Family Tree Ideas You Can DIY

With Thanksgiving coming up, time with family is on our minds. Every family has it’s own unique history and heritage and whether your family is big or small, it’s an important part of who you are and where you have come from! We’ve found a range of ideas to create – whether you’re looking to include your ancestors or just your immediate family. So, show off your family pride with one of our DIY family tree ideas!

Chalkboard Family Tree

Print some pictures or use clipping of old family photos to stick onto a chalkboard of your choice. Allow kids to draw and decorate the board as they wish as well as writing their name. Also, make sure to leave room at the top if your family is expanding! This is one of our easiest family tree ideas as you can rub it out and start again – meaning that it would suit younger children well.

Picture Wall Family Tree

Do you have a picture wall at home already? Then try painting a tree behind it to create your own giant tree mural! All you will need is some framed family photos to hang on the wall and some paint. If this is in a hallway or living space – consider buying or making a stencil first to make sure you’re happy with the finished result. Or, if your teenagers are budding artists, allow them to unleash their skills on your wall by painting freehand.

Love Letters Family Tree

Using a paper shredder or scissors, you can make a beautiful tree out of historic family documents. We all have a box of things in our loft that we feel we should keep but don’t really need. Why not dig out those sentimental pieces of paper and make it into something you can display in your home? From love letters, to photocopied certificates, to newspaper clippings and street maps – they can all make wonderfully meaningful family trees.

Thumbprint Family Tree

While many people use this as a wedding guest book idea, it can also be used as a personalized family tree. Fill in your own fingerprints next to your name and use different fingers to create your ancestors’ spaces. Try using your little ones’ pinky finger for their own and a thumbprint for their ancestors – this way there will be a clear size difference and will help to illustrate the age difference.

Quilted Family Tree

Do you have blankets leftover from when your children were little? If you’re good with a needle and thread, try and make a quilted family tree blanket, using parts of their childhood blankets. If you don’t want to cut these up, perhaps get your children to pick a patterned fabric that they like in a shop and use those to create their ‘leaves’ or ‘branches’ on the tree. When you’re done, throw it over your sofa or your bed and enjoy your completely unique quilt.

Heart Family Tree

Home is where the heart is – so why not show that with a heart-shaped family tree? For this, either create the shape of a tree and use heart shapes as your leaves or create an abstract tree with different sized hearts for each family member. Hearts are easy to make using pieces of colored cardstock or by downloading free templates online. When you’re done creating hearts, label every heart with each person’s name and frame the finished result.

Family Lotus Flower

In many cultures, the lotus flower represents birth and regeneration, making it perfect as a template for a family tree. If you want to create something a bit alternative and a little less common, then a lotus flower might be for you. To make your own, cut lots of lotus petals in a range of sizes and colors – you can find what this looks like online. Label each petal after a member of your family and start building your flower.

Shadow Box Family Tree

To make a 3D family tree, try using a shadow box. For anyone who doesn’t know what that is, a shadow box is just a picture frame that is slightly deeper than usual. Start by drawing a tree in the middle of the background and create 3D leaves or flowers to represent each member of your family. Label each shape and organize them to create a beautiful 3D display. If you want to use a shadow box but don’t like the standard family tree format, try mixing it with one of our other suggestions to design your own!