Personalised birth gift ideas that last, from friends and grandparents
A personalised birth gift lasts when it puts the baby's name, and ideally the birth date, on something the family keeps rather than uses up: a birth poster, a memory box, engraved cutlery, a growth chart. If you choose a poster, ask the parents how the name is spelled before you order, because it prints exactly as you approve it.
Which personalised baby gifts do families keep?
The three gift guides we read, two Dutch and one French, each list gifts that carry the baby's name. Ouders van Nu's list of gifts with a name, from March 2026, opens with the things you would rather not throw away, "especially not when it is personalised with your child's name", and says its ten picks may get a lasting place in the home.
| Keepsake | Suggested by |
|---|---|
| Birth poster | Kaartje2go |
| Silver cutlery with the name | Kaartje2go, Ouders van Nu (engraved) |
| Memory box | Kaartje2go, Ouders van Nu |
| Growth chart with the name | Ouders van Nu |
| Personalised picture book | Kaartje2go, Ouders van Nu |
| Hand and foot print | Assortis Moi |
| Time capsule to open at 18 | Assortis Moi |
Kaartje2go, a Dutch card shop, writes in its gift guide that many parents are very surprised by a personal gift with, for example, their child's name on it, and that it often gets a nice spot in the nursery. The same guide notes that parents are often snowed under with toys, cuddly toys and clothes.
The French shop Assortis Moi puts the case for the name and the date in one line: "the first name brings uniqueness, the date anchors the moment."
What should a birth poster say when it is a gift?
The name and the birth date are enough: those are the only two details our poster editor requires. The time of birth, the weight and the length are optional, so ask the parents for them or leave them off.
Kaartje2go's guide says many kinds of birth poster are available and names three: one that suits the nursery, one with the baby's star sign, and one with the birth details set in typography. Each has a match in our editor.
- The star sign: Sterre draws the constellation of the zodiac sign of the birth date. Our zodiac guide lists the dates of every sign.
- The typography: Noor, Sem, Finn and Mila make up our typographic group, and Mila prints the first letter of the name as a giant initial.
- The nursery: pick the colourway closest to the room, or ask the parents which colours it has.
For every style by group, and what each group draws, see our birth poster ideas.
What should you ask the parents before you order?
Ask for the spelling first. On our proof page you approve the design by typing the name "exactly as it should be printed" and confirming you checked the details; the name field reports a mismatch until it matches the name on the proof, capitals and accents included. Our terms of sale say we print exactly the text and choices you approved, and that an error in what you entered and approved is not a defect.
Before you start, have these from the parents:
- The name as it should be printed, with its capitals, accents and any hyphen.
- The birth date, plus the time of birth, the weight and the length if you want them on the poster.
- The delivery address. In the basket you choose the country of delivery, and you enter the address itself on Stripe's payment page, so the parcel can go straight to the parents.
Ask for the spelling before you ask about colours: the poster is printed exactly as you approve it.
Our terms also give no right of withdrawal on these products, because each one is printed with the personal details you provide. Orders go to production automatically shortly after payment, so we cannot promise to change or cancel one once you have paid.
What can grandparents give?
On the Dutch site Babyhelp, the answer to what grandparents give at the birth of a grandchild, from June 2022, starts with the big items: a pram, a cradle or a car seat. It then suggests clothes in several sizes, and rompers, bibs and muslins.
If those are already covered, a framed poster is a gift that stays on the wall. It also works as a joint gift from several grandparents, or from a group of friends, in the larger size.
| Gift | Size | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Framed poster | 30 × 40 cm | €59.95 |
| Framed poster | 45 × 60 cm | €87.95 |
| Canvas | 30 × 40 cm | €59.95 |
The frame comes in black, white or natural wood, at one price for all three. Prices (October 2026) include VAT; shipping comes on top.
To see how the gift looks before you ask anyone a thing, open the poster editor and type the name and the date.