Gifts for Godparents: Christmas Ideas for a Godmother and Godfather

The best gifts for godparents say something simple: thank you for standing beside our child. A godmother and a godfather made a promise at the font, and Christmas is a natural moment to honor it with something they can keep, wear and remember the day by.

For a godmother, our favorite idea is The Gilded Devotion, a small gold-finish cross with a birthstone charm you choose by month. Pick your godchild's birth month and she carries that little one with her every day, which says more than any card could.

What to Give Godparents for Christmas

Godparents are not just honored guests at a baptism. They stand up in church and agree to help the parents raise the child in the faith, and many of them take that seriously for years: a card on every birthday, a seat at the first communion, a phone call when life gets hard. A Christmas gift is a good way to tell them you noticed.

The Bible gives that promise a long horizon. "Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it." (Proverbs 22:6, KJV) Godparents help with that slow, patient work, and the right gift recognizes it.

A thank-you that names the bond

The gifts that land best are the ones that point to the relationship itself. A scarf or a candle is kind, but it could come from anyone. A piece that carries your godchild's birth month, a saint linked to carrying a child, or a rosary for the prayers they promised says: this is from us, and it is about you and our child.

That is why jewelry works so well here. It is small, personal, and it stays. Years from now, your child can point to the cross on her godmother's neck and know it came from that Christmas cross designs.

Gifts from the baby, gifts from a grown godchild

Most of the time, the gift comes from the parents "on behalf of" a baby or a toddler. In that case, sign the card with the child's name and keep the message short. If you are an adult godchild thanking the godparents who walked with you for years, you can say more: a memory, a lesson you kept, a word about what their faith meant to you.

If you are on the other side and looking for what to get a goddaughter for her christening, we have a separate guide for that. This one is about thanking the godparents themselves.

Godmother Gift Ideas

A godmother gift should feel personal without being fussy. Here are three directions, each tied to something she promised or something she loves.

A cross with your godchild's birthstone

The Gilded Devotion pairs a small cross set with zircon stones and a separate birthstone charm on a fine choker-style chain. It comes in twelve versions, one for each month, from January · Garnet to December · Zircon, each with its own stone color. It is made of stainless steel with a gold finish and closes with a lobster clasp.

The idea is simple: choose the month your godchild was born. Every time she wears it, she wears that child. It also gives her an easy answer when someone compliments the necklace, and that answer is your child's name.

A medal of Mary

For a Catholic godmother with a devotion to Our Lady, the Miraculous Medal is a classic. Our Miraculous Pendant is a small oval, 25 mm tall and 16 mm wide, in stainless steel with a silver or gold finish, on a 45 cm chain with a 5 cm extender. The Miraculous Medal itself goes back to the visions of Saint Catherine Labouré in Paris in 1830. It is often given to a child at baptism; at Christmas, you can turn the gesture around and give it to her.

A guardian angel

Some godmothers think of themselves as a kind of earthly guardian for the child, and a guardian angel pendant says that gently. The Crystal Guardian shows an angel with open wings, 17 x 25 mm, in silver tone metal with a faceted crystal. Guardian angels are among the best-loved Christian protection symbols, and this one is small enough for every day.

Godfather Gift Ideas

Godfathers can be harder to shop for. Many men do not wear much jewelry, so the best godfather gift is a single, solid piece with a clear meaning he can explain in one sentence.

Saint Christopher, who carried the Child

Saint Christopher is usually shown wading across a river with the Christ Child on his shoulder. His name comes from the Greek for "Christ-bearer," and he is widely known as the patron of travelers. For a godfather, the picture fits almost too well: a strong man carrying a little one safely to the other side.

The Christopher Crossing shows exactly that scene in an antiqued relief, with a cross on the reverse. It is made of titanium steel, measures about 30 x 39 mm, and hangs on a 60 cm box chain, 3 mm wide. If he prefers a round medal in silver, gold or black, The Saint Christopher Medal is 30 mm across, framed by the words "Pray For Us," and comes on a 60 cm curb chain.

A Saint Benedict medal

For a godfather who already prays, the Saint Benedict medal has long been associated with spiritual protection in the Catholic tradition. The Benedictine Medal is 24.5 mm across in polished stainless steel, silver or gold, on a 60 cm box chain. The letters around its cross stand for Latin prayers, explained in a manuscript from 1415 found at Metten Abbey in Bavaria. It is plain enough to wear under a shirt, which many men prefer.

Gifts for Godparents Who Pray

At the baptism, godparents agree to help the child grow in faith, and for many of them that means praying for the child by name. A rosary turns that private habit into something they can hold.

A rosary for the promise they made

The Hematite Rosary has 6 mm hematite beads and a Saint Benedict crucifix, 45 x 25 mm, in silver tone with black enamel. It measures about 47 cm. It suits a godfather or a godmother equally well, and it works as a shared gift if you are thanking a couple.

You can tuck in a small note: "Thank you for praying for her." That one line often means more to a godparent than the gift itself.

How to Make It Personal

Whatever you choose, the details around the gift are what make it a keepsake. Two small touches go a long way.

A note from the child

Write the card in your child's voice, even if your child is six months old. Keep it short and specific: "Thank you for holding me at my baptism. I am glad you are my godmother. Love, Emma." Older children can sign it themselves, and a scribbled name is perfect. If your godchild is old enough, let them help choose between two options; godparents love hearing that the child picked it.

The baptism date on the card

Add the date and the church of the baptism to the card. It turns a Christmas present into a reminder of the day the promise was made, and the card often ends up kept in the jewelry box. If you want ideas for the baptism itself, our article on baptism gift traditions explains the customs behind crosses, medals and christening keepsakes.

Shopping for several people at once? Our guides to Christian gifts for women and Christian gifts for men cover mothers, wives, fathers and friends, and our St. Nicholas Day gift ideas are useful if you start celebrating on December 6.

Practical Tips Before You Order

A little planning keeps the gift from arriving on December 26.

Shipping before Christmas

Shipping is free and tracked. Orders are processed within 24 hours on business days, and every order ships with tracking. Christmas falls on a Friday this year, so order by early December at the latest. You can read the details in our shipping policy.

Returns

If the piece is not quite right, you have 30 days after delivery to return it, as long as it is unworn, unused and in its original packaging. Return shipping is paid by the customer, and every piece is covered by a 1-year warranty against manufacturing defects. Some items are not eligible, so check our return policy before you order. For more ideas in one place, browse Gifts from a Godparent; many of its pieces work just as well in the other direction.

Frequently Asked Questions

A Gift That Says Thank You

Godparents give years of quiet attention to a child who is not their own. A Christmas gift that names that bond, a birth month on a small cross, Saint Christopher carrying the Child, a rosary for their prayers, is a way of saying you see it. Add a few words from the child, and it becomes something they keep for years.

Sophie Laurent

Jewelry Historian & Curator

Specializing in religious jewelry since 2017, I combine technical expertise in precious metals with a deep passion for Christian symbolism. At Bennett & Cross, my mission is to guide you in preserving your sacred heirlooms.