
The family tree chart used in this example can be purchased in my Etsy shop as a digital download, so you can get started right away!
The most important thing to do first is to have your genealogy information ready.
Option 1: Organize your family tree on a Spreadsheet.
If you haven’t started gathering your info yet, I have a 12 generation family pedigree chart spreadsheet that is really great for this. It’s the #1 spreadsheet in my shop. It’s a Google Spreadsheet, which means you can share it online with collaborators and access it from any device.
Option 2: Practice on a printout first.
Print a black and white copy of your family tree artwork on a smaller paper, and fill in your info with a pencil, so you can erase mistakes.
Now take a moment to look at the example of a 6 generation family tree chart here:

You’ll notice a couple of things. First, the dates are obviously wrong, but that’s okay because this is just sample info. Next, I’ve color-coded the info to help me easily keep track of the maternal and paternal lines. You don’t have to do that, it’s just something that helps me find what I’m looking for more quickly.
Let’s begin.
- Have your family info nearby.
- 1st GENERATION: Start by deciding what info you want in the first generation.
You can list yourself as the first generation if this is your family tree.
Some people like to display a married couple and their kids, as I have in the example above.
Some are making this family tree for their children, so they list all their kids as the first generation, then the parents as the 2nd generation. - 2nd GENERATION: To keep things organized, let’s decide now whether the men or women will be in the first (top/left) positions compared to their spouses, throughout the chart. The traditional method is patriarchal, so the men are first. For more Matriarchal families, the women should be first, and always appear in the top and left positions. In this example, I’m demonstrating the more common males-first method. In this method, you would enter the info for Father Smith’s dad on the left, and the info for Father Smith’s mom on the right. If possible, include maiden names for the women. Knowing what they were called before they got married will help future generations of genealogy enthusiasts conduct their research more easily.
- 3rd GENERATION: Just like gen. 2, grandpa’s dad goes on the left, and his mom goes on the right.
- 4th GENERATION: Directly above Great-grandfather, write in his mother. His father goes above his mother.
(I’ve subtly tinted the border blue to remind you where the male goes).
Fill in the others in this generation the same way. - 5th GENERATION: We’ll start left to right, males first as usual, with the parents of the male, then the parents of the female.
Great-great Grandfather’s parents are first:
His dad, the great-great-great Grandfather, is first, then his wife.
Great-great Grandmother’s parents are next:
Her dad, the great-great-great Grandfather, is first, then his wife.
Continue like this for each of the 4 sections. - 6th GENERATION: This gets a bit easier. Each gen 5 person leads obviously to their two parents in the same row, so just remember to start with the men, and fill in the rest of the chart.
- Last, but not least, the RIBBON!
You can write in your family name, or The _______ Family Tree, or My Ancestors, or a family motto.
Well done!
And that’s it! You’ve made your very own instant heirloom! Now you can frame it and hang it up, or head to the local print shop and have copies made for everyone in the family!

I love seeing people’s finished family tree charts. Send me a picture of yours or post it along with your review on Etsy to get a discount on future purchases in my family history shop!