- Jewelry—create special family history jewelry to either commemorate a person in your family or using heirloom jewelry.
Get creative with sharing your family history You can share the story with your child.
- Family Recipe Book—write out your favorite family recipes, include some memories and pictures and bind up for all of the members of the family.
- Commemorative plates—find an old plate at a thrift shop to use. In the center attach a picture of an ancestor or loved one. You could even create a set based on grandparents, children, grandchildren or anything else you come up with.
- Coasters—purchase a set of blank coasters and attach pictures of various family members. Again develop your own theme.
- Coat of Arms—research your family coat of arms and order a print to frame and hang up. if your family doesn’t have a coat of arms, create your own.
There are many ways to decorate with family history - Clocks—create a clock on the wall using family pictures.
- Video biography—create a video sharing pictures, family stories, etc. This is a great way to preserve your heritage and pass it on to the next generation.
- Map Timeline – Mount a large US or World Map on cardboard. Using different color pins for each generation, map out where ancestors were born. Label the pins with dates, and connect them with yarn to show generations and relationships. Compare what you see with what you’ve learned in history classes… can you guess why these ancestors moved/didn’t move? Alternative… map out where your ancestors are by census years.
- Concentration Game with Ancestor Cards—create your own combinations of old and young; spouses; mother and daughter; father and son
- Draw a picture of a parent, grandparent or other relative and have it framed. This will be a treasured memento.
What are some fun gift ideas you have?