Christening Gift Ideas That Aren't Another Silver Spoon

Somewhere in Britain, there is a drawer containing four silver christening spoons, three engraved picture frames, and a savings bond that matured in 2019. Nobody has opened that drawer since the baptism. The baby is now 12 and wouldn’t recognize a single item in it.

This is not a failure of generosity. Everyone who bought those gifts meant well. The problem is that christening gifts have been stuck in a loop for about 200 years, and nobody’s broken out of it.

If you’re reading this, you’re already suspicious of the silver spoon. Good. Let’s find you something better.

1. A Personalized Storybook (The Real Kind)

Not the kind where a computer swaps in the kid’s name and calls it personalized. The kind where the child’s actual face shows up in the illustrations, the story is written around their family, and the godparent’s dedication is printed inside.

This is the option that solves the most problems at once: the child can engage with it immediately (parents read it aloud), it gets better with age (the child reads it themselves later), and it carries the giver’s name forever. At $50 to $80, it sits right in the sweet spot for a godparent gift.

The caveat: not all personalized books are created equal. If the “personalization” is just a name on the cover and a cartoon that vaguely matches the child’s hair color, you’re paying for a gimmick. Look for companies that use the child’s actual photo and generate an original story. The difference is the difference between a Halloween costume and a tailored suit.

Libronauts’ personalized christening books are built from the child’s real photo — the illustrations look like the child, not a generic avatar. The story is written from the family’s actual details. Read more about why this matters →

2. A First-Edition Children’s Classic

A beautiful hardcover edition of The Velveteen Rabbit, Goodnight Moon, or Where the Wild Things Are. Not the $8 paperback. The $25 to $40 clothbound edition with the original illustrations.

This works because it’s a real book that gets read, it looks beautiful on a shelf, and it carries a timelessness that says “this story mattered before you were born and it’ll matter after.” Write an inscription inside the front cover. That inscription is the personalization.

3. A Handwritten Letter (To Be Opened at 18)

This costs nothing and it might be the most powerful option on this list. Write a letter to the child on the day of their christening. Tell them who was there. Tell them what the weather was like. Tell them what you hope for them. Seal it. Give it to the parents with instructions: “Open on their 18th birthday.”

By the time they read it, you’ll have known them for 18 years and the letter will be a snapshot of the very beginning. That’s not a gift. That’s a time capsule.

4. A Savings Account in Their Name

The practical choice. Open a junior savings account with $50 or $100. Give the parents the account details in a card. Add to it on birthdays if you want.

This is the gift the 18-year-old will thank you for even though the baby couldn’t comprehend it. It’s not sentimental, but it’s real. Pair it with something small the child can hold now — a board book, a stuffed animal — and you’ve covered both bases.

5. A Tree Planted in Their Name

Several organizations let you plant a tree and receive a certificate. The symbolism writes itself: something that grows alongside the child, that started the same year, that’ll still be standing when they’re old.

It’s a lovely secondary gift. On its own, it’s a bit abstract for a baby. Pair it with something tangible.

6. A Charity Donation in Their Name

Generous and thoughtful. Also completely invisible to a child. This works best as a complement to a physical gift, not a replacement. Give the book or the toy, and mention in the card that you also donated to a cause you care about in their name.

7. The Thing You Actually Want to Give

Here’s a secret about christening gifts: the rules are made up. If you know this family, you know what they need. Maybe it’s a really good diaper bag. Maybe it’s a gift card for takeout because new parents are exhausted. Maybe it’s an offer to babysit. None of these are traditional christening gifts. All of them might be more useful than a silver spoon.

The best gift is the one that says: I see you, I know what your life looks like right now, and I’m here.

The Short Version

Skip the silver. Give something the child can hold, read, or grow into. And if you want something that covers all the bases, a personalized storybook where the child’s actual face appears in the art and the family’s story drives the narrative is hard to beat.

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If you’re a godparent wondering about spending and etiquette, What Should a Godparent Give at a Christening? covers the full picture. For the philosophy of gifts that become keepsakes rather than clutter, see Keepsake, Not Clutter.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best christening gift that isn’t silver? The most remembered christening gifts are ones the child can actually use: a personalized storybook with their real likeness, a handwritten letter to be opened at 18, or a first-edition classic with an inscription. Silver is beautiful but tends to end up in a drawer within a year of the ceremony.

What is a unique christening gift? Most christening gifts fall into three categories: silver, savings bonds, and generic personalized items. To stand out, give something the child can see themselves in. A personalized book where the child’s actual face appears in the illustrations — not a cartoon placeholder — is genuinely one of a kind because it literally cannot be given to any other child.

How much should I spend on a christening gift? For friends and family, $30 to $60 is typical. For godparents, etiquette guides suggest $65 to $200. The amount matters less than the thought — a $69 book that gets read hundreds of times outlasts a $150 silver frame that never leaves its box.

What do godparents traditionally give at a christening? Traditionally, godparents gave silver items: spoons, cups, frames. The intent was permanence. Today, many godparents choose personalized keepsakes — particularly books — that serve the same purpose in a form the child can actually engage with throughout childhood.