Family history is something that I just love and for the longest time I have wanted to print & display a large family pedigree chart in my home. I want those names to be visible and familiar to my kids. From their grandparents to their great-grandparents and more!
Now, on Family Search you can sign up for an account and create a pretty nice family tree fan chart for free. My mom did it once and hung it in her home. And for a long time it was my plan to do the same thing. I hesitated a little, though, because the Family Search graphic included color and I really just wanted something clean, modern, and simple.
I came across Family Tree Prints some time ago, and recently they generously allowed me to try out their design tools and create a family tree print! I jumped at the chance!
They offer a lot of really great templates -- very clean, neat, modern. You can choose a fan chart or a circle chart as well as some adorable shapes that would be so cute in a nursery or playroom! I'm talking ladybugs, turtles, and crabs. There are many different color palettes to choose from - black and white (that's for me!) as well as bright and bold. It really is so easy to find something that will fit the decor of your home.
After choosing a template you can leave it as is, or go to town with all of the customization features. Fonts, colors, number of generations to include (anywhere from 4 to 9) . . . The process was very user-friendly.
Once everything looks just right, you go through the checkout process and download your print-ready file. That's the point that I'm at right now! Family Tree Prints provides some very helpful tips for printing. I'm trying to decide what size I would like for mine - 16x20 or 20x30 - but I'm leaning toward the bigger size just because I included so many generations. When it's all done I will check back in and share the final result.
For now, check out how awesome this 8 generation family tree is! As you can see I went for a very clean look -- this is the Classic White template. I wanted it to be timeless as I hope to have it in my home for a very long time. I'm excited to have it printed and hung soon!
Here is a sample of the options and opportunities for customization in the Black and White category
