fingerprint family tree {from sugar & dots}

by @according2kelly on September 27, 2011

for the entire month of september will be baking, sewing & crafting up a storm, preparing handmade gifts for this holiday season…

welcome to our holiday-inspired “bake, craft & sew along.” we will be baking, sewing & crafting up a storm, preparing handmade gifts for this holiday season all month long. yep! yep! 30 days of projects. so dust off your sewing machine, & head on over to skip to my lou for some fabulous sewing projects. a southern fairytale is spotlighting lots of edible yummies & holiday-inspired recipes you definitely don’t want to miss. & to check out ALL of our crafty & creative projects go HERE.

today, our featured blogger is the amazing & totally inspiring kimmie, of sugar and dots. kimmie writes…

Hello According to Kelly readers!

I feel so honored to be here sharing with you here today!

My name is Kimmie and I blog over at Sugar and Dots.

(The blog name comes from my love of all things sweet and all things polkadot.)

I like to think that my blog is not my own.

Without all of you, my blog serves no purpose.

I adore seeing your links during my What I Whipped Up Wednesday weekly linky party.

I love the support you give me when I am in need.

I love the kind words you express to me when I transform rooms like this:

Blogging is most definitely a group effort.

This next craft is part thank-you, part tutorial.

Over the past few years I have given family members family tree prints as gifts.

I would create the image in Photoshop, print, and frame.

Easy peasy.

This year, I wanted to get the kids involved.

Since I had created so many tree elements on the computer, I decided to create a tree base and use the kids’ fingerprints for the leaves.

I love the outcome!

What you need:

Template provided below.

Ink pad(s). (I used two- one to simulate leaves, and one to simulate fruit.)

Ultra Fine Point Sharpie (or another fine-tipped pen).

Printer.

Frame (8×10).

I took actual photos of bark and filled in the tree outline, then created a sample template for all of you.

Simply click below to enlarge it, then right-click to save.

You have permission to use this template as often as you’d like, but you do not have permission to use it for a tutorial of your own or for profits for yourself of any kind.

I’m a jerk like that.

I wrote all of the names with a gray Sharpie because it was what I had on-hand, but I recommend using brown or black ink to fill in the names.

I’ve made these a bunch of different ways and always found that when you make your leaves larger and have enough room to fill in the entire leaf with the name, it looks best.

This project looks prettiest when made by an adult, but typically gets the most “oohs and ahhhs” when made by children.

Have fun!

Thank you so much, Kelly!

for more great ideas be sure to visit kimmie at her blog sugar and dots, & follow her every move on twitter, & facebook.

about kimmie: She enjoys all things crafty, wearing flip flops 365 days per year, talking about herself in third-person, reading, thrifting, and baking. Her pack-rat habit is both awesome and awful. Her love of vintage finds started as a child, and she loathes spending money on anything brand new.

baking, crafting & sewing along at home? don’t forget to play show & tell… upload your photos to our flickr group HERE. follow along with all of our featured bakers, crafters & sewers on twitter HERE, & tweet about the holiday-inspired “bake, craft & sew along” using the hashtag #handmadeholiday.

{ 10 comments… read them below or add one }

kristy September 27, 2011 at 9:36 am

super, super cute!!!!

Reply

@according2kelly Twitter: according2kelly September 27, 2011 at 4:26 pm: such a fun gift for a grandma!!!

Reply

Angela September 27, 2011 at 8:44 pm

I WILL be making one of these for my mother-in-law (and maybe even one for myself!)! Do you just throw the names on randomly or do you do it like a traditional family tree?

Reply

@according2kelly Twitter: according2kelly September 29, 2011 at 10:37 pm: It looks like kimmie just placed names randomly. i’m guessing she grouped immediate families together-ish, but unless you were to add branches to the tree, it would be hard to fill it out like a traditional family tree.

Reply

Becky September 29, 2011 at 12:46 pm

love, love, love this! just wish the template was saved with a white background for clearer printing

Reply

@according2kelly Twitter: according2kelly September 29, 2011 at 10:38 pm: that’s a great idea. i’ll have to see if we can talk kimmie into making a template with a white background, too.

Reply

Amanda @ Having Fun Twitter: havingfun6 October 26, 2011 at 11:18 am