DIY Family Photo Heirloom Ornaments

A Literal Family Tree

This time of year always tends to be a bit nostalgic. It’s a time for family, which got me thinking about my whole family tree. I wanted to create something to help connect me to my ancestors. These Heirloom Family Photo Ornaments were the result. I collected some photos of my family members, including great-grandparents, parents, and even Jasper as it would be his first official ornament!

After collecting the photos, we figured out an awesome way to transfer images onto fabric. Then I wanted to add a little something extra on the ornaments. Recently, I spotted the technique of adding embroidery onto photos so we decided to try it out on these plush ornaments. It adds the perfect little extra pop of color! I absolutely love how the ornaments turned out. It’s a literal family tree! Find the tutorial e-book here.

I love that the ornaments serve as a reminder of those I love throughout the holiday season! Instead of being hidden away in boxes, I can look at my beloved ancestors every day. These are perfect heirlooms to pass down each generation, and I’m planning on making new additions each year.

My Christmas tree becomes a literal family tree, decorated with all my ancestors!

Family Photo Heirloom Ornaments tutorial

Luckily for all of you, we decided to make an e-book and a brand new video showing you every step of the process. Do yourselves a favor and get yours now! These ornaments are the perfect holiday gift for family and loved ones.

Here’s the breakdown of all my family photo choices for the ornaments. I chose a combo of older and younger members of my family tree, from my great grandparents all the way down to baby Jasper. Because if these really are heirloom ornaments, we need to keep the tradition going! Imagine Jasper’s children pulling out these gems someday. Can you imagine?!

You can find the tutorial for this project as an e-book in our shop here.

Photography by Jane Merritt