby's area.

In all three cases, keep part of the decoration for the nursery: a name garland or a frame with baby's prints will remind you of the celebration long afterwards. And if the new mother would rather have a smaller party, the most successful decoration is the one that lets her rest.