Planning your baby shower is exciting—but if you’re using Poppylist for your registry, you might be wondering how it works when it comes to gift-giving at the actual event. We recently heard from an expecting mom who had the same question:

“Hi there! I am very pleased with the overall easy, aesthetic and simplicity of the registry. My only question/concern is that it doesn't really seem ideal for baby showers since, from what I have gathered, gift givers cannot send themselves the gift. With that being said, is there any work around to this or a trick/tip you recommend? I really, really, really love Poppylist but need to make it work since I am having two baby showers!”

First off, we love hearing when you’re loving Poppylist (and we totally get that our process is a little different). So let’s break it down and share some tips on how to make Poppylist work seamlessly for your baby shower or sprinkle—while making your life easier.

Why Does Poppylist Ship Gifts Directly?

Poppylist is designed to make receiving gifts easy and stress-free. Instead of getting a mountain of boxes at your shower, every item is shipped directly to you (the expecting parent) when you are ready to receive it. This is especially helpful for parents with multiple showers, out-of-town guests, or anyone who doesn’t want to haul 27 packages home in the backseat.

Additionally, this service, which we call Delayed Delivery, has and continues to support parents after pregnancy loss who do not want to receive any gifts until they’re 1,000% sure it’s a viable pregnancy, or until they bring their baby home.

Other use cases as to why Poppylist parents love Delayed Delivery. 

  • They are in between moves
  • They are renovating their nursery
  • They don’t want to open gifts at their baby shower
  • They want to avoid clutter and prefer to unpack boxes at their leisure
  • They are a military family getting reassigned
  • They are traveling
  • They have religious superstitions
  • …and more

Do any of these sound like you?

Here’s How to Make Poppylist Work for Your Shower:

1. Personalize Your Welcome Message

When you build your Poppylist registry, you can customize the welcome message at the top. This is the perfect spot to explain how the registry works:

Examples:

"A quick note: All gifts ship directly to us! We know this might feel a little impersonal if you're used to bringing a present to a baby shower, but Poppylist helps us confirm the right product, size, and color—plus, we can receive the items when we're ready. This helps us keep things organized as we prepare our baby; we don't have to have everything arrive all at once!"

"We’re using Poppylist to make receiving gifts easy and stress-free—everything will be shipped directly to our home when we’re ready! We can’t wait to celebrate with you in person at our shower—no need to bring a wrapped gift."

"We're using Poppylist to curate the things we truly need. Gifts are shipped directly to our home when we're ready—no unnecessary clutter until we're ready!"

Click here to see a real example.

2. Add a Note to Your Shower Invitations

Including a quick note on your invitations can prevent any confusion:

Examples:

“We’re using Poppylist for our baby registry, which sends gifts directly to our home! So instead of opening gifts at the shower, we’ll get to spend meaningful time together instead!"

“We’re using Poppylist, which sends gifts directly to our home—no need to bring a wrapped gift to the shower. We’re just excited to celebrate with you!"

“We're using Poppylist, which sends gifts directly to us when we're ready! We can't wait to celebrate with you in person—our baby shower is centered around love and support, less around things!"

Some people call us the Baby Shower Hero :) 

3. Enjoy the Biggest Perk: No Car-Loading Marathon

Let’s be honest—after a beautiful baby shower, the last thing you want to do is figure out how to fit a stroller, bassinet, and 14 gift bags into your car. Especially if your shower is out of town! With Poppylist, everything is shipped to your door when you’re ready. You can enjoy the party without the post-shower workout.

4. Get Creative at the Shower

If you still want that “gift-opening” moment, here are a couple of ideas:

Build Baby’s Library

  • Why it’s great: Books are personal, affordable, and meaningful. Guests love picking their favorites + they can bring something tangible.
  • Execution: Ask guests to bring a book instead of a card, with a little note inside.
  • Message Spin: “Words that last longer than a card—help fill our baby's bookshelf with love.”

Polaroid Display of Shipped Gifts

  • Why it’s great: It bridges the gap for guests who value the visual/physical aspect of gift-giving. Plus, it’s such a cute, Instagram-worthy touch.
  • Pro Tip: You could even do a little string-and-clothespin display or a corkboard so it feels decorative.
  • Message Spin: “Show off the gifts without the heavy lifting—literally.”

Nursery Reveal

  • Why it’s great: People love a good reveal moment (hello, gender reveals, house tours, etc.). This lets guests see how their gift is part of your baby’s future setup.
  • Pro Tip: This theme only works if the shower/sprinkle is at your home. If you have big-ticket registry items like a crib, glider, or changing station, this is a golden opportunity to highlight those.
  • Message Spin: “Skip the gift pile—give them the grand tour.”

Diaper & Wipe Raffle

  • Why it’s great: Guests get that satisfaction of bringing something in hand, and you stock up on essentials
  • Execution: Every pack of diapers/wipes = one raffle entry. Winner gets a small prize (e.g., a candle, coffee gift card, wine).
  • Message Spin: “Help us stock up on the essentials—and win a little treat for yourself!”

Pro Tip for Poppylist Users:

You can tie any of these ideas into your welcome message or shower invites to make sure guests know the focus is on celebrating you, not the physical gifts. Again, something like:

“We’re using Poppylist, so gifts will ship directly to us—no wrapping or heavy lifting required! We can’t wait to celebrate with you and have some fun together at the shower.”

Game Idea: “Who Gifted What?”

A Poppylist Baby Shower Game!

How It Works:

  • Before the shower, once you’ve started receiving gifts at home, keep track of who sent what (inside your Poppylist account, select the Purchased Items Tab, and you’ll see the full list of who gifted what).
  • At the shower, create a simple list (or slideshow) with the gift items (e.g., stroller, swaddle set, high chair, etc.).
  • Guests take turns guessing who gave what gift.
  • You can make it multiple-choice or just let people guess freely.
  • Reveal the answers as you go—or save it for the end for a big reveal.

Why It’s Great:

  • It brings back that fun, “Who got us this adorable onesie?!” vibe, without needing physical gifts at the party.
  • It still makes guests feel involved and connected to their gift, even though it was shipped to your home.

Prize Idea:

Pro Tip:

  • If you’re already doing the Polaroid photo display (our earlier idea), you can use the photos of the gifts as a visual aid for the guessing game. Guests can look at the gift wall and try to match the names!

Bonus: We Can Transfer Your Babylist Registry to Poppylist

If you’ve started a registry somewhere else, like Babylist, but love the simplicity of Poppylist, we can transfer your registry for you. Just reach out to [email protected], and we’ll handle the rest.

You Deserve a Baby Shower That Works for You

We know that every family is different, and we built Poppylist to make this process easier for you. With a few simple tweaks, you can have a beautiful baby shower and enjoy the ease of on-demand gift shipping. Because the best gift of all? Not having to haul a carload of boxes home when you’re eight months pregnant.

Have questions? Need help with a registry transfer? We’re always here—just reach out!

Happy celebrating, happy registering, and happy shower!