Christening gifts: the elegant ideas that really last

A christening is a child’s first big celebration — and for guests, the first real chance to give a gift that counts. But what do you give for a christening? How much do you spend? And how do you avoid the most common fate of christening gifts, which is ending up in a drawer?

This guide gathers the answers: ideas for every budget and every role — guests, grandparents, godparents — with one simple rule that applies to all of them: the best christening gift is the one that lasts.

In brief:

• For a christening you give something that lasts over time: a quality piece, a keepsake, or the classic gift in gold or silver.
• The customary budget in Italy: 30–50 euros among acquaintances, 50–100 among friends and relatives, over 100 for grandparents and godparents.
• The advice worth its weight in gold: choose pieces in size 9–18 months, not the size the child wears on the day of the christening — the child will grow, and the gift will be waiting.
• Farway pieces for christenings and the first months are made for exactly this: natural fabrics, careful craftsmanship, pieces that get handed down.

What do you give for a christening?

There are four tried-and-tested routes, and they can be combined:

• A special piece. The most common gift and the most welcome one, when it is chosen well: a beautiful piece in natural fibres, the kind parents would not buy for themselves. It will dress the child for the occasions of the months ahead, and in the photographs that stay.
• The keepsake. The traditional choice: a gold or silver bracelet or chain, a silver spoon, a music box. It is kept forever and used rarely — which is fine, that is exactly its job.
• A contribution to the future. A payment into the child’s savings account or savings plan: not very romantic, much loved by parents. Perfect as a group gift.
• A book with a dedication. An illustrated classic with a couple of handwritten lines on the first page. It costs little and is worth a great deal twenty years later.

The gift that never misses: a quality piece (in the right size)

The secret, well known to anyone who has children: don’t give today’s size. On the day of the christening the child already has an outfit, and the drawers are overflowing with 0–6 months. A piece given in size 9, 12 or 18 months arrives instead at the moment it is really needed — once the excitement of the gifts has faded and the child is going up a size every three months.

What to choose, in practice:

• An elegant romper in cotton or velvet: the ceremony piece for little ones, and just as good for the celebrations still to come. Farway rompers are made for this: sleeveless, to layer over other pieces, with bows and carefully worked details.
• A coordinated set: a soft shirt and trousers, or a little dress and cardigan — the outfit ready for the next family occasion.
• The velvet ceremony dress for autumn and winter christenings: warm, photogenic, made to be handed down.
• The “everyday luxury” piece: a handmade cardigan, a cotton muslin shirt — we have written about all its virtues — that lifts an ordinary day.

Above all, one rule: natural fibres and real craftsmanship. A fast fashion piece is obvious straight away, and so is a well-made one — but only the second survives the washing and makes it as far as the little brother.

How much do you spend on a christening gift?

The customary figures in Italy, to be adjusted to how close you are to the family:

• Acquaintances and colleagues: 30–50 euros. One good piece, a substantial illustrated book, a small silver keepsake.
• Friends and relatives: 50–100 euros. A coordinated set, an elegant romper plus an accessory, a quality keepsake.
• Grandparents, close aunts and uncles, godparents: from 100 euros upwards. This is where classic gold, the contribution to savings and small complete wardrobes come in.

By tradition, the godfather and godmother also cover part of the ceremony itself: the candle and the white gown (and often the bomboniera, the keepsake favour, for their own godchild). It is worth coordinating with the parents beforehand, so nothing is duplicated.

Christening gifts for a girl or for a boy: does it change anything?

Less than you would think. Searches for “christening gift for a girl” outnumber the ones for boys, but the criteria are identical: quality, a size ahead, future usefulness. What changes, if anything, is the colour palette — dusty pinks, lilacs and ivory for her; powder blues, sage greens and cream for him — and a few specific pieces: the little dress with puff sleeves on one side, the shirt-and-trousers set on the other. When in doubt, elegant unisex — whites, ecru, sage — suits everyone and is handed down more easily.

The ideas to avoid (said with affection)

• Giant soft toys and noisy toys: they take up space today and wear thin tomorrow.
• Pieces in 0–3 months: by the christening they are already too short.
• “Display” silverware in quantity: one piece is a memento, five are a storage problem.
• Generic vouchers with no thought behind them: if you go for a financial contribution, always pair it with a small object or a handwritten card.

The touch that multiplies the value

Whatever the gift, two details transform it:

• A card written to the child, not to the parents: a couple of lines to be read twenty years later. (“Today you were christened and you slept through almost all of it. We already love you just as you are.”)
• Careful wrapping: plain paper, a fabric ribbon, no shiny plastic. Elegance shows from the outside.

Frequently asked questions

What does the godfather or godmother give at a christening?

By tradition, the godfather and godmother give the candle and the white gown used in the ceremony, and often something significant as well: the gold piece (a bracelet, a chain), the contribution to the savings account, or a garment of real value. It is the “role” gift: what counts is that it lasts over time.

How much do you put in the envelope for a christening?

If you go for money, the figures follow how close you are: around 50 euros among friends, 100–150 for close relatives. The envelope works better when it comes with a small physical gift — a book, a garment — that stays behind as a memento.

Can you give a garment instead of the classic gold?

Yes, and it is increasingly common: a quality piece in a future size is the gift parents actually use. Gold remains the choice of the traditional roles (grandparents, godparents); for everyone else, a beautiful piece wins on usefulness and on gratitude.

Is it better to give on your own or as a group?

For larger amounts, go with the group: colleagues or cousins together can afford the gift no one would give on their own — the small complete wardrobe, the piece in real gold, the contribution that carries weight. What matters is one coordinator and one card, signed by everyone.

And if the child being christened is already older?

It happens often (1–3 years): the same rules apply, just shifted forward. A piece in size 2–4 years, an illustrated book for the age, and the keepsake always works — it has no expiry date.

If you would rather start from the garment, the Christening and Baby collection brings together rompers, sets and dresses made for the first months and the days that matter; and if the little one is newborn, here is our guide to new baby gift ideas — the younger sibling of this article.