A family tree isn't just for the genealogy buffs. It also makes for beautiful wall decor!
Filling your home with personal pieces like visual family tree designs or ancestry charts can spruce up that blank wall in your home.
Whether you’re prepping for a showstopper at your family reunion or just want a meaningful home upgrade, creating your own family tree wall art is a great way to incorporate history into your daily living.
Why Build a Visual Family Tree
A family tree is a diagram that illustrates your family lineage. You’ve probably seen it in one of your grandparents’ houses, either displayed boldly or tucked away in the covers of a sweet family album.
Family trees are laid out by generations to easily trace lineage. In a way, it’s a piece of art that expresses how your family developed and evolved over the years. Wouldn’t that be so cool to make and show with pride?
Where Do You Start?
Here are 8 steps you can follow to get started with your family tree wall design:
Step 1: Set a theme
You can match your family’s personality, existing home decor, and wall colors to your family tree design.
You can opt for themes like:
-
Classic - chic font, gold frames,
-
Boho - Warm and neutral tones, mixed textures
-
Minimalist - Monochrome color palettes, thin frames
-
Artistic- Playful layouts, fun stickers, painted designs
Helpful tip: Before starting your project, measure your walls so you know how much information and photos you can add to your design!
Step 2: Choose your family tree design
Not all family trees or ancestry charts look the same. You have the creative freedom to design a “tree,” but also other layout ideas like:
-
Classic family tree - Roots at the bottom, branches for each generation
-
Circle or fan ancestry charts - Radiate out from a central ancestor
-
Grid layout - Great for modern styles
-
Other shapes - Hearts, houses
Step 3: Design your family Tree
Now that you’re done settling on a theme and design, it’s time to use tools to bring your ideas to life!
You can use free design tools like:
These tools can also turn your GEDCOM data into a visual, printable family tree. A GEDCOM file a digital file that stores all your family information, like names and birthdates, in a format used by genealogy programs. If you’ve used genealogy sites like Ancestry to trace your family history, you can download your information as a GEDCOM file. Then, upload it into these design tools to transform all that information into a beautiful and easy-to-read family tree.
But if you prefer a more hands-on approach, you can skip the software and go physical! You can draw your family tree design by hand and attach photos, handwritten labels, and other design materials for a scrapbook style. This DIY method is also great when working with kids!
Step 4: Choose a medium
This is the part where you decide how you plan to physically assemble and put your family tree on your walls.
Here are some popular ideas to consider:
-
Get items printed at home or from a local printing shop - Just frame it and you’re done!
-
Peel-and-stick physical items - Easy to apply (and remove)
-
Painting - Perfect for artistically-inclined families
-
Fabric - intricate Items can be crocheted or embroidered
-
Wood and metal - Opt for engraved, laser-cut, or sculpted for a rustic vibe
Step 5: Gather your family photos
Photos breathe life into your family tree wall art. To get started on your family tree design, you’ll need photos of your family members. These can be things like wedding pictures or any scanned old photos you’d like to include! You have all the creative freedom to format them in sizes and shapes that you can play with to match a theme you have in mind.
Other image styles you can choose from:
-
Uniform circles or squares
-
Polaroid-style cutouts
-
Vintage/Black-and-white filters
Step 6: Add personal touches
Aside from names and photos, it would also be fun to share personal details about your relatives! Things like nicknames, birthstones, family crests, and other significant information that paint a fuller picture for each family member.
For instance, you can label a great-grandparent with “Made the best sourdough bread” or an uncle with “Fought in WW2.”
Adding these inclusions can help people see similarities across generations, like shared hobbies or talents!
Step 7: Arrange your elements
Time to bring it all together! If you have individual pieces you need to assemble, you can now start laying out your design on the floor or on a large table.
Use tape to stick the pieces down and create a mock-up of how it’ll look once it’s up on the wall. Otherwise, if you designed your tree digitally, you can start putting the pieces together, adjust the sizes of the photos and words, and play with different layouts.
The general rule in making a family tree design is to work from the youngest generation at the bottom to the oldest generation at the top.
Also, be sure to:
-
Leave some space between branches/sections
-
Keep the spaces consistent
Step 8: Transfer your family tree design to the wall
Once you’re satisfied with the mock layout and design, carefully transfer it to your wall. If you're using peel-and-stick pieces, be sure to remove air bubbles as you stick them. For those using framed photos, use a level to keep everything polished and straight.
For the artistic families, if you opted to paint your design directly on the wall, draft it first with a pencil before going in with your paint.
What If You Want To Add New Family Members?
Because a family is always growing, it is ideal for your family tree wall design to be flexible to changes, just like a living piece of art!
Here are some ways to build flexibility into your design:
-
Use photo frames that can be swapped out easily, like magnetic frames or clip-style photo holders
-
Leave blank branches or frames for future use
-
Pick corkboards or pegboards so you can easily change designs without directly affecting your walls
-
If you have the classic tree design, have some of the branches that can be unbolted or rearranged
Start Making Your Family Tree Design
Creating a family tree wall art is one of the best ways to commemorate your family’s genealogy. It’s where memory meets design!
For other ideas to inspire your research, learn how to find your family coat of arms.