20 Creative Family Tree Ideas You Can Try

Looking for a way to explore your family origin? Consider making a DIY family tree – it is one of the most exciting genealogy projects that you can try. It allows you to learn more about your ancestors and pass down family history to the next generation.

From artistic hand-drawn designs to stunning collages, you’ll find 20 interesting ways to make your family tree. We’ll also share some tips and show you examples of projects you can make all by yourself. Read till the end to see all the best family tree ideas we’ve compiled for you.

Family Tree Ideas for Large Families

Let’s begin with some classic ideas that allow you to showcase your family.

1. Family Tree With Names

To include many details, you can make a family tree with names without inserting any pictures. The space can be used for essential facts about each family member, such as education and occupation.

2. Family Tree Poster

If you like large-scale projects, a huge family tree poster board might be the right choice for you. A poster like this makes great home decor and is perfect for a family reunion. It allows you to display much more than just the standard family tree design for 5 members - you can trace back up to 8 generations. Your family tree can look just like one of a noble dynasty of the past.

3. Family Tree Milestones

This project includes not only names but also important milestones such as births, marriages, graduations, and career achievements. The arrangement is totally up to you - grouped by people, organized in chronological order, etc. It’s also a good idea to use major events as centerpieces and put smaller events on the borders of your design. This is a real heirloom that you can pass on to your children or grandchildren.

4. Family Tree Collage

Down for something artsy? Then don’t hesitate to make a tree-shaped photo collage. With an automatic collage maker, you can turn a bunch of family photos into a beautiful composition. Just pick a template and load the pictures you find suitable. This format is perfect for large families as it lets you insert as many photos as you wish, whether you’re including 8 members or 8 dozen.

5. Scrabble Family Tree

Want to make something truly unique and outstanding? Then have some fun making a scrubble-styled family tree. Just make a list of names you’d like to use and organize them in the form of a puzzle. To avoid a cluttered look, don’t include more than 10 members.

Family Tree Project Ideas for School

A family tree is a popular school assignment that allows the youth to take a deeper look at their ancestry. It may seem boring for them. But with the following family tree ideas for kids, the process will be more engaging and fun.

6. Family Tree Map

In a family tree map, you can mark where each person comes from, which makes it ideal for multinational families. Such a school project gives children an understanding of cultural backgrounds, traditions, and historical events that shaped their ancestors’ lives.

7. Family Tree Diagram

If you don’t have much time for creating a family tree design, it’s a good idea to make a simple diagram. Each person is represented by a shape like a box or a circle with their name inside. Photos can also be inserted in the diagram, but this is optional. It’s important to thoroughly draft the scheme to correctly show the relations and lineage in the chart.

8. Family Tree with Pets

To make the homework more entertaining for preschoolers, you can add your pets to the chart. Even though including them in a family tree is debatable, using a funny or cute photo won’t do any harm.

9. Digital Family Tree

Since Gen Z is so tech-savvy, they should definitely take advantage of their skills. Some programs offer ready-to-use layouts, so it only takes a few clicks to create a digital family tree. There are also apps for creating your own design. If you want to try this method, this guide on how to make a family tree will help you. When your design’s ready, you can either print it out or share it digitally.

10. Classroom Family Tree

Another cool idea young ones might like is to hang the students’ childhood photos in the classroom. These can either be pictures of them or of their families. It will create a sense of unity and make the atmosphere in the classroom more welcoming and cozy. This kind of project is suitable for middle school and high school alike.

Family Tree Design Ideas for Home Interior

Not only do family trees contain important information, but they also serve as eye-catching home decor. You can find a suitable family tree design for any style, be it a minimalistic or bohemian one. These are some examples of how you can use family tree wall art in your home interior.

11. Family Tree Stencil for Wall

You can incorporate a family tree into your interior in the form of a wall mural. This is a wall gallery with photos hanging on the wall where a tree is painted. If you’re not sure about your painting skills, using family tree decals might be a viable alternative. Typically, they make it in the living room and foyer.

12. Chalkboard Family Tree

If you’re a DIY enthusiast, you might also enjoy making a chalkboard family tree with pictures. You’ll need a chalkboard, copies of your photos, and a chalk pen for labeling them. We recommend drafting the pedigree chart before mapping out the family on the board.

13. Family Tree Shadow Box

For framing aesthetic 3D objects, use a shadow box. It is a composition made of branches where you can attach your pictures. The family tree is put under glass, so it’s safe from dust and damages. This makes a shadow box one of the most practical ideas for a family tree project. However, you need to make sure you take the bark off the branches, as it may peel later.

Family Tree Drawing Ideas

If you enjoy sketching, then drawing a family tree on paper might bring you much pleasure. However, it’s better to choose something that’s not too complicated, especially when it comes to family trees for toddlers. We’ve found some easy yet creative ideas for you to try:

14. Thumbprint Family Tree

By using the thumbprints of your family, you can create a one-of-a-kind family tree illustration. You can print or draw the tree trunk and branches. Then you’ll need to ask each family member to add their thumbprint to illustrate the leaves. Some people prefer their family tree to be black. But the colorful one might be more interesting to children as they can pick their favorite color. Once the thumbprints are ready, you can attach the photos.

15. Black & White Family Tree

Hand drawn black-and-white family tree drawings are classic and can be created in various styles. For this, you can use a simple pencil. But consider using markers for more prominent lines as well. If you want it to maintain longer and look good in your interior, you should also frame the artwork.

Family Tree Craft Ideas

No matter how much technology develops, homemade products are still considered the most valuable. There are different kinds of handicrafts that you can give a try to make a family tree. We will show you some of the best ones below.

16. Embroidered Family Tree

To make your family tree, you can try your hand at embroidery. Unfortunately, you can’t include any photos or detailed information about your relatives. But it lets you create something unique, and your imagination is your only limit.

17. Family Tree Quilt

You can also make a stunning family tree by using fabric pieces. For instance, you can use leaf-shaped pieces to symbolize each family member and sew them to the quilt “canvas.” It’ll look lovely if you embroider names and use different fabrics for each leaf. When they’re ready, create a tree trunk with larger fabric pieces and arrange the leaves to form the branches.

18. Family Tree Cut Out

You don’t need expensive materials for an eye-pleasing design. For example, a 3D family tree made from cardboard is a low-cost option. You can use a stencil to cut out parts of a tree and assemble them.

19. Family Tree Wood Burning

Another craft that allows you to create your own family tree is wood burning. Your design for a family tree may be of various forms: heart-shaped, oval, round, etc.

20. Family Tree Cricut

If you want a durable family tree, it should be made of plastic or vinyl. The easy way to craft it is by using a Cricut cutting machine. Once the design is ready, you can frame your family tree and showcase it proudly on your wall.

Now your family heritage will be cherished for years to come. You can pay respect to previous generations in a creative manner with 20 ideas for a family tree we’ve introduced to you.

Hopefully, you’ve found some family tree inspiration in this article and can get started with your own artwork. Whether you want to create beautiful DIY home decor or make an unforgettable gift for your grandparents, you can do it with ease. So, gather the needed supplies, pick portraits of each family member, and begin designing right now.