Family Tree Tutorial

It looks like it would be really complicated or that it would have taken me a week to do. But it really is simple. Try it out! Leave a link in my comments so I can check yours out!!!

Lay out a piece of fabric. I used two yards. Lay it right sides down. Then free hand a tree trunk. Don't roll your eyes it's easier than you think.

Here are the branches.

This is the page I drew what I wanted mine to look like so I had something to follow.

Next cut out two leaf shapes with cardboard.

I used nine different fabrics. I ended up using 3 or 4 large leaves and 5-6 small leaves of each fabric. I layed it out just to make sure I had cut enough.

Cut out your tree on the line that you drew. You will then use iron on adhesive. You can buy this for $1.99 a yard from Joanne's. Iron it on to the back of the tree. (You can do this befor you cut but you waste alot of it on the excess part, and I am a saver...)

Once you have irones on the adhesive to the back of the tree and all of the leaves head to your wall. Peel off the white backing and tape the tree trunk in place.

Turn your iron on to high heat, to make a really strong bond. Then lay a piece of freezer paper or some of the white layer you peeled off over the tree and wall and iron. If you don't you will leave iron scuffs on the wall. And trust me, they are a real pain to get off.

Add your leaves until it looks just how you like it.

I then added four little birdies to my trees. Just because I like them.

Now for the frames. Using galvanized steel from the heating and plumbing section at Lowe's and some tin snips, and round bead pliers you will create rolled frames and lots of cuts and blisters on your hands, depending how large your family is!!!

So to start out. For my parent's frames (the kids grandkids) I cut the frame 5 X 5 inches. You will need two of them. For my children I ended up doing them 3 X 5 inches. My husbands and My heart was 4 X 6. The uncles and aunts are 3 X 4 inches. And the cousins are 2 X 3 inches.

I then drew an x across the metal.

Punch a hole in the metal with either a craft punch, metal punch, or pole a hole using a hammer and a nail.

Using tin snips cut on the x.

Using your round bead pliers slowly roll up each triangle.

Roll it all the way until you have reached the ends of the x.

Here is a different view to show you the roll.

Do this to all four sides. (Yeah your fingers will hurt, and the edges are really sharp so be careful.)

Are you totally confused? Watch this video.

Now take the frames and if you have metal stamping tools, hand stamp the relation or name of the person in the photo onto the corner.

You can either do the relation of the person or the name. I did a little of both...

Take them to you tree and hang them up. They are really light so no need to worry about them falling off. They are just the right size so you can add all of your family to the tree. And the shine draws your attention right to them.

Hang up the pictures using velcro dots. That way you can exchange out the pictures easily and if your children want to pull the photo's off the wall to look at they can. (As for me, my children don't know they can, I don't want to rearrange my tree everytime I turn around, cause I'm anal about who goes where...there in families people!!!)

And there you have it. Your family tree!

If you ever decide to remove it. Do not just peel it off. Heat it slightly with the iron and then peel. Remove any extra adhesive with cleaner.