DIY Family Name Tree – Great gift & decor idea!

This DIY Family Name Tree makes a FANTASTIC sentimental gift – a wedding gift for newlyweds, an anniversary gift, or a Christmas gift for a special couple. I had the idea to do something like this for our parents a few years back as Christmas gifts, and this has turned into my quintessential wedding gift I now give to newlywed couples.

I am such a sap for sentiment, and I love reflecting history and meaning in the way I decorate my home. Anyone can create one of these to give as a gift – they’re packed full of meaning and they’re incredibly inexpensive to make – the only thing you pay for is the frame, and I always get mine at Hobby Lobby for 50% off.

The names in this collage reflect a family tree of some sort – from the maternal and paternal grandparents of the couple to the couple themselves. The names include:

• The couple’s last name (the couple you’re gifting)
• The wife’s maiden name
• The wife’s mother’s maiden name
• The husband’s mother’s maiden name
• The wife’s maternal grandmother’s maiden name
• The husband’s maternal grandmother’s maiden name
• The wife’s paternal grandmother’s maiden name
• The husband’s paternal grandmother’s maiden name

(The paternal names are inherent in these collages: the wife’s dad’s last name is the same as her maiden name; the dad and paternal grandfather of the husband have his same last name; the wife’s paternal grandfather’s last name is the same as her maiden name; the wife’s maternal grandfather’s last name is the same as her mother’s maiden name; and the husband’s maternal grandfather’s last name is the same as his mother’s maiden name.)

When I make these and give them as gifts, I tell the couple in a card that this is a visual representation of where they came from. The names in this help them remember their family heritage that makes up much of who they are, and the collage is also a reminder that they, too, will someday have a legacy, a heritage, to pass down to future generations.

If you’ve read more than a couple my blog posts, you know I’m all about reminding people that they have an impact to make – we ALL do! We all have influence, and we can use it wisely – for good – to pass down to our descendants. And you know what? Both newlywed couples and couples who’ve been married for years both need that reminder and encouragement! This gift is perfect for that! We can remind people that they have a heritage, and that they will also create a heritage to pass along.

We all come from a story, and we all have a story to tell. Why not let our home decor help reflect that?!

You can make these in all different styles – more elegant:

More modern:

Or more rustic:

It takes a little bit of time to organize all the names into a neat collage, but after making several of these, I have yet to be stumped – sometimes a collage might take me a little longer to figure out than I prefer (to make sure all the names fit together and look ok on the paper), but I always manage to fit all of them on there.

I use scratch paper to lay out where I want all of the names to go (I never do any particular order other than making sure that the main couple’s last name is the one that stands out the most in the middle of the paper), and then I use Adobe Illustrator to actually create the collage on the computer.

If you don’t have Illustrator, you can definitely still create one of these using PowerPoint (or perhaps another common software tool) – I used PowerPoint to make these name trees before I owned the Adobe Design Suite. I print them out on regular 8.5 x 11″ cardstock (usually white, but sometimes I use ivory) and then cut them down to fit into an 8 x 10″ frame. Easy!

Such a wonderful and thoughtful gift! I used to paint these collages before I realized how much easier it was to create them on the computer. The one I have in our home is hand-painted and on our wall, but I think the ones I created on the computer are more practical and also a little sleeker looking. Do whatever style you like or whatever style fits the couple you’re gifting!

If you’re looking for another way to decorate with sentiment and reflect family heritage in your home, go check out my Family Photo Wall!