A family crest is more than just art—it’s a celebration of a family’s story. Whether you want to highlight their roots, hobbies, or values, crafting a personalized crest is a gift they’ll cherish. Today, I’ll walk you through how to make one!
A family crest is a beautiful way to celebrate what makes a family unique. It’s a work of art that reflects where they’re from, what they love, and the values that define them. That’s why it makes a thoughtful and meaningful gift. Recently, some friends did us a huge favor by looking after our two young children so my husband and I could see Hamilton in Denver with my mom. I wanted to show my gratitude in a special way, and creating a custom family crest felt perfect. In this tutorial, I’ll show you how I made it—and how you can create one, too.
You’ll need the following supplies in order to make this family crest:
Creating a family crest requires some thoughtful planning. Start by jotting down a list of meaningful details about the family you’re designing for. Consider where individual family members are from, the causes that are close to their hearts, their professions, any beloved pets, and their favorite pastimes.
Then, download the Coat of Arms Traceable Template (here), and trace around it onto a piece of notebook paper. Play around to make a rough pencil sketch that includes all or many of the elements from your list. The sketch doesn’t have to be perfect, but it should represent the dimensions of your crest (so you can center it well). Don’t hesitate to look up reference images for elements that you’re not sure how to draw. I relied heavily on Google Image Search for the crest below, and it took me about an hour to create.
Now, trace over the Coat of Arms Template to make a pencil draft on your watercolor paper. Notice that I positioned my shield a bit closer to the right to account for the width of the golden retriever’s tail.
Continue to draw in details. I like to start by drawing the outside elements (animals, a hat or crown).
Then, draw elements on the inside of the shield.
Finish up with some sort of space-filling element in background. My go-to is florals, but you could consider a celestial theme, plants, or flourishes.
Now, use your pointed pen and Soot Black ink to trace over the pencil draft. Note that if you’re not comfortable using a pointed pen, a fine-tipped fountain pen with waterproof black ink (such as Noodler’s Bulletproof Ink) gets the job done. However, you should let the ink dry overnight if you choose to go that route.
As you trace, try to make outlines thick and shading lines nice and thin. This will lend contrast to the finished piece.
If you’re really feeling comfortable with the illustration process, try crosshatching to add some shading.
Once you’re happy with how the inked piece looks, go ahead and erase any pencil guidelines. (You’ll want to make absolutely certain that your ink has completely dried before running an eraser over it!)
Now, moisten the watercolor tones that you plan to use in your family crest. Then, get to painting! This step is the most time-consuming, but it’s also the easiest: you’re, essentially, coloring in outlines. Note that if you’re not comfortable with watercolors, you can always use crayons or colored pencils. However, watercolors — especially artist-grade paints — will give you the most depth.
As you paint, remember to use the same colors throughout the piece to ensure cohesiveness. In the chart below, you can see how the same colors pop up in various places throughout the family crest.
Remember: if watercolor intimidates you, TPK has a comprehensive video course. Premium Plus members have complimentary access to this resource.
While this last step is optional, it can make a big difference. You will likely notice that your watercolor made a few of the ink lines in your piece look chalky or faded. So, with a gentle touch, try going over those faded lines with a bit more ink. Make sure your watercolor has completely dried before you do this.
Keep reinforcing lines and touching up areas with watercolor as needed until the family crest looks good both up close and when observed from a distance.
Once you’re satisfied with how everything looks, sit back and enjoy what you did. As the maker of the family crest, you will likely benefit twice. First, the creation process is relaxing and satisfying (I watched the Martha Stewart documentary as I drew and painted — so interesting). Next, you’ll absolutely delight the family that receives the crest.
Of course, this is a personal project that a certain type of family/person will appreciate. If you can’t think of a good recipient for a family crest, consider making a crest for yourself! You can use what you learned in the A Guide to Designing Personalized Holiday Cards with Calligraphy tutorial to digitize the artwork and design yourself some letterhead, if you’d like. Or, of course, you can simply display the crest as artwork in your home.
I hope that this tutorial is helpful to you as you brainstorm thoughtful holiday gifts! If the process feels a tad too advanced, though, know that there are a few more simple crest tutorials on the TPK Blog. You can click their photos below to find instructions over how to make them:
Thank you so much for reading today’s Premium tutorial, and, of course, for your support of TPK. Enjoy the rest of your day, and happy creating!
Warmly,
*This post contains affiliate links to Amazon
inspiration in your inbox
TPK’s innovative newsletters are an artistic treat. Join the 125K+ subscribers who have already discovered The Postman’s Knock, and receive 10% off your first Digital Catalog order.
Fuel your inspiration and creativity with TPK Premium Plus! Members enjoy three free worksheets or learning resources every month, unlimited video course access, member-exclusive tutorials, and a 10% discount on all Supplies Shop orders.
