How to throw a baby gender reveal party

From sweet Tweets to full-blown Facebook pages, expectant parents are discovering new ways to share the joy in revealing the sex of their baby. Adding to the excitement is the Baby Reveal party — a celebration to announce whether the stork will fly in a boy or girl. The unique twist? Sometimes the mom and dad don’t even know what they’re having until the event’s big surprise. Whether you’re in the know and sharing the good news or you’re just as clueless as your guests, here’s how to your host own Baby Gender Reveal party.

Ballooning with pride

A he or a she? Open and see. AE Events planners Christine Altieri and Jana Gimenez have punctuated the main reveal event with a large package opened by the couple at the height of the party (not pictured). What escapes are blue or pink helium balloons. For your own baby package, decorate a giant box with question marks, baby names or pink and blue bows, then take it to a local party store like Party City and have the clerk secretly fill it with the appropriate inflatables.

Baby cakes

At most reveal parties, the gender is given away the second the cake is cut. For a sweet surprise, the couple’s doctor writes down the sex of the baby and puts the note in a sealed envelope for the baker’s eyes only. If hospital policy prevents a reveal letter, have your doctor whisper the sex to a close friend, who in turn can alert your confectioner. Slicing into the cake, the parents-to-be and guests discover a color or pattern that indicates whether it’s a boy or a girl.

Cupcake or stud muffin

Serving cupcakes brings the countdown excitement to each of your individual guests. The bakers at Oakleaf Cakes decorate exteriors in neutral frosting, then core out the center to fill with either pink or blue vanilla buttercream. Serve the cupcakes all at once, then follow with a 3-2-1 for the guests to take away the guesswork with one bite.

Oakleaf Cakes, 12 Westland Ave, Boston, 617-299-1504, oakleafcakes.com

Dress it up

Ryan Gormady and his wife Susan, of Reading, asked guests to attend the party donned in their prediction color (not pictured). From baby blue ties to pretty-in-pink dresses, the event’s snapshot saw a ratio of 70/30 thinking pink. Alas the majority was wrong based on the blue cake cutting, with the couple expecting a boy in June. If you don’t want to ask everyone to commit to an entire ensemble, have a bowl of pink or blue leis for each to wear.

Old wives tales

Malden residents Christina Pierce and husband Ryan tested out a few superstitions before their event and posted the results at their reveal party. From crazy cravings to counting headaches, the old wives tales’ results came in at an even Stephen/Stephanie 50:50. “It was fun to play out some of the old wives tales beforehand for prediction and see which ones ‘worked,’’’ explains the mom-to-be. The couple showed they’re expecting a girl by cutting into a pink cake in front of guests.

Pin it

Whether you decide to have prizes for those who guessed right or those who “win’’ just get bragging rights, there’s nothing like a little friendly competition. The Pierces from Malden filled two bowls with girl and boy stick figure buttons that she bought on Etsy. Guests pinned on the color they thought the cake-cutting would reveal, then those who were correct got kudos. Check out stores like Michael’s Crafts, A.C. Moore, or Party City for a wide array of pins. Think baby diaper pins or tiny plastic baby booties. You can also DIY with pink and blue ribbons on safety pins.

Pop secret

Get the news out with a bang through confetti poppers. Ask everyone to grab a popper from both sides and twist when the time is right. Out comes the colored confetti along with the big secret. The sky’s the limit on what the poppers are packing. The Confetti Bar has filled them with dinosaurs, footballs, and sea creatures for a boy, and princess crowns, flowers and ballerina slippers for a girl.

The Confetti Bar, theconfettibar.com