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The Family Crest
Create a family crest filled with symbols of everyone’s year - a colourful Christmas activity and personal keepsake of your family’s favourite moments.
CHRISTMAS
10/5/20265 min read
The Family Crest: This Year’s Coat of Arms
If your family’s year could fit into one picture, what would be in it?
Perhaps a soccer ball for the child who spent every spare moment kicking one around. A dinosaur for a little person who now knows more prehistoric names than the rest of you combined. A plane for a special trip, a paintbrush for a new hobby or a paw print for the newest family member.
Making a family crest is a lovely way to bring those little stories together. Each person gets a section of a shield and fills it with a symbol that represents their year. Add a family motto, write on the year, and you have a colourful snapshot of who you are right now.
This isn’t a formal or historical coat of arms - there are no rules about which colours or symbols you’re allowed to use. It’s your family’s own creation, and it can be as funny, heartfelt or wonderfully wonky as you like.
It’s also a Christmas activity you can enjoy beyond December. Hang it somewhere you’ll see it throughout the year, then make another next Christmas if you’d like to see how your family’s story changes.
Best Ages: 5+, with help for younger children
Time Needed: Around 45–60 minutes, plus drying time if using paint
Difficulty: Medium, with an easier option using markers and simple drawings
Repeats Yearly? Optional - make a new crest each Christmas or keep your first one as a family keepsake
What You Need
A large piece of cardstock, sturdy cardboard or a canvas board
A pencil and eraser
A ruler
Coloured pencils, markers, paint pens or paints
Brushes and a water pot if you’re using paint
Scrap paper for trying out symbols
Scissors suitable for your chosen material, with an adult handling thick cardboard
Something to protect the table
Optional: a metallic paint pen for the border
Optional: printed pictures, stickers or magazine cut-outs for anyone who prefers collage
A way to display the finished crest, such as a frame, removable hanging strips or ribbon
If you use canvas board, simply draw the shield on the rectangular surface rather than trying to cut the board into shape.
How To
1. Make your shield shape.
Draw a large shield on your cardstock or cardboard. A simple version has a wide top, gently curved sides and a point at the bottom.
It doesn’t need to be perfectly symmetrical. Make it large enough for everyone to have room to draw - especially if several people are joining in.
Cut it out if you wish, or leave it on the full sheet and decorate around the outline.
2. Give everyone a section.
Use your pencil and ruler to divide the shield into one section per person, leaving a strip or separate section at the bottom for your family motto.
For four people, you might draw four main panels with a motto underneath. For a bigger family, use smaller panels or a larger piece of cardboard.
Write each person’s name lightly in their section so everyone knows where they’ll be working. The sections don’t have to be identical; a little flexibility makes it easier to fit everyone in.
3. Have a chat about the year.
Before you start drawing, take turns sharing something you remember about the past year.
You could ask:
“What did you love doing this year?”
“What is something new you learned?”
“Which day or adventure would you like to remember?”
“What made you laugh?”
“What feels very ‘you’ at the moment?”
There’s no need to choose a big achievement. Learning to ride a bike matters, but so does a love of bedtime stories or making pancakes on Sunday mornings.
Let each person choose what their own symbol means. You might be surprised by the little moments they remember most.
4. Choose a simple symbol.
Help everyone turn their idea into something they can draw, paint or stick into their section.
For example:
A book for favourite stories or learning to read
A bike for a new skill or family rides
A flower for gardening
A suitcase or plane for a memorable holiday
A musical note for singing or learning an instrument
A heart for time spent with someone special
A pet’s paw print for an animal they love
You don’t have to squeeze the whole year into one section. One main symbol is enough, with a few little details if there’s room.
5. Practise before adding it to the crest.
Try the symbol on scrap paper first. Simple shapes and bold outlines are easier to recognise than lots of tiny details.
Then sketch it lightly in pencil on the shield. Younger children can draw their own version, use a sticker or ask someone to help with an outline.
If someone doesn’t enjoy drawing, collage works beautifully too. This is about everyone being included, rather than everyone producing matching artwork.
6. Add your colours.
Colour or paint each section, keeping the symbol clear against its background.
With paint, it helps to finish the background first and let it dry before adding finer details. Markers or coloured pencils are a handy option if you’d like less mess and no lengthy drying break.
If the shield is getting crowded with hands and elbows, work in pairs or let everyone decorate separate paper panels that you attach afterwards.
7. Choose your family motto.
A motto is a short phrase that sums up something about your family. It can be thoughtful, funny or a little of both.
You might choose:
“Always Room for One More”
“Small Adventures, Big Memories”
“We Give It a Go”
“Together, With Snacks”
“A Little Chaos, Lots of Love”
An expression your family already uses could be even better. Try a few aloud and choose one everyone is happy with, then write it in the shared section.
Add the year somewhere visible so you’ll know which family snapshot you’re looking at later.
8. Finish and display it.
Once everything is dry, add a border if you like. Metallic lines, dots or a simple coloured outline can help bring the different sections together.
Before hanging it, let each person explain their symbol. Write down those explanations or save a short note with a photo of the crest—you may remember the dinosaur in a few years, but forget why someone chose a yellow umbrella!
Display it in a hallway, family room or another spot where everyone can enjoy it.
♥ Kim’s Tip
Take a photo of the finished crest each year and keep the pictures together in a folder labelled “Our Family Crests”. Save a little note explaining the symbols too.
You can keep the originals in an art folder, but you don’t need a growing wall of shields to keep the tradition going. Those yearly photos will show the changing hobbies, favourite things and little adventures that make up your family’s story.
And leave the children’s drawings as they are. The wobbly soccer ball and slightly unusual dinosaur are part of what will make you smile when you look back.
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This post is part of my Christmas Activity Hub - packed with ideas for making Christmas memories.
With love, Kim xx
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