The christening gifts that last are the ones a child can keep: a small gold cross or angel, put away until the child is old enough to wear it, a first cologne in a bottle or case worth keeping long after it is empty, and gentle care for the weeks around the day itself. We have grouped our choices by kind of gift, with a short reason for each, and kept to what each house states about its pieces. For the first months more generally, our guide Gifts for a New Baby: Thoughtful Sets for the First Months covers everyday care in more detail.
What Makes a Good Christening or Baptism Gift?
A christening or baptism marks a beginning, and the gifts given that day are often the first things a child owns that are meant to last. That is why jewellery is the traditional choice, above all from a godparent: a small cross or charm, chosen to be put away and given back years later. Practical care has its place too, especially for parents who are welcoming family and friends on the day.
A simple approach is to choose one thing to keep and, if you wish, one thing to use. Families mark the day in their own ways, so where there is a particular custom, the parents or godparents will know it, and it is worth asking.
A Cross or an Angel to Keep
A small cross or angel is the traditional keepsake. For a baby, it is a piece to keep rather than to wear: charms this small belong with an adult until the child is old enough to look after them, and each can later hang from a chain or bracelet of the child’s own.
Stroili’s Yellow Gold Cross Charm is made in 375 yellow gold, with a smooth polished surface and an attached loop, and Stroili describes it as a unisex piece that carries a quiet statement of faith, style or sentiment. The White Gold Cross Charm, in 375 white gold, is 1.7 cm long and set with twelve round brilliant cubic zirconia stones in four-prong settings. For an angel, Stroili’s Gold Angel Pendant is a petite 1.4 cm pendant in 9ct yellow gold, which the house describes as a symbol of protection and grace, to be worn on a chain or kept as a personal keepsake. The Gold Angel Charm, also in 375 yellow gold, has soft figurative detailing and an integrated loop for a necklace or bracelet chain.
Each of the four is made to hang from a loop, so the chain is a separate choice, and one best made when the child is older. We explain how solid gold, sterling silver and cubic zirconia differ in Sterling Silver, Plating and Cubic Zirconia Explained.
A First Cologne, Beautifully Presented
A baby cologne is a gentle way to mark the day, and the most thoughtful are presented so that the bottle or case stays on a nursery shelf long after the scent is used.
Kaloo’s Lilirose Cologne comes in a 95 ml round frosted glass bottle with a plush bear head cap, a pink bow and floral detailing, and Kaloo presents it as a keepsake as well as a fragrance. Suavinex’s Memories Baby Cologne is a gift set in pastel packaging illustrated with animals, with a soft plush toy and bottles that close with a pump and cap. Picu Baby’s Mi Primer Cuento Beautiful Cologne Baby Gift Set is presented in a light blue keepsake case with a metal handle, striped detailing and an embossed baby foot, styled for gifting and for display.
Suavinex asks that its cologne is applied to clothing or hair, away from the eyes and face, and used under adult supervision, and Picu Baby also asks for adult supervision. A light touch on clothing is all a baby cologne needs.
Gentle Care for the Day and After
Practical gifts are welcome too, particularly for parents with a full house around the christening. A set or an oil chosen with the baby’s age in mind will be reached for every day for weeks.
Klorane’s Baby Calendula Hydrating Milk Baby Skincare Set gathers a 500 ml bath gel, a 500 ml moisturising milk, a 100 ml nappy cream and 25 wipes in a bag. Klorane’s Baby Multi-Purpose Oil, in a 200 ml bottle with a flip-top cap, is made with organic calendula to cleanse, nourish and massage, is fragrance-free and is suitable from birth. Alqvimia’s Children & Babies Body Oil comes in a 150 ml glass bottle, with sweet almond oil and a blend of lemon, orange, grapefruit and lavandin oils; Alqvimia suggests warming a little in your hands and applying it gently to clean skin.
Keep oils and washes where an adult reaches them first. If the skin is broken, sore, or a rash does not settle, ask your pharmacist or doctor.
Which Gift Suits Whom?
If you are a godparent, a cross or angel charm is the gift most likely to be kept, and it can be joined later by a chain or bracelet of the child’s own. If you are a guest, a cologne in a keepsake case or a set of gentle care is a thoughtful choice that the parents will use and keep. Whichever you choose, read each product’s own guidance on age and use before you wrap it.
Presentation and the Card
A christening gift is often opened later, at home, once the day is over. Write the child’s name and the date of the christening or baptism on the card, and say who it is from: years later, that card is often what tells the child where the cross or charm came from.
If you choose one thing, choose a small gold cross or angel and the card to go with it: the one gift on the day that is meant to be kept.
