The short answer: give something that names the day and keeps pointing back to the Word after the day is over. Three things do that well. A letter in your own hand with the date and a verse. A Bible they will actually read. And something they will see every morning: a scripture piece to wear, or a print for their wall.
Below is what makes a baptism gift good, ideas at every budget (the best two cost nothing), and the Cross + Covenant pieces that fit the day. Every product here is one we make, with its live price on the page.
What makes a good baptism gift?
- It names the day. Write the date somewhere they will find it again: in the card, inside the cover of a Bible, on the back of a print.
- It points to Jesus, not to you. Baptism is a picture of burial and resurrection: “like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life” (Romans 6:4). The best gifts carry that word forward.
- It gets used after Sunday. A Bible that gets opened, a shirt that gets worn, a print that hangs where coffee gets made. Not a keepsake in a drawer.
- It fits the person. An adult who came to faith late, a teenager, and a child each need something different. More on that below.
Baptism gift ideas that cost nothing
- A letter. The date, what you have seen God do in them, one verse for the road, and a promise to pray for them by name. It is the gift most people keep.
- Your presence, and your people. Show up, sit close, and bring the ones who love them. Take the photo they will not think to ask for.
- A plan to read together. Pick a start date and read alongside them. Our reading plans and the free online Bible need no signup.
- A verse written in the front of their Bible. In your handwriting, with your name and the date.
Small gifts
A journal for the first year of following Jesus. A hymnal or a book of prayers. A study Bible in the translation their church preaches from (ask their pastor which one). From us, a cap or a small square print says the verse without saying much else.
Gifts to wear, and gifts for the wall
A shirt is a quiet witness. It goes places a sermon does not, and people ask what it means. Every Cross + Covenant tee and hoodie is built around one passage and printed to order on heavyweight cotton. Prints are archival satin paper, made to order in the USA. Here is what we would choose for a baptism, and why.
To wear on the day: I Will Be With Thee Heavyweight Tee ($40)
Isaiah 43:2: “When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee.” A promise made for the water, on a garment-dyed heavyweight tee they can wear to the service and every week after.
For the new life: Set Free Heavyweight Hoodie ($75)
John 8:36: “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” Chains broken, the dove rising, on a 14 oz heavyweight hoodie.
For grace that came first: His Name is Mercy Heavyweight Hoodie ($75)
Ephesians 2:4-5: God, rich in mercy, “made us alive together with Christ.” Soft, quiet, and easy to wear every day.
For joining the church: The Covenant: Heavyweight Tee ($40)
Acts 4:32: “All the believers were one in heart and mind.” Baptism is a public step into a family. This is the shirt for that.
For the one who loves the old stories: A Road Through the Sea Heavyweight Tee ($40)
Exodus 14:21-22, the sea standing up to let Israel through. Paul calls that crossing a baptism (1 Corinthians 10:2). The front names the scripture and nothing more, so the words are theirs to go and read.
For their wall: Behold I Make All Things New ($58)
Revelation 21:5. A 16 by 20 archival print of the promise under every baptism: all things new.
A smaller print: They Will Know We Are His ($36)
John 13:35, they will know we are His by our love. A square print for a desk, a dorm or a kitchen shelf.
A small gift that still says it: Mercy Gold Rose Corduroy Baseball Cap ($42)
Lamentations 3:23: “They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.” Cross and rose stitched in gold on burgundy corduroy.
More scripture pieces that fit the day
By who is being baptized
An adult
Adults often treasure the letter most. Pair it with a Bible they will read and a piece they will wear on an ordinary Tuesday. The His Name is Mercy hoodie is soft enough to become the one they reach for.
A teenager
Something they will wear to school without being asked, from a collection with some edge: Jesus Revolution or Chapter and Verse. More ideas in Christian gifts for teens.
A child
A children’s Bible, a letter they can read when they are older, and a print for their room. Our tees and hoodies come in adult sizes only, S to 3XL with some to 4XL, so a shirt for a child is the wrong gift from us. A shirt for the parent who brought them to the water is a good one.
Questions people ask
What is a good Christian gift for someone who just got baptized?
A gift that names the day and points back to the Word. The best ones are a handwritten letter with the date and a verse, a Bible they will actually read, and something they will see every day after: a scripture shirt or hoodie to wear, or a print for their wall. Cross + Covenant makes heavyweight tees, hoodies, caps and archival prints built around specific verses, such as Isaiah 43:2, “When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee.”
What do you give someone for their baptism?
Start with a letter, which costs nothing and is the gift most people keep. Add one lasting thing: a Bible, a journal for the first year of following Jesus, or a piece of scripture they will wear or hang. Being there, and bringing people who love them, is a gift too.
What is a good baptism gift for an adult?
Something they will use after Sunday. A study Bible in a translation their church reads, a reading plan to start together (the Cross + Covenant 365-day plan is free online), or a scripture piece for everyday wear. Adults often treasure the letter most.
What is a good baptism gift for a teenager?
Something they will wear to school without being asked. A heavyweight scripture tee or hoodie from a collection they like, plus a letter from someone they look up to. Pair it with a Bible app or reading plan you will do with them.
What do you write in a baptism card?
Four things: the date, what you have seen God do in them, one verse for the road (Romans 6:4 and Galatians 3:27 are both about baptism), and a promise to keep praying for them by name. Keep it short and in your own words.
What is a good gift for a child's baptism?
A children's Bible, a letter they can read when they are older, and a print for their room. Cross + Covenant tees and hoodies come in adult sizes only (S to 3XL, some to 4XL), so for a child choose a print, or a shirt for the parent who brought them to the water.
How much should you spend on a baptism gift?
There is no rule. The letter matters more than the price. Cross + Covenant pieces run from a dad cap or small print to a heavyweight hoodie, with live prices on each product page.
How early should I order a baptism gift?
Every piece is made to order: 2 to 5 business days of production, then 3 to 5 business days of standard domestic shipping, or 2 to 3 business days expedited. Order at least two weeks before the day you plan to give it.
What if it does not fit?
Returns and exchanges are open for 30 days from delivery, for any reason, with a free return label, as long as the piece is unworn and unwashed.
Ten percent of every purchase supports our Charity of the Month. Questions about a gift? Write to hi@crossandcovenant.co and a person answers.