The best christening and baptism gifts

One of the five gifts below is ours: a hardcover picture book about the child, a full painted scene across every spread drawn from their photo, the story written for them from what you tell us. $99 delivered, made in up to 3 days, then up to 10 business days in the post, and you read the whole story before you pay. We make that one and publish this guide; the other four have nothing to do with us.

The top five christening gift categories, with real AU prices

Five categories cover the bulk of AU christening gifts that get kept, used and remembered: a personalised storybook ($99 delivered), engraved jewellery ($50 to $300), a silver-plated cup, spoon or frame ($40 to $200; sterling from about $249), a personalised photo album (about $50 to $200), and a savings deposit or curated hamper ($50 to $200). Real prices in Australian dollars, checked October 2026.

What should a godparent give at a christening or baptism?

The most lasting gift on the table, with your name on it. A godparent makes what the Church of England calls “promises that will last a lifetime”, and Catholic canon law says the sponsor “helps the baptized person to lead a Christian life” (canon 872). So the gift is expected to outlast the day and to say who it came from. Godparents typically spend $50 to $200, more than guests.

Ask the parents first, because some traditions already set the gift. A Greek Orthodox baptism needs a cross and chain, olive oil, white towels and a sheet, candles and a white or light change of clothes (Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia; the Evangelismos Church baptism checklist), and the list is agreed between the godparent and the family, so ask the parents what is yours to bring. In other families the godparents buy the gown. If the tradition fixes your gift, add a second, personal one.

The personal one works hardest when it carries the two of you, your words or your presence, and not only the child’s name. For a godson the engraving says godson, for a goddaughter goddaughter; the gift is the same. In a Paperlake book you go in the dedication, printed exactly as you write it; you go in the story only if you are part of the child’s life, and the book holds up to 6 people (3 included, $15 each after that).

One godmother ordered a book from us for her goddaughter’s fifth birthday, built on their days together with the godmother’s dog: the beach, a pizzeria, the goodbyes. The godmother and the dog were both in the pictures, and the dedication was written in the family’s own language and signed by the godmother and one other person.

The godparent gift does not have to land on the day, as that order shows. A first birthday works, when the child can sit through a book; so does a milestone birthday, as proof you have been there from the start. From far away, post it to the parents ahead of the day, never the venue. The first birthday gift ideas page covers that next moment.

Parents thanking the godparents reverse the question. A framed photo from the day works, or a book with the godparent and the child in it.

Who can be a godparent is the church’s question, not the gift table’s: Catholic sponsors are 16 or older and confirmed (canons 873 to 874), Greek Orthodox sponsors are Orthodox and over 12, and Church of England godparents must be baptised.

What to write inside

The dedication is half the gift. Three short lines, in this order, beat a paragraph or a set of initials.

• Name the day.The place and the date: “The garden at Nan’s, Manly, 12 October 2026.” The child will want the specifics in twenty years, not “your special day”.
• Name the relationship.You were chosen, and you said yes. “Your mum and dad asked me to be your godfather, and I said yes before they’d finished the question.”
• Name a promise.Something concrete the child can hold you to: “You can ring me at any age, at any hour, about anything.”
• Sign in full. The four-year-old knows you as Aunty Em. The twenty-five-year-old re-reading it needs Emma Walters.

For a naming day, name the role you’re taking on (guide parent, soul parent, mentor) in place of godparent.

Christening gifts for boys and girls

The five gifts above work for either; what changes is the piece, not the category. A bangle or pearl bracelet is the common pick for a girl, an ID bracelet or engraved money box for a boy, and the colour and engraving style follow from there. Necklaces for either wait in the box until the child is old enough to wear them.

A book settles the question. The story is about this child, whoever they are, built from what the family tells us about them, and every spread is a painted scene drawn from their photo.

Baptism, christening or naming day: what is the difference?

A christening and a baptism are the same service. The Church of England’s christening FAQs say there is no difference between a christening service and a baptism service; some churches use one word and some the other. Catholic and Orthodox churches say baptism, and in everyday use “christening” tends to mean an infant’s baptism. A naming day is the non-religious ceremony, led by a civil celebrant; the Australian Federation of Civil Celebrants says a naming can appoint godparents or guardians, and some families call them guide parents. 38.9% of Australians reported no religion in the 2021 Census, up from 30.1% (ABS).

For the gift, the difference is small: the same people come and the same gift is expected. Only crosses, Bibles and religious wording drop out for a naming day.

Order three weeks ahead

The day is fixed. Allow for making and the post.

Down to days before the day? The savings deposit, a sealed letter and a tree planting ($20 to $100, with a certificate) still work. A made-to-order gift no longer does, ours included.

The Australian christening gift convention, briefly

Silver keepsakes. A small cup, a spoon or an engraved photo frame, $40 to $200 silver-plated or from about $249 in sterling, is the traditional Australian christening gift, and it still anchors most gift tables. Religious families add a children’s Bible or prayer book ($25 to $90 from religious bookshops like Koorong) or an engraved frame ready for a photo from the day. Religious or secular, if you don’t know which way the family leans, a storybook, a silver cup or a photo album suits both.

For the “where can I get a custom storybook made, and what does it cost” questions, see how it works. To compare the book brands, personalised children’s books in Australia sets them side by side; for wider newborn gifts, personalised baby gifts. Grandparents on the same gift table have their own page.