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Best Genealogy Gifts (That Go Beyond DNA Tests)

By Editors of Family Tree Magazine

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Two girls in winter clothing hold a watermelon, doll, and a basket with gifts on a snowy night.

Shopping for genealogy gifts for an avid family historian (or even making your own wish list) can be a challenge. DNA test kit? Been there, done that. But don’t sigh and settle for that “I Seek Dead People” bumper sticker just yet. We’ve gathered the genealogy must-haves for this year. From DNA-personalized gear to archival supplies to multiple subscription options, there are plenty of ideas for the genealogy buffs on your list (yourself included). And, if you are looking for the perfect book to wrap up, check out this roundup of recommendations.

In This Article

DNA and Genetic Genealogy Gifts
Family Tree Gifts
Genealogy Software
Gifts for Kids and Families
Memberships and Subscriptions
Memory and Preservation Gifts
Must-have Supplies
Related Reads

DNA and Genetic Genealogy Gifts

Celtic DNA Jewelry

Did you find your Irish ethnicity estimate percentages particularly high? Is Erin go Bragh a phrase you now live by? Let the world know! These necklaces and earrings take traditional Celtic designs one step further. Coupling “the scientific representation of the genetic double helix sequence model [with] finely woven Celtic Knot work between the outer strands,” this jewelry is a one-of-a-kind way to share your Irish heritage. Each piece is made in Ireland and hallmarked by the Irish Assay Office in Dublin Castle.

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DNA Painter Subscription

DNA Painter is an award-winning website that allows users to see and understand their autosomal DNA results visually. Some of its features include trees and fan charts, chromosome mapping, and a variety of tools to help predict possible relationships with matches. While these tools are free, purchasing a subscription unlocks many additional benefits such as the ability to:

  • create multiple trees
  • add up to 50 chromosome mapping profiles
  • bulk import shared DNA segments from MyHeritage, 23andMe and FamilyTreeDNA
  • import all generations of your direct line from your GEDCOM file

The Family Tree Guide to DNA Testing and Genetic Genealogy

This best-selling book, written by DNA expert and Family Tree contributor Blaine Bettinger, covers all the basics of DNA, from selecting the test and testing company that will best break down your roadblocks to interpreting results (including ethnicity estimates) and applying them to your research. The book also contains detailed guides to each of the major genetic-genealogy tests, plus worksheets for recording information about your DNA cousins. Individual chapters on using third-party tools like GEDmatch and applying genetic genealogy to adoptee research will open even more doors with your DNA results.

The Lost Family: How DNA Testing Is Upending Who We Are

Finding birth parents. Donor-conceived siblings. “Non-paternity events.” Perceptions of race and ethnicity. In The Lost Family, journalist Libby Copeland explores the impact home DNA testing is having on lives and families. From genealogy hobbyists to science to businesses like Ancestry and 23andMe, Copeland “investigates what happens when we embark on a vast social experiment with little understanding of the ramifications.” Interwoven throughout these topics is the story of one woman who received usual results, and embarked on a search for answers about her family and identity. A fantastic read for anyone on a similar journey, or someone who simply enjoys investigative journalism.

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totheletter DNA Artifact Assessment

Made up “of a team of professional historians, researchers and scientists with a passion for genealogy,” Australian-based totheletter DNA offers an incredible service: testing family heirlooms and artifacts for DNA. Although the ability to test objects for DNA samples has been utilized by law enforcement for years, totheletter DNA is exploring ways to make it commercially-available for genealogy. Because extraction processes and methods are still a work in progress, however, the company cannot guarantee results. The test is expensive, so think twice before sending your envelope or postcard with stamps or other artifact. Because of this, totheletter DNA offers a free visual assessment of your item. If they feel you have a usable sample, they will notify you via email. Receiving the DNA results of a long-lost relative could be the gift of a lifetime.

Your DNA Guide DNA Coaching Session

Genetic expert (and Family Tree contributor) Diahan Southard does more than just write about DNA. She and her team have been helping people decipher and demystify their results since 2000. She offers many types of help, from access to a video tutorial library to personal consultations. Her DNA Coaching Session is a great gift for anyone who received test results but isn’t quite sure about next steps or wants to find out more. The consultation consists of a DNA expert meeting with you online, pulling up your unique test results and walking you through them—from a basic look to more advanced feedback. Choose to give a 30-minute session or a 60-minute session.

Family Tree Gifts

The Family Art Shop Custom Family Tree

A boring ol’ photocopied family tree chart transformed into a breathtaking floral watercolor print thanks to this Etsy seller. You choose the design, size and color scheme and fill out the family tree spreadsheet they email you. After that, sit back and wait for your custom piece to be created and shipped to your door. This is a family tree your loved one (or you, of course!) will be proud to display for generations to come.

Family Starter Kit

This journal and collection of charts is designed to record names from the past 200 years.

Foxbairn Personalized Family Tree

A family tree presented on a tree? Genius! Etsy seller Foxbairn’s unique family tree artwork has been featured in national publications including House Beautiful and Country Living. To order, simply download and complete the genealogy chart form and send it back to Foxbairn. Choose how many generation “rings” you’d like to include in the design (between two and six), the size and if you’d prefer the wood to be “natural” (some knots and discoloration) or “premium” (minimal blemishes). Once the final design is approved, your pedigree is burned into a wood slice harvested from a sustainable forest.

GetNamenecklace.com Personalized Family Tree Name Necklace

Why hang your family tree on your walls, when you can hang it around your neck? Thanks to GetNamenecklace.com, you can do just that! Choose from 20-plus design options, incorporating names and/or birthstones. Each is fully customizable, with several choices for both type of metal and chain length. A few designs even contain space for a locket photo or engraving.

Heritage Cards

For a really unique spin on a family tree, check out Heritage Cards. Heritage Cards prints custom genealogy trading cards that list biographical info of each of your ancestors (like baseball cards). After a design template is selected, simply upload a photo and fill in the information. The company will print your designs and ship them to you. They also offer a “print at home” option.

Philip Whitney Metal Family Tree

While this isn’t a chart in the traditional sense, it’s still a beautiful way to display your family tree. The decorative tree comes with 10 picture frames, which hang from the “branches” by ribbons. It can be used with the included stand or hung on the wall. It’s perfect for sharing your favorite family photos from multiple generations in a unique and conversation-provoking way.

Poster-size Family Tree Charts

Getting poster-size family trees has never been easier. Ancestry.com (through MyCanvas) and MyHeritage each have options for ordering prints of your online family tree directly from their sites. You can also go to chart-makers directly; Ancestry Graphics & Printing (no association with Ancestry.com) and Family Chartmasters are two of our favorite options.

Printable Decorative Family Tree Charts to Frame

Don’t settle for drab ancestor forms—create pedigree charts with pizzazz! This collection of decorative family tree chart templates from Family Tree Magazine makes the job easy: You can type your ancestor information directly into the four-generation charts, or simply print your favorite designs to fill in by hand. With 25 distinct designs, you’ll find styles suitable for every taste. Plus, each design comes in three sizes that fit standard photo frames (8×10, 11×14 and 16×20 inches) making the charts ideal for all kinds of uses.

Genealogy Software

The gift that keeps on giving! Whether they’re looking to begin their genealogy research journey, or dig in and upgrade to the next level, software is always a much-welcome and much-needed gift. Two of the most popular types are family tree-building and photo-/data-management. Both of these make it easy to keep digital files and research well-organized and easy to locate.

Family Tree-building Software

Photo- and Data-management Software

Gifts for Kids and Families

American Heritage Trees

What better way to honor an ancestor than to plant a tree from America’s past? You can buy offspring of famous flora from American Heritage Trees. Favorite gifts include redbuds grown from trees George Washington planted at Mount Vernon; red maples from Walden Pond; and white oaks from Rowan Oak, William Faulkner’s home. For the outer space buffs in your family, buy a seedling whose parent tree was grown from seeds taken to the moon.

Conversation Starter Cards From Root and Seed

Use the prompts on these cards to ask thoughtful questions and gather family stories this holiday season.

EasyGenie Genealogy Kit for Kids With National Geographic Kids Guide to Genealogy

Together, this binder kit and National Geographic book have everything your budding family historian needs. The EasyGenie Genealogy Kit is a binder with several forms including a fan chart, interview questions and sheets, and maps for tracing family origins. The book (for grades 5 and up) is a great supplement, with tips and activities to show children how genealogists work like detectives: gathering, evaluating and documenting evidence. (You can add, for free, more forms and activities to your gift from the Family Tree Kids page.)

MindWare Unbored Activity Kits: Time Capsule

This fun kit for kids ages 8 and up includes everything they need to record important information for the people of the future (and their future selves). From a date stamp and scrapbook to storage tubes and photo corners, the kiddos in your life will have a blast collecting items for their time capsule. In addition to supplies, the kit also contains a field guide with tips on which items to collect and where to look for them, and space to record current interests and activities, details about friends and family, and more.

Pando: The Family History Game

Who knows the most about Mom and Dad’s past? Siblings (or other family members) go head-to-head to see who can earn the most points. This Kickstarter staff pick is a great game to get everyone talking and sharing family stories. Example questions include:

  • What was the first movie I ever saw?
  • How old was I when I got my first computer?
  • Describe where I was and what I was doing at age 20.

Six Generations Card Game

In Six Generations, players (recommended ages 6 and up) compete to build a traditional family tree by taking turns adding people from each generation. There are six successive generations, with the artwork on each generation’s cards corresponding to specific characteristics of that time period. The cards are very much like traditional playing cards and can be used for a variety of game variations (scroll to the bottom of the homepage to see links to different game rules).

TableTopics Family Gathering: Questions to Start Great Conversations

Perfect for family get-togethers and reunions, these memorable conversation starters are sure to get everyone talking. This set of 135 question cards comes in an easy-to-pack acrylic cube, so they’re easy to bring along to your next family gathering. Sample questions include:

  • What’s the most fun game for a group?
  • What do you remember about the homes your family has lived in?
  • What music reminds you of childhood?

Memberships and Subscriptions

Ancestry.com subscription With Unofficial Guide to Ancestry.com and Unofficial Guide to Ancestry.com Workbook

Whether new to the family history hobby or a longtime Ancestry.com subscriber, this book (and accompanying workbook) will turn the reader into an Ancestry.com power user! The Unofficial Guide to Ancestry.com features:

  • Timesaving tips for uncovering specific records, time periods and topics
  • Details on Ancestry.com’s historical record collections
  • Step-by-step guides for creating and managing your family tree on Ancestry.com
  • Plain-language strategies for using your AncestryDNA results

If the book is going on your list, be sure to include the workbook as well! Written as an accompanying how-to manual, the Unofficial Guide to Ancestry.com Workbook details how to plan searches and apply practices outlined in the book. It also includes:

  • Expert advice on how to use the seven most important record groups
  • Step-by-step case studies
  • Fill-in worksheets and forms

Family Tree Plus Membership

This membership gives you full access to an extensive online library of how-to genealogy content. FamilyTreeMagazine.com contains over 3,500 premium articles and guides just for you. Plus, you receive six issues of Family Tree Magazine, delivered as print-friendly digital PDF files that can be opened on desktop or mobile devices, and access to back issues, going back to 2005. Signing up for an annual membership means the genealogy tips and resources you need are always just a few clicks away, and accessible 24/7 from the comfort of your home!

More Genealogy Website Memberships

Like most hobbies, the cost to do genealogy can really add up! Why not surprise your favorite researcher with an already-paid-for yearly membership to a genealogy website (or two). Even if they are currently a member, the idea of having their membership renewed for “free” would be a welcome gift indeed. Some of these options are well known, others may be new to even the long-time hobbyist:

Memory and Preservation Gifts

Customizable Bakeware and Serving Platters

For the family historian who loves to cook (but has everything), give them something unexpected. Let’s just say this bakeware won’t end up forgotten in the cabinet abyss. Prairie Hills Pottery will print an old family recipe onto white ceramic pie plates, casserole dishes or platters of all shapes and sizes. The dishes are all food safe, oven safe and dishwasher safe. Not only do these make great future family heirlooms, they are beautiful enough to display in a kitchen or dining room.

Evalogue.Life

The excuses to put off writing your memories end here. Evalogue.Life specializes in life stories and telling them. This website is pretty much one-stop shopping for anyone looking to finally begin that family history writing project. In addition to offering professional interviews, the company’s other services include: writing a life story for you, photo restoration, and add-ons like coaching, videos, digitizing documents and transcription services.

Hand-picked DIY Photo Archiving Kit With How to Archive Family Keepsakes

Archival supplies make an ideal gift for someone who needs them, but wouldn’t necessarily purchase them for themselves. Trusted by museums and archivists around the world since 1896, the preservation experts at Gaylord Archival have taken the guesswork out of shopping for the family historian. Create a show-stopping gift bundle of photo archiving supplies that you choose from Gaylord. Use this list to assemble a kit, based on supplies recommended from professional photo preservationists:

DIY Photo Archiving Kit

In addition to photo archiving, Gaylord offers supplies and products for preserving many types of family heirlooms. Check out their YourStory curated collections for document and paper storage, rare book storage, textile and clothing storage, heirloom and artifact storage, and media storage. Coupled with Family Tree contributor Denise May Levenick’s book, this is gift package is guaranteed to be a hit.

Legacybox

Who doesn’t have piles of old family VHS tapes, photo negatives, and slides lurking in their basement? But who has the time to digitize and preserve it all? Legacybox does! Simply fill the box they send with your old analog media, mail it in, and receive preserved copies on the cloud, thumb drive, or labeled DVD—along with your original items—in return! Choose a 2-, 10-, 20-, or 40-item box, pack it up, and they will take care of the rest. Legacybox frequently runs sales and offers Groupon deals, so be sure to check before you buy!

Modern Heirloom Books

These high-end life story books aren’t for the faint of heart (or light of pocketbook) but they are guaranteed to wow. Founder Dawn M. Roode was inspired to start Modern Heirloom Books while mining through her family history artifacts after the loss—all within a few short years—of her mother, grandmother and mother-in-law. She and her team specialize in these bespoke coffee table books. Aside from their life story services, the company also offers tribute books and wedding-related books.

MyHeritage/Project Life Family Discovery Kit

MyHeritage and Project Life have teamed up to offer this beautiful gift set. It’s a great option for yourself, or anyone you’d like to get to take a DNA test or create a family album (or both!). The kit includes:

  • MyHeritage/Project Life scrapbook
  • MyHeritage DNA kit
  • 3 months of FREE access to MyHeritage.com
  • Customized page inserts
  • Project Life decorative cards
  • Keepsake box
  • Scented candles

Shutterfly Family Ancestry Photo Book

This family history photo book design takes all the guesswork out of page layouts and what information to include. Click Personalize to begin uploading your family photos and start creating your keepsake! This photo book template also includes fun timelines and collages to help tell your family’s story.

StoriedBook

Start with the Storied website, created by former Ancestry.com executives, to build out your family tree, not just with names and dates but with memories, stories and images. The subscription part of the site also gives you access to historical records and newspapers. All of the photos, audio clips and videos you upload become a multimedia experience that accompanies your printed book. Invite others (family, friends, neighbors, co-workers, etc.) to contribute to the book project, and you’ve got the perfect tribute gift.

StoryWorth subscription

A subscription to StoryWorth makes it easy to write a memoir using one inspiring prompt each week. How does it work? A year’s worth of customizable life story questions are emailed weekly to you or a loved one. The answers provided are returned to StoryWorth and, at the end of a year, the responses are curated for you and bound into a hardcover book.

Must-have Supplies

The Carl Zeiss Magnifying Glass

Save their eyes by gifting them a high-quality Carl Zeiss magnifying glass for their library bag. This practical gift allows distortion-free viewing even at the edges of the lens. It works great in dim lighting or when the print is just too small to see without squinting. The lens has a special hard coating that resists scratching, and it comes with a protective sleeve.

Essential Genealogy Forms Collection or Beginner Genealogy Starter Kit From Family Tree Magazine

The genealogist in your life will never lose track of family tree discoveries with these type-and-save worksheets, templates and checklists. This download contains 100+ templates, checklists and worksheets to track genealogy research—from conflicting death dates to DNA matches, censuses to source citations. The collection includes:

  • Basic genealogy forms
  • Online research help forms
  • Vital records worksheets
  • Census worksheets
  • Immigrant research forms
  • File organizing worksheets
  • Storytelling and oral history forms
  • Photo and heirloom trackers
  • and more!

Alternatively, you could opt for our Beginner Genealogy Starter Kit, which includes all the aforementioned worksheets and forms, as well as our 100+ page Beginner’s Guide and our popular US Census Cheat Sheet. It’s a perfect for beginner genealogists who are looking to build a firm foundation for their research.

The Family Tree Cemetery Field Guide With a DIY Cemetery Field Research Kit

According to our readers, cemetery research is all the rage! Thanks in part to robust sites like Find a Grave and BillionGraves, it’s easier than ever to locate an ancestor’s grave and visit his or her burial location in person. Family Tree contributor Joy Neighbors literally wrote the book on cemetery research. Her guide includes everything you need to know to find, record and preserve ancestors’ graves. Couple the book with some cemetery-sleuthing supplies, and you’ve got a gift the genealogist in your life will be grateful to have.

DIY Cemetery Field Research Kit

Genealogist’s Guide to Getting Organized

Is there a project that seems daunting and you need help tackling it? Curious about how the pros keep track of all their genealogy documents? Ready to dive into researching your family for the first time? The Genealogist’s Guide to Getting Organized features essential information on how to organize your genealogy projects, files and research materials, using a variety of both online and offline tactics. There are step-by-step tips for time management, labeling files (both print and digital) and planning out your yearly goals. Plus, you’ll learn the latest in organizing trends and research techniques as well as software and apps recommendations.

Micro Spatula

Keep one of these handy when you need to (gently) separate stubbornly stuck-together items, such as pages in a book or photos in albums. The long, narrow, stainless-steel design makes it easier to slide the tool between surfaces. See a quick tutorial on our YouTube channel.

Reading Sheets

Like magnifiers, bring these inexpensive, translucent yellow sheets with you to libraries, archives and courthouses to make documents easier to read. Layer it over any faded or hard-to-read text or images to increase contrast and readability. Keep it handy at your desk, too; it can help reduce eye strain.

Genealogy Books: Your Ultimate Gift Guide (Listed by Subject)
Start building a genealogy reference library for yourself or someone you love with these great genealogy books.
Family Tree Magazine
Celebrate Your Family History: 20 Fun Ideas for Any Budget
Don’t hide your family history—show it off! These inspiring projects and gift ideas offer many ways to use your family photos and heirlooms.
Family Tree Magazine

A version of this article appeared in the November/December 2020 issue of Family Tree Magazine.

FamilyTreeMagazine.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for site to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to affiliated websites.

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