Make a Family Tree

by Courtney
(Westland Michigan, USA)

For my sister's wedding, I created a family tree with both his and her families.

I suggest finding a frame first, and then painting your tree (or trees, I did two) to fit inside what you have.

This way, you can avoid paying for custom framing.

I found a beautiful frame on clearance at a dept. store for less than $40.

Next, sketch your tree(s) on scrap paper. Decide where each leaf should fit. Each leaf will represent a person.

You can go as far back as you choose in the family.

I did a basic sketch of the tree in pencil on my paper.

I then went over it with several colors of brown paint, attempting to give depth.

I bought two sizes of leaf shaped stamps.

The first leaf I used to represent each family member. I used the smaller leaf to fill in spaces that looked empty.

You can use the same color, but I recommend a complementary one.

Next, I carefully wrote each person's name on the large leaves.

I used a metallic pen.

The metallic pen looks really pretty and is a lot more forgiving if you make a mistake.

Wait for the paint to dry, frame, and Voila!

You have a personalized thoughtful and loving gift for the new couple.