They won't remember it. That is the slightly bittersweet truth about a baby's first Christmas. The jumper with the pudding on it will be outgrown by February, the presents will be ignored in favour of the box, and they will sleep through the best bit of the day. You, on the other hand, will remember all of it, including roughly how big their feet were.

That is the thinking behind the new Christmas collection from Tiny Tiptoes, a UK family business founded by occupational therapist and mum Emma Bishop. She started the brand on maternity leave after struggling to find a meaningful, inclusive way to record her own children's early memories, one that did not tell families which milestones should matter and when.

What's new for Christmas 2026

The new festive keepsake prints feature three illustrations: a reindeer, a penguin and a Christmas Highland cow. Each one is designed to be finished with your baby's handprint or footprint, so the antlers, flippers or fluffy fringe are literally made by them. They come in A4, printed on 300gsm paper and sized to fit a standard A4 frame, so they can come out of the decorations box and go on the mantelpiece every December.

There is also a 'My First Christmas' version of the designs, and if you would rather have something that stays up all year, the non-festive collections include Woodland & Meadow, On Safari and Under the Sea.

A tradition that takes five minutes

Nobody needs another elaborate festive project on four hours' sleep. This one is genuinely quick: one ink pad, one print, one wriggly foot. Do it once a year and you end up with a row of prints that shows exactly how fast they grew. If you like the idea of small, repeatable rituals, our pieces on family rituals your kids will remember and baby's first Christmas have more ideas.

The sleepsuits will be outgrown. A footprint stays exactly the size it was.

How to get a print without a meltdown (theirs or yours)

Pick your moment. A calm, fed, slightly sleepy baby is a far better collaborator than a hungry one. Feet are usually easier than hands, because hands tend to curl into a fist at the crucial second.

Use a clean-touch pad. Tiny Tiptoes' mess-free ink pads use a clean-touch design: you place the pad ink side down on the paper and press your baby's hand or foot onto the clean side, so the brand says the ink never touches their skin. Each pad usually gives a few prints, so you get more than one go.

Make it a two-person job. One of you holds the baby, the other holds the paper steady. Do a practice print on scrap paper first, and do not aim for perfect. A smudged toe is part of the story.

Looking for gifts beyond keepsakes? Our personalised Christmas gifts for babies and toddlers round-up is a good place to start.

Our picks from the range

Four pieces from Tiny Tiptoes, from a single first-Christmas print to the full starter kit. Details come from the brand.