Confirmation Gifts in Canada: Mugs and Prints With a Name, a Date and a Verse
A fourteen-year-old stands at the back of the sanctuary after the service, in a jacket that is slightly too big, holding a card from his godfather. He is polite about it. He is also looking at the cookies. The adults around him are saying how proud they are, and he nods at each one.
Short answer: a good confirmation gift is something the young person will use every day and that carries a verse and their name, such as a mug, a print or a Bible, with a note saying what you saw in them. Our mugs and prints start at $25.
Confirmation is the day a young person, or sometimes an adult, stands up in front of the church and says the faith is theirs. Churches mark it in different ways and at different ages, so if you are not sure how the family's church does it, ask before you buy.
What does not change is the question every sponsor, grandparent and aunt faces: what do you give someone who is old enough to be embarrassed and young enough to still lose their keys? The answer that works is usually practical, personal and a little understated.
Five of the ideas below are ours, priced in Canadian dollars and checked on 30 Oct. The rest cost little. Every Scripture quote is the King James Version.
Five confirmation gifts from our shop
Each is printed to order by our production partner and shipped within Canada. Each personalised piece shows you a preview before you pay.
Confirmation Mug, $25 for 11 oz, $35 for 15 oz. The person's name, the date and Psalm 119:105. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. (Psalm 119:105, KJV) It is practical rather than precious, which is the point: the words are read while the mug is used. Choose KJV or WEB. Best for: a young person who will take it to university or a first apartment. Not for: someone who wants a keepsake to put away.
Confess with Your Mouth Mug, $25. Romans 10:9 on a white ceramic mug, with an optional name and date. That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. (Romans 10:9, KJV) Best for: someone who has made a public profession of faith. Not for: a family that would find the verse too direct.
New Creation Mug, $25. 2 Corinthians 5:17, with an optional name and date to mark the day. Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. (2 Corinthians 5:17, KJV) Best for: someone newly baptized or newly professing faith. Not for: a person who prefers a plain mug.
Strong and Courageous Mug, $25. Joshua 1:9, with an optional name and date. Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest. (Joshua 1:9, KJV) It suits a confirmation or a graduate heading somewhere new. Best for: a teenager who is nervous about what comes next. Not for: a gift where the verse has to be about the sacrament.
My Beloved Son Baptism Art Print, from $25 for 8x10 in, $29 for 11x14 in and $35 for 16x20 in. Matthew 3:17 on a print we designed after Jacopo Tintoretto's Baptism of Christ, from the open-access collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art. A dedication of up to 40 characters and a year can be added, or left off. Frame not included. Best for: a keepsake for a bedroom wall. Not for: a young person who would rather have something to use.
Which one fits
| Gift | Best when | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Confirmation Mug | You know the name and date and want a daily-use gift | from $25 |
| Confess with Your Mouth Mug | The day marks a public profession | $25 |
| New Creation Mug | Baptism and confession fall near each other | $25 |
| Strong and Courageous Mug | The young person is nervous about the next step | $25 |
| My Beloved Son Print | You want something to hang | from $25 |
Four ideas that cost little
A letter from the sponsor. Write one page about the day they were born or baptized, and what you have seen since. It is the kind of gift a person keeps.
A Bible they can write in. Ask the family which translation the church uses, then give that one. A plain edition they can mark up is better than a fancy one they are afraid to open.
A coffee date every few months. Promise four, and put the first one on the calendar before you leave.
A prayer, written out. Put it in a card and sign it.
For churches giving a class a gift
A church that wants to send every confirmand home with the same gift can order our mugs or prints in numbers of 10 to 200 through the quote form on our church page. We send a quote and a proof before anyone pays. See more on our profession of faith and confirmation gifts page.
How we chose
Every product here is one we sell, so nothing earns us an affiliate commission, and we have linked to no other shop. Prices were checked on 30 Oct and are in Canadian dollars. You can read how we pick things on our disclosure page.
Questions people ask
- What is a good confirmation gift? Something used every day and personal to the young person: a mug with their name, the date and a verse, a print, a Bible or a letter from you.
- How much should I spend on a confirmation gift? Our mugs and prints start at $25. A handwritten letter costs nothing and is often kept longer.
- Can the name and date be added? Yes. The Confirmation Mug asks for both, and the other mugs take them as options. Check the preview before you pay.
- Which Bible translation do the mugs use? You choose between the King James Version and the World English Bible on the mugs and the print.
- Is a confirmation gift different from a baptism gift? They often overlap. Confirmation is the person saying the faith is theirs, so a gift that says "I saw you do that" fits well.