When it comes to choosing a gift for a child, whether it be for Christmas, a Baptism, a Christening or Birthday, a Chair specifically designed for the boy or girl is always very popular.

Having their own chair makes the child feel very grown up, especially if it has been personalised with their name in bright colours. And, unlike gifts made of silver or similar, it can be used right away and last for years.

Hearts & Crafts’s Childrens Chairs are beautifully made in Italy of beechwood with a rush-seat, offering solidity and comfort. They are painted in large bright lettering with the child’s name and their date of birth.

We receive dozens of comments back about how delighted the godparents of grandparents were to give such an impressive and attractive gift, and how thrilled the parents were to receive it and see their child so happy to sit on their own special chair.

The price of silver on the world markets has been increasing regularly obver the last few years, putting huge pressure on the price of sterling silver Christening gifts.

In Jan 2009 an ounce of silver cost around £8 - by Jan 2011 the price was an amazing £19.88 an ounce, an increase of 250%. in only two years. Like gold, silver is seen as a safe haven by investors and this is unlikely to change in the near future.

With silver christening gifts and presents becoming out of reach for many, the choice of more unusual gifts is becoming more popular. Hearts & Crafts range of wooden toys, clocks, plaques, jewellery boxes and children's chairs looks more attractive than ever.

If you have been chosen as a Godparent, why not have a look at what we offer.

If you are to be a godparent for a child, your gift should be something special and unique to commemorate the christening. You could give your new godchild some jewellery for example, a baptism keepsake box or perhaps a framed picture of you both together. Whatever your choice, it is nice to get the gift engraved or personalised in some way so that the baby knows in the the future that they have always been loved.

As well as a more solemn token that will be appreciated in future years, it is a nice touch for a godparent to give a more fun gift as well, that the child can appreciate right away. Our range of christening presents are all ideal as such gifts.

As part of your baby’s christening party, you will want to get a christening cake. Cakes for christenings come in multiple varieties and usually the choice will be a matter of your own personal preferences The majority of boys’ christening cakes are white or blue, or some combination of those two colours and very typically girls’ cakes are pink or lilac. The cake is one of the many refreshments you can include for guests at the christening party. Your child’s name is most often written on the christening cake, but the rest of the design is up to you.

A little online research will show you photos of other peoples’ christening cakes. As you will see, many such cakes revolve around the theme of childhood, while others are more religious connotations. The theme is often new beginnings, religious or otherwise. For a boy, you might consider for instance a blue cake with a teddy or baby on top, or perhaps a cross. Many boys’ cakes include a pair of shoes on top to symbolise that the boy is taking his first steps in life. The shoes image is probably one of the most recognisable christening cake designs.

Your baby’s christening is not only the beginning of their lifelong journey, but the first steps on the road of faith. On the day of the christening, your new child will be welcomed into their faith community by all your family and friends. One of the keepsakes given to your child to commemorate the day ternally is a christening gown.

While the choice of a christening gown may at first appear simple, the truth is that there are a lot of gowns from which to choose. While the majority of christening gowns are white, they vary a great deal in style and the material used. White is the most popular colour for christening gowns because it is stands for innocence and purity, however, you may plum for a colour other than white – as is the case in the choice of colour for a wedding dress. You may prefer pale blue or pink, or a shade of beige of ivory.

As far as style is concerned, a traditional christening gown is most popular but there are many modern variations. For example, different designs are available for boys’ christening outfits which include trousers, a shirt and a tuxedo, all in white. It is most important that your baby looks pristine and beautiful in their christening gown, and that the gown is comfortable.

You need to consider the likely weather on the day before choosing a christening gown. Short sleeves may be appropriate for the summer, longer sleeves for winter. Silk, linen and cotton are light, comfortable material which are ideal for warm days. If it is likely to be cold, you can buy a luxury christening blanket to keep the baby warm during the ceremony.

A christening is a very special occasion which represents a child’s first steps into the Christian faith and is an event that naturally requires a great deal of planning. As well as choosing the baby’s christening gown and accessories you will need to purchase christening invitations. Did you know that you can buy personalised christening invitations, which can include a photo of your baby on the front?

Personalised christening invitations come in a wide range, but most of them feature soft colors representing innocence and purity. Blue and pink are popular for boys and girls, but you can get christening invitations in green, lavender, white, brown, or other shades. Most christening invitations have floral or stained glass borders with images of crosses etc.

Personalised christening invitations can include a photo if you wish. You provide whichever photo you want for a personalised invitation. This could be a photo of your baby when newborn or a nice studio shot or candid shot at home. If you wish, you can have other members of your family present in the photo you use. You can usually choose the color, borders, and backdrop for your invitation along with the photo.

Personalised christening invitations also require some wording. The minimum you need to include is the baby’s name and the date and time of the christening ceremony. You should also provide the time, location and address for the christening reception below that. Most suitable websites provide you with a set of fields to fill out in order.

How much are such christening invitations going to cost? You can get a package of 25 invitations for around £40.00, or a single invitation for about £1.80. You may be able to qualify for free shipping on your order. Search around to see if you can find discounts for bulk invitations or offers of free shipping before you order.

Your baby’s christening only comes once so you want everything to be perfect for the day. The invitations are the very first thing your guests will see so they set the tone for the entire event. Christening cards are also among the few keepsakes used to remember your baby’s christening, and one of the only keepsakes which you can provide for your guests. When your child gets older, you will be able to show him or her their personalised christening invitations along with the christening gown, shoes, bracelet etc. So be careful to design your personalised christening invitations carefully - they will make a wonderful keepsake to commemorate this special day for years to come!

Now that you have been invited to a Christening, you will need to find christening gifts. For all parents it is a very special day for them and for their baby, a special ceremony where the parents might wish to thank their god for the child at the start of their life's journey. This means you need to find a truly special baby christening gift to mark the occasion.

