Baptism and Christening Handkerchiefs
A baptism handkerchief is a personalized white keepsake given to a child on their christening, baptism, or first communion, personalized with their name, the date, a cross, or a blessing. The clean white cloth mirrors the meaning of the day, a child made new, and the family keeps it for a lifetime.
We personalize each one in-house in the U.S.A. on soft 100% cotton, hand-inspected before it ships, so it becomes a gentle heirloom the child can carry from the font to the altar.
Why a Handkerchief Is a Meaningful Baptism Gift
A christening hankie marks a sacred milestone in a way a toy or card cannot. White has long symbolized purity and a fresh start in the faith, which is why a white handkerchief with a cross is a classic gift from a godparent, grandparent, or sponsor.
There is also a treasured tradition of carrying the baptism hankie forward. A girl's christening handkerchief can become her "something old" and travel down the aisle on her wedding day, and a christening bonnet can be folded from a wedding hankie and later snipped back into a keepsake. See how in our
hankie bonnet guide.
"A beautiful memento from her baptismal day. Quality hankie, love the Cathedral lace trim. We plan on having her First Communion and Confirmation dates embroidered in the future. Then she can carry this hankie on the day of her wedding!"
Dawn H.
What to Write on a Baptism Handkerchief
Keep the wording gentle and personal. Most families embroider the child's name with the baptism date, a short blessing, or a line of scripture.
For more wording help, see our
handkerchief sayings, and add up to three lines of embroidered text or up to four lines on our custom print designs.
Baptism Blessings and Wording Ideas
These lines are among the most requested for baptism and christening hankies:
- The child's name with "Baptized" and the date.
- "Child of God" with the child's name.
- "A precious gift from God" or "God bless this child."
- "May God's joy, love, and peace be with you always."
- A three-initial monogram with a small cross.
- A blessing from a godmother or godfather to their godchild.
Scripture for a Christening
Many families choose a verse that will guide the child. Popular choices include:
- Mark 16:16, "Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved."
- John 3:5, "No one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit."
- Numbers 6:24, "The Lord bless you and keep you."
- Psalm 139:14, "I am fearfully and wonderfully made."
Baptism and Christening Styles We Make
Our baptism handkerchiefs come in a few forms so you can match the child and the ceremony.
- Personalized hankies with a cross. Embroidered with up to three lines of text and a cross, in a ladies size or a boys size.
- "Child of God" hankies. A boys style embroidered with the child's name for a christening or dedication.
- Monogrammed handkerchiefs with a cross. A three-initial monogram for a classic, understated keepsake.
- Set of three white scallop hankies with a cross. A simple, reverent set of three.
- Custom print handkerchiefs. Designs with a floral cross, golden cross, ornate cross, or a Bible and candle motif, each personalized with up to four lines and sold individually.
Personalized and monogrammed hankies are embroidered individually, and our print designs let you add a longer four-line message beneath the artwork.
Who Gives a Baptism Handkerchief
A christening handkerchief is a favorite gift from godparents, grandparents, and sponsors, and parents often order one as a keepsake of their child's baptism day.
It suits a Catholic christening, a Protestant baptism, a baby dedication, or a first communion. For a slightly older child, pair it with a keepsake from our
children's handkerchiefs.
Baptism Handkerchiefs for a Boy or Girl
Choose the style and size to fit the child. We offer boys and ladies personalized designs, and a girl's christening hankie is often kept for her future wedding day.
For a printed keepsake with room for a full message, our custom four-line cross and floral designs work beautifully for either.
A Keepsake From the Font to the Altar
A baptism handkerchief is meant to last. Families keep it in a Bible or keepsake box, frame it, or bring it out again at a first communion, a confirmation, and a wedding.
This is the same heirloom tradition behind our
wedding handkerchiefs, where a childhood christening hankie returns as the bride's "something old."
Fabric, Care, and Turnaround
Our baptism handkerchiefs are made from soft, absorbent 100% cotton, hand-inspected and personalized in the U.S.A. White is the traditional christening color and takes embroidery and print cleanly.
Personalized orders ship in about 3.1 business days on average because we personalize in-house, and rush processing is available at checkout if the baptism is soon. Machine wash in cold or warm water and skip bleach and fabric softener so the keepsake stays soft for decades.
Why Order Baptism Handkerchiefs From Bumblebee Linens
We have personalized more than 350,000 handkerchiefs since 2007 and shipped over one million worldwide. Every piece is personalized in-house in the U.S.A., hand-inspected, and backed by our satisfaction guarantee.
Our work has been featured by Brides, Martha Stewart Weddings, Real Simple, and The Today Show. We ship to Canada and Australia in addition to the United States, and you can add a gift note at checkout to send a christening keepsake straight to the family. Read more customer stories on our
reviews page.
