First Christmas in a new home: gift ideas that stay

The first Christmas in a new house has its own feel. The boxes are mostly gone, the tree goes up in a room nobody has decorated before, and the address on the cards is new. A gift for that Christmas works best when it marks the house itself: the address, the family name, the year they moved in. These are the ones we make in our workshop, and what to write on each.

The short answer

For a Christmas gift, choose the Home for the Holidays photo book with the new address on the cover. For a gift that stays up all year, choose a family name sign with the year they moved in. In the US, order by December 10 for delivery before Christmas.

A photo book with the new address: Home for the Holidays

The Home for the Holidays photo memory book has a little winter house inside a snow globe engraved on its wooden cover, under the words "Home for the Holidays". Below it go two lines you write: the address or the family name, such as "742 MAPLE LANE", and a year line, such as "CHRISTMAS 2026". Inside, blank pages take instant photos of the first tree, the first dinner and everyone who came to see the place.

It comes in Small (8.65 × 6 in) and Large (12.15 × 8.6 in), with a Jacobean, Hazelnut or Natural cover, from $44.99. Give it before the holidays, so the first Christmas goes in from the start. Our guide to filling a Christmas photo book at the table has prompts for the guests.

The Story of Our Home: a book for the house itself

For a gift that is not tied to one season, The Story of Our Home photo memory book has a house, a large old-fashioned key and leafy branches engraved on the cover, with "The Story of Our Home", the family name and an est. year, such as "THE ROBINSONS" and "EST. 2026". The title line is optional: leave it blank to keep "The Story of Our Home", or type your own words.

The pages are for moving day, the first dinner and every room as it takes shape. The first Christmas is one chapter; the book keeps going after the tree comes down. Same sizes and wood colors as above, from $44.99.

An established sign with the year they moved in

A family name sign dated with the move-in year becomes part of the house. The last name sign sets the name in raised script with the year on a line beneath, for example "The Johnsons" and "est. 2026". The family established sign adds both first names with a small raised heart between them.

Both come in Medium (22.8 × 9.5 in) and Large (27.5 × 12.6 in), in 12 wood colors and 8 letter colors, from $79, with a sawtooth hanger on the back. They are made for indoors, so the entryway is the place, not the porch. Every style and more wording ideas are in our family name signs.

A Christmas sign for the first mantel

The Merry Christmas family sign has "Merry Christmas" in raised script, the family name in capitals along the bottom bar and one of nine small icons, from a reindeer to a tree. The first December it goes on the new mantel. Every January it is packed away with the decorations, and it comes back each year as one of the house's own traditions. From $79.

Ornament ideas for a first Christmas in a new home

Ornaments are the classic small gift for a new house, and many makers sell them. A few ideas that suit a first Christmas at a new address:

• A small house ornament, with the street name and the year written on the back.
• A key ornament, or the spare key itself on a ribbon, hung on the first tree.
• A clear glass ornament holding a photo of the house on moving day.
• One ornament from the new town, bought together on the first weekend there.

We don't make ornaments ourselves; any of these pairs well with a book or a sign from above.

From the realtor or the neighbors

• From the realtor: a closing gift with the family name and the year, such as the block letters family name sign or the framed family name sign, stays on the wall long after the keys are handed over. Ask the buyers how they write their family name before you order: "The Walkers" or "The Walker Family".
• From the neighbors: something smaller and seasonal, like the Home for the Holidays book with a welcome note on the first page.
• From family: The Story of Our Home book, with the first photos of the house already inside.

When to order

Every piece is made to order in 1–3 business days and ships free with FedEx or UPS express, arriving in about 3–4 business days. For delivery before Christmas, order by December 10 in the US, or by December 7 for Canada, the UK and the EU. A proof adds about a day, plus up to 48 hours if you take the full window to reply, so if you want one, order a few days earlier. If the gift goes straight to the new house, check the new address at checkout; we can't ship to a P.O. box.

Need it sooner? Choose Rush order & express shipping at checkout. We make your order in 1 business day and ship it express the next business day; delivery then takes 2–3 business days. Delivery dates are the carrier's estimates. We can't be responsible for carrier delays.

Questions

Can the photo book show our address instead of our name?

Yes. On the Home for the Holidays book the line under the snow globe takes either one, such as "742 MAPLE LANE" or your family name. We engrave exactly what you type.

Which year should go on the sign?

The year you moved in, for a sign about the house; the year you married, for a sign about the family. Write it as it should read: "Est. 2026", "EST. 2026" or "est. 2026".

Can the sign hang outside by the front door?

No. Our family name signs are made for indoors. Keep yours away from direct sunlight and moisture.

Can I see the design before you make it?

Yes. Ask for a free digital proof and we email it within a business day. You have 48 hours to approve it or ask for changes; if we don't hear back, we go ahead with the proof you saw so your order keeps moving.

All Christmas gifts · Family name signs · Christmas photo books · First Christmas married gift ideas

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