We at Hearts & Crafts stock a huge number of christening gift ideas to suit everyone's needs and budgets. Instead of the usual traditional, silver trinkets that the child will not to be able to appreciate for many years, our gifts are unusual and personalised, colourful and stimulating, likely to bring a smile to the child and their parents!

If you are a family member, special friend or a godmother/godfather, you will need to put extra thought into your christening gift. You might want to put extra extra into finding unique christening gifts that the child can keep forever. You might want to choose a gift that epitomises your relationship with the baby by expressing how much they mean to you.

One particularly popular kind of gift is a personalised one – virtually all the gifts you will find at Hearts & Crafts can be personalised. Personalisation really makes your gift stand out from the crowd and gives the baby a one-of-a-kind christening gift they can cherish for ever more. Most of our items can have the child’s name painted on the front/top and usually a message of your choice can be added as well, sometimes on a wooden plaque, for example "On your Christening with love from your Godmother …". Our Christening Chairs or Children’s Clocks are particularly popular personalised gifts.

If you are not so closely related to the baby, you might prefer to opt for something simpler – choose from our Wooden Bookends all of which can be personalised, as can our Wooden Toys which come in a large range of prices to suit all pockets.

Filed under: christening information

When planning your baby’s christening, one of the first things you might think about is picking out your baby’s christening gown. While your baby’s christening gown is probably the most prominent thing you’ll be choosing for the ceremony, don’t forget that there are other accessories required, like christening shoes! No outfit is complete without the christening shoes—plus they have symbolic significance. Your baby’s christening represents the start of a long journey, and a good pair of shoes are needed for long journeys!

Christening shoes, like gowns, are usually whiteas this represents purity, innocence, youth, and faith. As with christening gowns you may find some variations, like shades of ivory or other off-white colours or even pale blues and pinks. It’s probably best to pick out the christening gown first, since this is the biggest decision (financially and otherwise). Its style, colour and the material all have an impact on which christening shoes you buy. Christening shoes are very reasonably priced and you probably won’t be paying more than about £6.00-£16.00. So don’t be afraid to spend on the gown to get something truly exquisite which you can pass down from generation to generation.

The christening shoes, like the christening gown, also make a wonderful heirloom. They won’t be worn much, so they should stay in good condition. When selecting the shoes, price may not be a huge factor whereas style and colour will be. If for example the gown is pure white, do not choose ivory shoes, and vice versa. Try to match the shade as closely as possible. If the shoes have to be a shade off, make them a shade darker, not brighter so that they do not draw attention away from your baby’s gown and face. Try to match the style too—if the christening gown has lace trim, for instance, lace trim on the shoes will look wonderful.

Comfort is of course also a factor in christening shoe selection. Not only should they look nice but they should also be comfortable for your baby throughout the course of the christening ceremony. Check to be sure your baby is happy with the shoes before you make your choice.

Many people overlook the importance of christening shoes because they are so small; but christening shoes have a special significance. Many christening cake designs include a pair of shoes on top for example. The reason is that your baby’s christening represents their very first steps into the Christian faith and Christian community. The shoes that your baby wears to take those steps are very important so take your time to select something really special. When your child grows up  you can show him or her the precious shoes which they wore while taking those first steps into Christianity. Then they can pass down those christening shoes to their own child.

Filed under: christening information

Along with all the other planning required for your baby’s christening, you will need to order christening invitations. Your baby’s christening is a unique and exciting occasion when friends and family welcome your baby into the faith. To welcome your friends and family to your baby’s christening, you might want to design beautiful christening invitations. You can order such christening invitations online, and you could personalize them with photos of the baby!

Christening invitations often feature images of faith and childhood, and are generally on good quality, pastel coloured paper. You usually see pink and blue for girls and boys respectively, but sometimes you pale greens, browns, lavenders and other colours are used. Many christening invitations include ornate floral or stained glass borders around the edge or they feature patterns in the backdrop in light colours. The cross is naturally a very common image to adorn christening invitations, but you will also find childhood images like cuddly animals which provide a more playful theme. The chosen theme is a matter of personal preference, but choose carefully since your invitations represent the first impression your guests will have of your baby’s christening.

With the rise of internet, it has become easier than ever to order personalized christening invitations. You can personalise your invitations not only by selecting colours, backdrops, and layouts, but also by including a photo of your baby or your family. Some people include a photo of their baby as a newborn, while others opt for an image taken at formal studio session. Alternatively choose a home photo or one which features the whole family together. The photo can be featured on a backdrop of your choice, featuring your own chosen text.

The wording on a christening invitation needs to formally invite your family and friends to attend both the christening ceremony and reception. You will need to provide the date and time of both events plus the locations for both events as well. Some companies supply additional fields in which you can add extra details such as a bible passage or other inspirational quote. Many christenings are themed and this is a good place to state what that theme is. Bear in mind that the space on your christening invitation is rather limited. Remember also that different companies may give you more or less space and different fields to write in, so if you need more space search around.

Are christening invitations expensive? You should be able to get a 25 pack for £25-£30. Solitary invitations are usually around £1.50.  Sometimes, better deals are available if you order christening invitations in bulk. A lot of companies offer free shipping, which should make christening invitations even more affordable to you. This is the price you can expect to pay for personalized christening invitations which include a photo—christening invitations without a photo will cost you less.

Christening invitations not only set the tone for your baby’s christening but additionally serve as a memento for years to come. There are only a few keepsakes from your baby’s christening which you can pass on to him or her, like the christening gown and shoes, christening bible, christening bracelet and any other accessories. The personalized christening invitation is one more keepsake you can give your child, as well as keep for yourself. Your family and friends can also save their christening invitations as a token of the special day!

Filed under: christening information