T-Shirts
Suggestions For Making Reunion T-Shirts
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"How
are you going to make it? Do you have a computer program that
prints out the iron-on?? If so, you'd have lots of graphics to
choose from. I know in mine, there is one of a crowd of people,
cartoon-like. Also just a single family--parents and kids.
Something like that would be nice...above it you could say
'Family Forever', or 'Family Counts,' or something similar. Then
below the picture you could say 'Bokovoy/Buckway/Buckaway Family
Reunion 1998.' I've seen shirts with the family coat of arms on
it, if you had one to use.
"Maybe three trees with a circle of people enclosing them by
holding hands...or just three golden rings joined with each of
the surnames on each one...or maybe their dad's line on each
side....gramma's on the front and mom's on the back or maternal
on the front and paternal on the back.
"Last reunion I went to I made the T-shirts. I already had
the T-shirt paint (comes in all colors in a little squirt
bottle), I used silver. I went to a variety store (Target) got
packages of mens colored T-shirts (Teal). My grandmother was one
of six children that made it to adulthood. Her name was Mildred.
I put "Mildreds Mob" on the shirt and then the
individuals name. We had 4 generations on our branch.
"Today there is a product that you can transfer pictures
onto fabric. You can have this done professionally (6 years ago I
paid $17 to have it done). Again just get a cheap T-shirt. Or, go
to your local craft store and buy the 'stuff' to do it yourself.
I know that Aleene puts out a product that does this. I have
never done it myself.
"Also you can make 'buttons' with a pin on the back. You
might know someone that has the gadget that does this, or the
bigger printing/copy places can do it. Early spring we lost a
granddaughter to a freak accident. I have refrigerator magnet, 2
pins (one in the car and one in the RV) and a key chain that have
Chelsey's picture on it. The picture with the rainbow behind it
and words on the bottom was all done on the computer. All family
members and good friends had a pin for the services."
"We did t-shirts for our reunion last year. My brother came
up with a design for the front, a man and woman in a pickup with
a boat tied to the top and a dog in the back, and put the slogan,
'I survived the Martin family reunion. Lake Texoma 1997.' It
turned out real cute, and since there was a bomb scare at the
lodge while we were there, the slogan seemed quite appropriate
afterward. You can buy the iron-on paper for transferring a
picture and/or lettering from your graphics program at most
computer or office supply stores.
"Friends have color coordinated each family descendants from
one sib of whomever, one friend came home with a tee (probably
color coordinated) that had a four generation chart saying (you
are here*) for those who are non-genealogists, Pins with the name
or pic of "their" family ancestor. Cyndi's List
probably has links/ideas too.
"A friend of mine tells me that at her family reunion,
everyone brings a handmade craft item for an auction. The funds
from the auction are used to help with the costs of organizing
and providing a meat/main dish for the following year's reunion.
She's gotten some really interesting and well-made stuff at her
reunions over the years. She also has a soft heart, and bids on
the 'orphan' crafts, coming home with some very strange items on
occasion."