A hand-drawn family tree, filled in with your family's names, is a Christmas gift to keep for years. If someone in the family does genealogy, their file fills in the tree automatically. Otherwise, simply enter the names you know online, then download your tree as a PDF to print and frame.
Every year, the same question: what do you give the people who already have everything? One more object gets forgotten. What we keep are the things that say “you’re part of us.” A family tree does exactly that. Everyone finds their name on a branch: the grandmother who tells the stories, the parents, the cousins you only see at Christmas. And those who come after will find theirs. More than a decoration, it’s a way of telling a family that it has a story, and that it matters.
A tree for every occasion
Choose the occasion: the title and the template are ready, and you can write your own. For Christmas, “Our family” brings everyone together.
A blank tree to fill in online
You start from a blank, hand-drawn family tree and fill it in online with the names, dates and places of your family. You then download the PDF, ready to print, frame and give.
Your tree starts here. Choose a shape and add your first names: watch your tree grow as you go.
- Choose a templateA hand-drawn illustrated tree or a plain template.
- Fill in the boxesOn screen, or from a GEDCOM file if you have one.
- PersonaliseA title, colours, a font, and the dates, occupations and places you want to show.
- Download the PDFReady to print: just set the scale to 100%.
Do I need to know how to use genealogy software?
No. An export file (GEDCOM) or a few names typed in by hand is all it takes: there’s nothing to learn.
Someone in my family does genealogy: what should I ask them for?
Their research file, called a GEDCOM: it can be exported from their genealogy software or website. Upload it to Avant Nous and the tree fills itself in, with names, dates and places.
Nobody has a file: what can I do?
Type the names in by hand, on screen. Start with yourself, your parents and your grandparents, then go back as far as you know. If you can, do it with the person you’re giving the tree to: it’s a moment to share, too.
Can I change the tree’s title?
Yes. The suggested title (“Our family”, “Happy birthday”, “For my mum”…) can be replaced with your own, such as “Christmas 2026” or “At the Smith'”.
How do I print my tree properly?
- Set the scale to 100%, without “Fit to page”.
- For a large number of generations, have it printed in a large format at a print shop: the PDF is designed for it.
- Do a test print on A4 first to check the names and dates before printing large.
When should I get started for Christmas?
Get started before 15 December: that leaves time to print and frame it.
Version française : Cadeau de Noël original : l'arbre de votre famille, dessiné
