How to Use Genealogy Finds to Decorate a Room

The television show, "Who do You Think You Are?" has sparked an interest in genealogy. People who hadn't really given much thought to it are now trying to discover the tiniest details about their family history. They scour genealogical websites online. Some even are lucky enough to have or find old family photos or other items related to family history.

You Find Family Trees or Genealogy Records - How to Decorate a Room with Genealogical Finds

If you are like many people, you may compete your research, maybe even turn it into a self-published book and hand it out to family members. If you value the genealogy records, why not showcase them by featuring them in a prominent place?

You could turn the pages of a book of family history to the part where you find genealogy records or the family tree. Now take a large plate stand, the kind used to hold recipes books open to a specific page, and use it to hold the book open to your favorite section of genealogy records.

If you only have a single page of the family tree, you can frame it and hang it on the wall. But don't let it stay there by itself. Copy the originals of old family photos and surround the family tree with those. But be careful about using framed original photos as they can fade over time. They really need to be kept in an archival, acid-free storage container.

Another choice is to copy the photos and glue them onto plates using special decoupage glue. Be sure the glue is acid-free, using several coats to cover the photos after they have been glued to the plates. You now have unique plates to display in a wall plate rack or as decorative chargers or plates to use as part of a table centerpiece at a family gathering during Christmas, Thanksgiving or perhaps for a birthday party.

What if Your Family Tree is in an Old Bible?

Many old bibles are quite lovely and ornate and covered in leather. Others are worn, with uneven coloring, giving them a quaint, homey appearance. People often wrote the names of family members, along with their birth and death dates, in their bibles. Instead of hiding these away on a bookcase, why not make a copy of the pages with birth and death dates? You can buy paper that looks antique at craft stores. These can be used in a variety of ways.

The simplest is to simply frame the pages and hang them alongside old family picture. Or you can buy a large stand at Xylem Design , found here , which carries a range of easels and stands perfect for showcasing family trees or genealogy finds. They have some ideal book stands there. Don't be surprised if guests can't resist taking a look at a bible which is displayed so prominently, checking out the old names.

How to Decorate with Unique Family History Finds

It can be fairly simple to find ways to incorporate family trees or genealogical records into your decorating scheme. But what if you have the first pair of glasses ever worn by a great grandparent or an immigration record or passport that goes back generations? This is the time to think about a shadowbox display, as we did when faced with a number of unique items, including a pair of old eyeglasses, a vintage coin purse and a very old passport.

All now have a place of honor in a shadowbox. An alternate choice could be to find or make a side table from a wooden box topped with glass and with some inexpensive legs added, purchased from a hardware store or found at a garage sale. Keep the table away from direct sunlight and put your family history or genealogical finds inside.