How to Make a Family Crest

Understand the crest., Know what a crest means., Think about what would be appropriate on your crest., Choose symbols to represent your ideas., Stick with traditional colors., Pick or draw a stylized form of the symbol., Remember that your crest...

8 Steps 2 min read Medium

Step-by-Step Guide

  1. Step 1: Understand the crest.

    The crest appears on the top of the helmet on a coat of arms.Crests are sometimes used as a stand-in for the coat of arms as a whole, especially if the coat of arms is too intricate.
  2. Step 2: Know what a crest means.

    Crests are usually born by one person, and then they are passed down through the male line.

    Therefore, they are not necessarily associated with a a whole family name.

    In addition, crests and coats of arm are heavily regulated in some countries, such as the United Kingdom., That is, what symbol would best represent you or your family.

    Think about your history, your profession, the number of children you have, your hobbies, and your interests.

    Any of those can be used as a symbol for your crest.

    Narrow it down to a few specifics., For instance, if you're a writer, maybe you want a feather as your crest to represent a quill.

    If you value bravery, maybe you want an eagle as a crest., The traditional colors for coats of arms are purple, red, blue, green, and black.

    You also have two options for metals, silver and gold.

    You can also use colors found in nature if you are using a natural symbol.

    For instance, if you are drawing an eagle for your crest, you can use brown for the wings., Remember, the crest usually goes on top of the helmet.

    Therefore, it will need to be somewhat simplified and not too detailed.

    Pay attention to symmetry.

    Though not all crests are symmetrical, many have symmetrical elements.

    For instance, you may have an eagle with it's wings outstretched, and it's head turned.

    In that case, the turned head makes it not symmetrical, but the wings and other parts of the body should be symmetrical., That is, it shouldn't overtake the helmet, but be small enough to sit on top of it. , Usually, the helmet sits above the shield, so the crest's colors should blend in with the other colors on your coat of arms.
  3. Step 3: Think about what would be appropriate on your crest.

  4. Step 4: Choose symbols to represent your ideas.

  5. Step 5: Stick with traditional colors.

  6. Step 6: Pick or draw a stylized form of the symbol.

  7. Step 7: Remember that your crest will sit on a helmet.

  8. Step 8: Place it on your coat of arms.

Detailed Guide

The crest appears on the top of the helmet on a coat of arms.Crests are sometimes used as a stand-in for the coat of arms as a whole, especially if the coat of arms is too intricate.

Crests are usually born by one person, and then they are passed down through the male line.

Therefore, they are not necessarily associated with a a whole family name.

In addition, crests and coats of arm are heavily regulated in some countries, such as the United Kingdom., That is, what symbol would best represent you or your family.

Think about your history, your profession, the number of children you have, your hobbies, and your interests.

Any of those can be used as a symbol for your crest.

Narrow it down to a few specifics., For instance, if you're a writer, maybe you want a feather as your crest to represent a quill.

If you value bravery, maybe you want an eagle as a crest., The traditional colors for coats of arms are purple, red, blue, green, and black.

You also have two options for metals, silver and gold.

You can also use colors found in nature if you are using a natural symbol.

For instance, if you are drawing an eagle for your crest, you can use brown for the wings., Remember, the crest usually goes on top of the helmet.

Therefore, it will need to be somewhat simplified and not too detailed.

Pay attention to symmetry.

Though not all crests are symmetrical, many have symmetrical elements.

For instance, you may have an eagle with it's wings outstretched, and it's head turned.

In that case, the turned head makes it not symmetrical, but the wings and other parts of the body should be symmetrical., That is, it shouldn't overtake the helmet, but be small enough to sit on top of it. , Usually, the helmet sits above the shield, so the crest's colors should blend in with the other colors on your coat of arms.

About the Author

L

Laura Ford

Experienced content creator specializing in crafts guides and tutorials.

114 articles
View all articles

Rate This Guide

--
Loading...
5
0
4
0
3
0
2
0
1
0

How helpful was this guide? Click to rate: