Christmas Genealogy Crafts

This Wednesday, the Ocean County Genealogy Society in Toms River isn't having a speaker. They are having a Christmas idea exchange. I love idea exchanges because you can walk away with some neat ideas for sharing your genealogy.

With that in mind, here are some ideas I have used over the years.
Christmas cards: I've been making my own Christmas cards over the last ten years. I love working with paper and have some great comments from family and friends over the years. My friend from college recently told me that she likes to see what family design I incorporate each year. I've used old ads from family businesses to pictures for the cover and print my own holiday greeting inside. I purchase blank cards and envelopes from the local craft stores. I also include a small paragraph telling how the card relates to my genealogy.
Wreaths: Lisa Cooke has a wonderful idea on her website www.genealogygems.com for incorporating pictures into a holiday wreath.
Feather Trees: My friend told me about her idea of making mini ornaments from her family pictures and hanging them on her feather tree. I also saw a variation of this in a craft store with a brass tree and ornaments. You only need to add your pictures to create a family holiday heirloom.

At a dollar store I found glass paper weights for one dollar. I glued a picture of my daughter with her boyfriend to the bottom and decoupage the bottom to adhere it. It was a simple gift and one she loved. You can also do the same on the bottom of a glass plate. Add some simple "rub on" stickers to rim.

I found this great "how to" online at about.com that shows you how to make an ornament. http://genealogy.about.com/b/2008/12/03/memories-in-miniature.htm This is on my list to try this year.

And don't overlook ideas from Martha Stewart. www.marhtastewart.com I've seen several ideas posted that include genealogy. But there are several ideas that could be adapted for genealogy. Look at the craft of the day or easy sewing projects for quick ideas.

The sky is the limit...have fun crafting your genealogy this holiday season.

iGoogle

Last night I gave a presentation and the question came up about iGoogle. Why use it was the questions? Why not? was my answer.

iGoogle is a neat tool that allows you to create your own iGoogle homepage.Think of it as a daily newspaper with the "frontpage" customized to what tools you use in one location. It places everything you need at one spot instead of hunting down the icon on your toolbar or trying to remember the webpage address.

I have several tabs on my iGoogle. One tab hosts my genealogy links. It is like a "frontpage" newspaper for all of my genealogy links. From this page I can search Footnote.com and read Eastman's newsletter. It makes it easier for me to have my links together on a webpage than tucked into my favorites/bookmark list. It also allows me to access my iGoogle page from any computer anywhere in the world. ( It even worked when I was in Ireland last year!)

Each feature on iGoogle is called a gadget. It is easy to place them on your page and to move around. Using the calendar gadget allows you to list important dates in your family history or to keep track of your busy genealogy schedule. The notepad gadget can help you list your notes for your genealogy research. In a library in CT and forgot to print out you "to do" list for genealogy? You can access your iGoogle page from a library computer and print out your list. Want to collaborate your findings with your fellow researchers or cousins? You can note your findings on your iGoogle page and share it! Better yet, you can even access your iGoogle page through your phone! Which is easier to carry- a laptop or a phone? And best of all, it is free!

Please take a look at the online videos through Youtube.com or Googling "igoogle."

Try it, you might like it!

Little old ladies and genealogy

Yesterday I had a delightful time in Avalon NJ teaching genealogy to a group of seniors. They were a lot of fun and enthusiastic! The fact that they threatened to tie me down to a chair and hold me in genealogical hostage didn't matter. It was rewarding to teach a group of people with a common interest.

Which leads me to today's blog...how to get the most out of your genealogy. If you have the opportunity to teach others a technique or strategies you will learn something yourself.

For years I had my gr-gr-grandmother's death certificate. The person giving the information about her death wasn't clear. I knew the name was "Lilly Dart" because gr-gr-grandmother's youngest daughter was Lilly and married to a Dart. What made the name difficult to read was that something was written on top of "Lilly." When I showed the copy of the document to the class yesterday it dawned on me that the writing on top of "Lilly" was the beginning of Daisy-Lilly's older sister! I'm still not certain who gave the clerk the information but at least I was able to figure out the name!

The recommendation I gave to my participants is to always look at with fresh eyes or with a friend. Advice given and heeded as well!

Timelines

Everything you have learned can be traced back to elementary school. You learned how to read, write, add and subtract in the primary grades. By the time you reached third or fourth grade you began to learn tools that carried you forward in life. Timelines are one such tool.

If genealogy had a beginner's primer, timelines should be the one technique that is taught. Timelines are wonderful for helping you learn and visualize place and time in history. Why not apply them to your family history?

I'm a huge fan of timelines. It's my favorite technique to use in genealogy research. And it's so easy to use.

Suppose you couldn't find the information you needed to get your research past your brick wall. By examining the information you do have and placing it in chronological order you will quickly realize that you have missing information. Whether it is a census record you never examined or a military pension you didn't order, you will discover that by utilizing a timeline your genealogy research may be back on track.

I format my timelines using a word document. I have used a spread sheet as well. Keeping it simple I create the first column for the date, the second column listing the event, and the third for the source where I found the information. By saving it on my computer, I can add or delete information by inserting rows. At the bottom of the document I keep a place for my notes which allows me to write what items I need to view the next time I'm at a repository or online.


I print my timeline and bring it with me if I'm in a repository that only allows paper. And by having it with me, I can spend less time looking for my notes and more time on genealogy research. The best part is that I can update my information when I get on my computer and email the timeline to others researching the same line or place it in my genealogy files.


There are millions of timelines online available for your use. There are templates to help you get fancy with your information and others that are straight forward. Don't overlook your genealogy software. Many come with features that allow you to create timelines.

Whether you make your own, or use an online site, you will realize that timelines will help your genealogical research.