Family tree template with branches and leaves
A decorative family tree for framing or gifting: a trunk with your name at its base, branches that split for every generation and leaves around each name plate. Fill it in by hand, or type the names online and print it ready to frame.
Updated
If it is a gift
This one is meant to be looked at, so the labels are gone and the name plates sit among the leaves. Practice your lettering on a plain-paper copy first, then use a fine waterproof pen on heavy card stock, because ballpoint can smear and felt tips can bleed. A Letter page fits a standard 8.5 × 11 in frame without trimming, and A4 fits an A4 frame. If your handwriting is not what you want on the wall, type the names online and print the finished chart instead.
What is on this template
- Trunk, branches and leaves drawn as vector art
- 15 name plates over 4 generations
- No labels, for a clean framed look
- Prints sharp at any size
It has room for 15 people: you, your parents, grandparents, great-grandparents.
How to fill it in
- Print at 100% ("Actual size"). A plain-paper draft first saves spoiling the good copy.
- Write your own name first, then your parents, then each earlier generation. Fathers go on the left of each pair and mothers on the right.
- Add the years of birth and death under each name, like 1931–2005.
Prefer typing? Open this template in the family tree maker, type the names and print a clean copy.
Making it a gift that lasts
- Paper: heavy matte card stock (65 to 110 lb cover, about 175 to 300 g/m²) takes ink cleanly and does not curl in a frame. Check your printer's manual for the thickest stock it accepts, or have a print shop print the PDF.
- Pen: a fine pen with archival, pigment-based ink. It does not fade in daylight and does not bleed into the card the way felt tips can.
- Frame: a Letter print fits an 8½ × 11 in frame, or an 11 × 14 in frame with a mat cut for 8½ × 11. An A4 print fits an A4 frame, or a 30 × 40 cm frame with a mat.
- Bigger: the PDF is vector art, so a copy shop can print it at 11 × 17 in (Tabloid) or A3 and the lines stay sharp.
For a wedding or anniversary, the couple usually wants both families: make one tree for each partner and frame them side by side, or use the descendant chart with the couple at the top and their children below.
Questions
Can I add more than 4 generations?
Not on this design, which has 15 name plates. For 5 or 6 generations use a fan chart, which fits 31 or 63 names on one page.
What paper should I print a framed family tree on?
Heavy matte card stock or fine art paper. Avoid glossy photo paper if you will write the names by hand: most pens smear on it.
Why are there no labels?
So it looks like a picture rather than a form when framed. Write the names in the same places as the labeled templates: you at the trunk, fathers on the left of each pair and mothers on the right.
