Ever since I was a little girl, I have loved watching my Mom decorate the house for Christmas! There is always a traditional real Christmas tree in the living room but in the dining room, we have another tree that is my absolute favorite. As a little girl (and still to this day) I love walking by it to look at all the pictures. It is our family heritage Christmas tree! Filled from top to bottom, the tree holds small gold picture frames with photos of my whole family (pups included) from year to year. There are baby photos, birthday celebrations, weddings, you name it! It’s such a wonderful way to preserve family memories and tie it into a Christmas tradition! I’m here to show you the easy steps to start your own family heritage Christmas tree!

A family heritage Christmas tree is a wonderful way to preserve precious family memories! 

1. PICK YOUR TREE

In the beginning, you might want to select a small tree as you grow the number of photos you add. You could even select a 1-2 foot tree and have it serve as a festive table centerpiece. As you grow from year-to-year, you can move to a larger tree. With new family members, new dogs, and grandchildren, my Mom has moved to a 5-foot tree to hold all the photos with room to grow. Add lights and a few simple decorations so it’s very festive and ready for the frames!

2. PICK YOUR FRAMES

You’ll often find mini frames at craft or hobby stores so be on the lookout. Michael’s and Hobby Lobby are where my Mom has collected hers over the years. Her frames are 2.5″x3.5″ to give you a reference. You can also search online to find some you like!

3. SELECT YOUR PHOTOS

Each year, add a new photo of each member of your family. You can certainly start with years back to build up your tree this year! You’ll want small photos to fit the mini frames so consider printing your own or having a local photo place size them down so they’ll fit!

4. HANG YOUR FRAMES

To hang on the tree, simply hot glue an ornament hook onto the back of the frame! Sometimes the frames will have a small hook if they’re meant for hanging. Add decorative bows on top if you want to jazz it up!

I hope you’ll start your own family heritage Christmas tree! It’s such an easy and festive way to celebrate family memories during the holidays. To this day, it’s still my favorite Christmas tree!

Cheers,
Courtney