How To Put Together A Family Tree | Preserve Your Heritage, Map Your History
Learning more about your family is so much easier with a family tree! Family trees are a fun, easy way to preserve information about your lineage and trace the journey of each generation. Sadly, lost documents and faded photos can make it extra challenging to create an accurate and truly personal family tree.
Public archives and family stories can help fill in the blanks. There are also many affordable photo studios like Image Restoration Centerthat can make damaged vintage photos look good as new for your tree.
There are also a few DIY tips you can put to use. Read on to find out more about how to put together a family tree in just 5 steps!
Gather Information About Your Family
The first thing that you need to do is get more information about your family. Write down whatever info you already know in a journal for easy access.
You can ask family members or check your old photo albums to fill in the gaps. Census records, birth and marriage certificates, and archived news stories are also extremely valuable references.
In some cases, you may be lucky enough to already have an older written or printed family tree to fall back on and use as the base of your new one. But if you have problems finding records, don’t be too hard on yourself. Keep in mind that many written records and photographs have been lost through natural disasters and the mere passage of time – this is often why many family trees go back to only three or four generations.
Plan And Draft Your Family Tree Outline
Once you have all the information you need, start planning how you will format this information and create your tree. Many ancestry sites recommend starting backward, with yourself and any siblings and cousins as the “newest branches” a.k.a. the bottom tier of the tree.
When you’ve organized the birth order and rows of all family members, decide which details you will include. Many people include full names and dates of birth and death, but others also include more personal information such as affectionate nicknames or significant deeds. This is especially true of family members who held significant political posts or served in the military.
Add Important Information To Each Member’s Assigned Space
Once you’ve settled on how much information to leave in each assigned family member’s space, add it right away. Please keep in mind that not every family discloses all their family information.
There may be some information that may be secret, such as adoptions, half-siblings, or extramarital affairs that resulted in children. To avoid embarrassment or disclosing family secrets, make it a point to discreetly double-check with relatives before you add sensitive details.
Include Family Pictures
Want to add a special, personal touch to your family tree? Look for vintage photographs of family members in your old photo albums.
Get damaged or faded photos restored with a competent photo studio so you can have a charming visual reference for all the members of your family tree. It adds a personal touch that online family tree services just can’t give!
Even if your family photos aren’t damaged, they may be suffering from flaws such as out-of-focus shots and red-eye portraits. An experienced photo studio will easily repair these details and have each family member look their best in your personalized family tree!
Share Your Completed Family Tree
A family tree is an excellent way to learn more about your culture, get in touch with your roots, and celebrate your heritage. Once you’ve finished mapping out and decorating your family tree, make sure to share it with your family so that they can learn and celebrate, too!
Consider sending the tree to all your relatives as a reunion gift, or print extra copies for your family to hang in their homes.
Conclusion
A family tree is a great way to map out your ancestry and share more information with your relatives about your heritage. Once you’ve completed your tree’s basic structure and gotten your vintage family photos restored, putting your family tree together will be a snap.
Don’t forget to share it with all your relatives! Not only can you bond, but you can also start conversations about your family’s ancestry. Who knows? This gift may just be the opening you need to learn more about your family origins and get in touch with your roots!
Interesting Related Article: “How Does a Home DNA Test Work?”
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