What is a gender reveal box?  

A gender reveal box is essentially a cardboard box that’s decorated and filled with a special surprise that reveals an unborn baby’s gender. Often, expectant parents will ask their physician to write their baby’s gender down on a piece of paper after their 20-week sonogram (keeping the gender hidden from themselves). Then, they’ll give this piece of paper to a family member or friend who can create a gender reveal box for the parents to open at their gender reveal party. 

A creative gender reveal box can also be designed by the expectant parents themselves and gifted to close family members, such as their own parents or siblings, to announce whether they’re having a little boy or a little girl. 

While a common trend is to fill the box with blue or pink balloons, there’s no limit to what you can choose to put in your gender reveal box. In fact, we have some unique ideas of our own.

How to Make Your Gender Reveal Box 

Dust off those arts and crafts supplies, pull the wrapping paper out of the closet, and rummage through the junk drawer for your packing tape and scissors. It’s time to put together your own gender reveal box. 

When designing your gender reveal box, don’t be afraid to get a little crafty! In addition to (or instead of) wrapping paper, you can also utilize construction paper, paint, markers, glitter, stickers—whatever you think the recipient will be most dazzled by.  

Once you’ve gathered all the necessary supplies, you’ll need to purchase the box itself. To determine what size box is needed, first decide what you want to put inside. 

What to Put Inside Your Gender Reveal Box 

If you’re setting up the gender reveal box for a gender reveal party, you may want to choose a large box that everyone can gather around. If you’re presenting a gender reveal box to a family member or friend, a smaller box can be easier to transport or send through the mail. 

Here are some of our favorite gender reveal box surprises to get inspired for your own creation. Use an idea on its own or combine multiple ideas for an even more extravagant reveal. Consider some virtual gender reveal ideas to add, even if you’re doing an in-person reveal, that way you can include everyone near and far! 

#1 Balloons 

Balloons are synonymous with celebrations. If there’s ever a time to celebrate, it’s when a loved one discovers their baby’s gender. Choose from standard latex balloons, shiny mylar balloons, or balloons in various shapes, such as hearts or stars. As long as they’re colored accordingly (i.e. pink for a girl and blue for a boy), they’re sure to be a hit. 

To create the perfect reveal, fill your gender reveal balloons with helium, then tape their strings to the bottom of the gender reveal box. To ensure your balloons stay intact, be careful not to overfill the box. Then, tape your box shut. When it’s finally time for the reveal, the expectant parents can open the box, watch the helium balloons rise joyfully, and celebrate. 

#2 Knit Booties 

For smaller gender reveal boxes, there’s nothing more adorable than a pair of pink or blue knit booties. This more intimate reveal is perfect for telling the grandparents-to-be whether they can expect a grandson or granddaughter. Plus, those booties will come in handy after your little one is born, and grandma and grandpa are on babysitting duty. 

#3 Onesies 

Another gender reveal box item that can be put to good use when the baby arrives are onesies. Choose pink or blue onesies to make the announcement or purchase adorable gender reveal onesies that the recipient has to unfold to learn the surprise. 

For a boy, this simple, yet clever “oh, boy” onesie will get the message across and spark a smile. For a girl, consider this onesie that reads “sweet baby girl”—it’s a moniker friends and family are sure to adopt when she arrives. 

#4 Confetti & Streamers 

To shower the expectant parents in your life with the news of their little sir or madame, fill your box with colorful confetti and streamers. For added pizzazz, mix traditional paper confetti with shiny confetti or confetti shaped like hearts, stars, or baby bottles. You can even purchase specialized “It’s a Girl” or “It’s a Boy” confetti. Honestly, the more colored confetti, the better. 

Tape the bottom of your box shut with a single strip of tape, then hang it from a ceiling hook or a tree branch. Have the parents-to-be stand beneath the box and, when the time is right, remove the tape to shower them with colored confetti and streamers.

#5 Stuffed Animals 

Want to stuff your box with something a little different? Consider filling your gender reveal box with dozens of pink or blue stuffed animals. Mix and match different animals of various sizes for an adorable collection of cuddly friends that Mom and Dad can use to decorate the baby’s nursery. 

To present this reveal, you can hang the box (like the confetti cannon reveal), or keep the box on the ground, and have Mom and Dad simply open the lid. 

What to Put Outside Your Gender Reveal Box 

Although what’s on the outside of a gender reveal box doesn’t stand a chance of being more exciting than the surprise that awaits within, gender reveal box decorations can build anticipation and add to the theme or style of a gender reveal party. 

Here are some different ways you can decorate the outside of your gender reveal box. 

#6 Make It Shine 

We love the idea of a gender reveal box that reads, “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, How We Wonder What You Are.” To make this box idea shine even brighter, wrap the box in shiny wrapping paper before writing the phrase. Then, you can further embellish the box with stickers or drawings of shooting stars and crescent moons. 

#7 Leave Them Hanging 

To really build anticipation, consider using markers or paint to write the phrase, “It’s a…” on the outside of your box. The parents-to-be won’t be able to mask their excitement as they open the gender reveal box to see the end of the phrase. 

Feel free to further dress up this box idea by complementing it with images of baby bottles, baby rattles, storks, bow ties, ribbons, mustaches, or tiaras. 

#8 Keep It A Question 

It’s the question on everyone’s mind, so why not put it on the box? Cover your gender reveal box with pink and blue question marks to keep everyone curious until the big reveal. 

#9 Pick Your Hue

Your newest arrival will either be a little boy or a little girl. And while the chances aren’t exactly 50/50, you can represent the odds by painting half of your box pink and half of your box blue. You can even add the question, “Pink or Blue?” to the box to keep everyone guessing. 

#10 Get the Kids Involved

If the expectant parents already have children, consider decorating the outside of the box with the question, “Little Brother or Little Sister?” Then, the expectant parents and siblings can unbox the surprise. 

#11 Get the Guests Involved 

For an interactive gender reveal box, decorate the outside with a tally chart where the party guests can mark whether they think the baby will be a boy or a girl. Not only is this a fun way to gauge everyone’s expectations, but it also makes the big reveal even more rewarding for those who guessed correctly. 

#12 Stick to a Theme 

If the gender reveal party already has a theme, consider continuing this theme on the outside of the box. Common gender party themes include: 

• Bows or Bow Ties
• Little Prince or Little Princess
• Nautical (What whale the gender be?)
• Bees (What will the gender bee?) 

Unbox Even More Surprises With SneakPeek

No matter how you decorate your cute gender reveal box or what you put inside, the reaction will undoubtedly be one of surprise, joy, and overwhelming love. 

If you’re looking for more information on gender reveals, read our linked blogs on creative gender reveal ideas for husband or partner, and do you bring a gift to a gender reveal party? 

Can’t wait to celebrate the big reveal with family and friends? With SneakPeek, you don’t have to. The SneakPeek At-Home Early Gender Prediction Test can help you discover your baby’s gender at just 7 weeks into pregnancy with over 99% accuracy¹. Plus, you can easily take the test from the comfort of home. With SneakPeek’s FastTrack option, you’ll receive your answer 72 hours after we receive your sample. 

Unbox your baby’s gender even sooner with SneakPeek.