The christening gift that doesn't look like any other
For a christening, the choice usually swings between the symbolic object (medallion, cup, cross) the child will never touch, and the practical toy that has nothing to do with the occasion. A personalised colouring book sits between the two. It's a keepsake first, and an active object a few years later, when parents, godparents and grandparents appear inside as pages to colour. Godparents often look for something like this without knowing how to name it: a personal gift that isn't a family investment fund.
A few examples that work for this case
Original christening gift ideas, from traditional to personal
There's no single right christening gift. It depends on who's giving (godparent, grandparent, guest) and on what the family is already getting. The ideas below cover both kinds of gift: the ones kept for later, and the ones used now.
1.A cross, medal or engraved keepsake
The traditional choice, often from the godparents, engraved with the child's name and the date. It's something to pass down. Two known downsides: the child won't wear or use it for years, and two guests sometimes turn up with the same thing.
2.A tree planted in their name
A fruit or ornamental tree planted in the parents' or grandparents' yard, growing up alongside the child. Take a photo of them next to it every year. You need a yard, and the blessing of whoever will look after it.
3.A letter to open at 18
The godparent writes down what they feel on the day and seals the envelope. It costs nothing. It means the most much later, provided someone remembers where it's kept.
4.A starter library
Three or four picture books for different ages, each with a note on the first page. They get used from age 1 to 6 and stay on the bedroom shelf. Ask the parents what they already have to avoid duplicates.
5.A savings account or fund
Very common among grandparents. Useful, no question, but invisible to the child for fifteen years. Many people pair it with something small to open on the day.
6.A personalised colouring book
Made from photos of the family and the people close to the child, with a colour page and a page to colour for each. It can be looked through on the day and coloured from about age 3. The limits: you need to gather photos, and the child won't colour it for a few years.
Christening gifts from godparents, grandparents and guests: who gives what
Traditions vary by family and by church, but a common pattern holds. Godparents give something lasting and symbolic, such as a cross, an engraved cup or a children's Bible. Grandparents often think long term, with savings or a family heirloom.
Guests have more freedom. Something useful, a book or a share in a group gift all work well. That's often where the colouring book fits: given by close friends, aunts or uncles, it adds to the traditional keepsake instead of competing with it.
For a godparent who has already given the traditional gift, the book makes a second, more personal present. It shows the godparents as drawings, and the child learns to recognise them by colouring their pages, even if they live far away.
A christening gift that grows with the child
For the first couple of years, the book lives on a shelf. The parents show it to visitors, the grandparents leaf through it. The colour pages are enough to make it a keepsake of the day.
Around 3, the child starts scribbling on the line-art pages. By 5 or 6, they colour more carefully and ask questions: who's that man, why was I wearing white, where was this. The book becomes a way to tell them about their christening, in their own words.
Nothing says you have to give it on the day, either. Given for their third birthday with the christening photos, it arrives just when the child can use it, and it reminds the whole family of the ceremony.
Getting the book ready when the christening is close
The usual advice is to wait for the ceremony photos. If you'd rather hand over something real on the day, there are two ways to go about it.
The first is a book made from photos you already have: the pregnancy, the birth, the baby in a godparent's arms, the grandparents, a recent family get-together. Order it at least three weeks before the ceremony: 5 to 7 business days until shipping, then transit.
The second is a gift card. You give it on the day, tucked into a card, and the parents build the book later with the best photos from the ceremony. They choose the pictures, and you still gave the gift on the right day.
Either way, a personal message is printed on a dedication page, and a From line says who it's from. For a godparent, it's a good place to write what's hard to say out loud at the party.
Our tip for a christening
Include photos from the day itself (if you have them), plus a few of the close family: parents, godfather, godmother, siblings. If the album should include photos taken during the ceremony, wait two weeks after the christening before ordering, so you have time to gather the best shots. The 6-photo format works well when the child is still a baby.
Recommended format
12-page book, £19.99
Softcover
For a very young child, the album starts life as a keepsake before it's actually used. 6 photos is the right volume for a ritual object.
Create the christening albumHow we make your book
Printed on demand by our print partner, close to your delivery address. Square 21.6 cm format, 90 gsm uncoated inner paper that holds pencils and water-based markers well, hardback on the 12 and 24-photo formats (saddle-stitched on the 6-photo format).
- 21.6 cmsquare format
- Stays flat when open on the table, the right size for colouring.
- 90 gsmmatte uncoated paper
- A grain that grips coloured pencils and won't bleed with markers.
- Soft or hardcover
- Softcover for the 6 photo format, rigid hardback for the 12 / 24.
- 5 to 7days to ship
- Printed as a single copy by a professional printer, then shipped with tracking.
Frequently asked questions
The child is too young to colour. What's the album for?
It's given as a keepsake. The family opens it on the day, and the child will start colouring it from age 3 or 4. Like a photo book, it gains value over time.
Can we include photos from the day of the christening?
Yes, we recommend it. Gather the best shots from the photographer or the guests, then add them to the album. Allow about 2 weeks after the ceremony.
Does it work for a civil naming ceremony?
Absolutely. The album has no religious content. It's a family object that marks the event, whatever the setting.
How long does a christening book last?
It's a bound book, made to be kept for years. The 12 and 24-photo formats have a hardback, the 6-photo format a lighter, saddle-stitched softcover. If the book will sit on a shelf for a few years before anyone colours it, the 12-photo format and its hardback stand up to time better.
Can we give it for a baptism at 5 or 7?
Yes, and that's when it gets used fastest. The child understands the ceremony, recognises their godparents and can start colouring the next day. At that age, the 12-photo format gives enough pages for a real project, and the child can help choose the photos.
Can several guests give it together?
Yes. One person places the order, the others chip in and send their photos. The From field takes everyone's names, and the dedication can bring together a few words from each person. For friends or cousins, it's a simple way to give something more personal than a share of a group collection.
Our personalised books made from your photos
Three ways to turn your family photos into an activity book, from free colouring to guided play.
- Personalised colouring bookEach photo becomes a colour keepsake page and the same scene to colour freely.
- Personalised colour by numberYour photos as numbered zones with a colour legend: guided colouring, true to the memory.
- Personalised dot to dotThe drawing of your photo appears as you connect the numbers, then gets coloured in.
Ready to create your book?
Every page is checked before printing.
Create the christening albumRead more
Practical guide
Everfold, My Colorful World, Us in Colors and Memory Pencil: one page per photo, or two?
Everfold, My Colorful World and Us in Colors turn each photo into one black-and-white line-art page. Memory Pencil, which wrote this comparison, makes two: a colour reference page of the memory, then the same scene to colour.
Practical guide
How to choose a dot-to-dot book your child will actually finish
Between a child just discovering numbers and one who can follow a long sequence, the right book is not the same. Real difficulty, readability, number of dots, themes: the guide to choosing well.
Other ideas you may like
Personalised gift for a godmother
A gift that says "you're family" to the godmother. Personalised colouring book.
Original newborn gift
Instead of another plush toy: a personalised colouring book for the older sibling, built around the newborn.
Personalised gift for a godfather
Godfather gift ideas from a godchild, for his birthday, Christmas or a will-you-be-my-godfather ask, plus a colouring book made from their photos.