How to Create a Family Tree Wall

Creating a family tree wall can be fun and informative for the whole family. If you're doing it with your kids, it's a great opportunity for teachable history discussions by discussing the time period, dress and current events of the day as each picture goes up. Children are naturally curious, and this type of activity makes history personal and brings it to life.

Things You'll Need

• Base paint
• Accent paints--flat or semi-gloss wall paints in several tree colors
• Paint brushes, rollers and pans
• Photos and frames
• Picture hangers
• Sandpaper
• Hammer

Instructions

1. Scan, print and frame as many pictures as you can collect. If no pictures exist of an ancestor, substitute a drawing of a typical person of that time and use that or frame the person's name and dates in the same size frame for composition consistency. The top of your tree can go as far back in history as research allows or a more recent history, going back only to grandparents or great grandparents. The number of pictures you plan to use should determine the size.

2. Count your branches. Each generation represents a branch.

3. Prepare the wall. Sand lightly, wipe away dust and apply a coat of base paint. Allow to dry.

4. Draw a simple outline of a tree lightly on the wall in pencil with the appropriate number of branches. Use a traditional tree shape (like an oak tree), tapering at the top and gradually widening to the bottom branches. End the branches at eye level (4'5" to 5' from the floor) and leave room for expansion.

5. Fill in some background leaves around each planned frame location. You may also choose to get creative with sky detail, birds, nests and small animals.

6. Paint your tree and leaves using your base colors. Allow to dry, then add shadow and dimension with a slightly darker accent color for each base color. You can also outline and add details using paint markers in darker colors.

7. After all paint is completely dry, start at the top with the oldest pictures and work your way down the tree, adding pictures at each branch level, telling the stories of the people as you add them.

Tips & Warnings

• Make this a temporary or movable project by covering the wall with Cambric cloth before you begin. Cambric cloth is fairly inexpensive and comes in long rolls. You can glue to the wall using wallpaper paste, just as you would wallpaper. Use pale colors for the tree and painted details to make pictures stand out. Look for stencils or use a wall projector to make leaf and detail shapes.

• Cover floor and adjacent surfaces with inexpensive painter's drop cloths. This may get messy!

References

• Large Movable Paintings