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Amelia
Amelia

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Building a Couple’s Wishlist with Python + Flask

As developers, we often build for ourselves. But sometimes, the best projects come from wanting to make someone else’s day a little easier—or a lot more thoughtful.

I recently wanted to create a simple, shared wishlist app for my partner and me. No ads, no clutter, just a place where we could drop gift ideas for anniversaries, birthdays, or just because.

Here’s a minimal Flask version you can clone and customize in 10 minutes.

The Setup

We’ll use Flask and SQLite. No frontend framework, just clean HTML and a tiny bit of CSS.

First, install Flask:

pip install flask
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The Core App

Create app.py:

from flask import Flask, render_template, request, redirect, url_for
import sqlite3

app = Flask(__name__)

def init_db():
    conn = sqlite3.connect('wishlist.db')
    c = conn.cursor()
    c.execute('''CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS wishes
                 (id INTEGER PRIMARY KEY AUTOINCREMENT,
                  item TEXT NOT NULL,
                  note TEXT,
                  added_by TEXT)''')
    conn.commit()
    conn.close()

@app.route('/')
def index():
    conn = sqlite3.connect('wishlist.db')
    c = conn.cursor()
    c.execute("SELECT * FROM wishes ORDER BY id DESC")
    wishes = c.fetchall()
    conn.close()
    return render_template('index.html', wishes=wishes)

@app.route('/add', methods=['POST'])
def add():
    item = request.form['item']
    note = request.form.get('note', '')
    added_by = request.form.get('added_by', '')
    conn = sqlite3.connect('wishlist.db')
    c = conn.cursor()
    c.execute("INSERT INTO wishes (item, note, added_by) VALUES (?, ?, ?)",
              (item, note, added_by))
    conn.commit()
    conn.close()
    return redirect(url_for('index'))

@app.route('/delete/<int:id>')
def delete(id):
    conn = sqlite3.connect('wishlist.db')
    c = conn.cursor()
    c.execute("DELETE FROM wishes WHERE id=?", (id,))
    conn.commit()
    conn.close()
    return redirect(url_for('index'))

if __name__ == '__main__':
    init_db()
    app.run(debug=True)
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The Template

Create templates/index.html:

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head><title>Our Wishlist</title></head>
<body>
<h1>❤️ Our Couple Wishlist</h1>
<form method="POST" action="/add">
    <input type="text" name="item" placeholder="Gift idea" required>
    <input type="text" name="note" placeholder="Note (optional)">
    <input type="text" name="added_by" placeholder="Who suggested?">
    <button type="submit">Add</button>
</form>
<ul>
{% for wish in wishes %}
    <li>
        <strong>{{ wish[1] }}</strong>
        {% if wish[2] %} <em>{{ wish[2] }}</em> {% endif %}
        {% if wish[3] %} <small>by {{ wish[3] }}</small> {% endif %}
        <a href="/delete/{{ wish[0] }}">x</a>
    </li>
{% endfor %}
</ul>
</body>
</html>
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Why This Matters

Beyond the code, this is about building something that strengthens connection. You can extend it—add a “purchased” flag, a countdown to your anniversary, or even a link to where you found the item (like this curated collection of couple gifts I stumbled upon: Frishay Couple Gifts).

The best projects are the ones that make your real life better. Try it, and let me know what you add.

Top comments (2)

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burhanchaudhry profile image
Burhan •

Thanks for sharing this practical approach. I've implemented something similar and noticed a significant boost in team productivity, especially when pairing it with automated tests. Any tips for onboarding new team members to this workflow?

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dylan_parker123 profile image
Dylan Parker •

Great breakdown of the architecture! One thing I'd add is the importance of considering edge cases early in the design phase—it saved me hours of refactoring on a recent project. What tools do you use for visualizing these flows?