Get Started
Start your family tree with what you know, even if it's not complete. Take a peek through your old boxes. You'd be amazed what you'll find!  Pictures of your childhood with family members you've forgotten about (like your cousin, Betty). See if anyone has a Family Bible you can get names, dates, etc from.

Organization Is Important
Make sure you stay organized while you're researching your tree. Clutter causes confusion, which can cause a tree full of misinformation! Get a notebook with plastic sheet protectors to store all of your documents (ie: birth certificates, death certificates, etc). Ancestry.com has some great forms you can download and print out, to help you stay organized.

Interview Family Members
Getting stories and information from your family members is a great place to start your research. Your old Aunt Aggie may be the best place to start!  Once our older family members have passed, a lot of information and stories are lost forever.  Use a notebook, tape recorder or video camera to record the event and get the stories and information on record. Ask around within your family and see if anyone else has started a family tree. If so, compare notes and work together as a team. Two heads are better than one!

Searching on the Net
There is a amazing amount of information out there on the 'net. Do an online search for a family members name, you may be surprised what you find! There are many sites out there (check out our Reference Links section) that can assist you in researching your tree...you might even find that someone has already posted one of your ancestor's trees online!

Take a trip to your local library
Your library can be a great place to start your research. Try old newspapers, books (like the "Who's Who" series), etc to track down some of your ancestors and family members.  You may even want to do some traveling (turn it into a fun family trip!) to other cities/states to search their archives and get some documentation.

REMEMBER
The goal of tracing your tree is to record your tree in an accurate fashion. This isn't a contest on who can have more names or who can date back the farthest or who can have the most famous relative in their tree. Most trees don't date back much farther than the 1800's. Make sure that every person that you place in your tree is put there because you have verified their place in your family.  This way, you're sure that you're passing on an accurate tree to future generations.

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From Ancestry.com:

Start With What You Have
Sketch your family tree based entirely on memory. Even if it’s full of question marks, a rough draft will tell you what you’ll need to research in the coming months.

Gather the records you have on hand and compare them with your outline. Birth certificates, marriage licenses, and death records can provide much of the information you are missing.

Get Your Family Involved
When starting your research, remember that living relatives are your very best sources. Interview as many relatives as you can and ask them for stories that pertain to your past. Record these interviews by hand or electronically.

Make a videotape featuring your pieces of your interview and old home movies. When your tapes are all compiled, organize a family movie night. This is a great way to acquaint young children with older generations.

Ask permission from relatives to sort through their belongings. You’re likely to find valuable information in old baby books, family Bibles, letters, scrapbooks and journals.

Organize a special lunch and scapbooking party. Invite nearby relatives to bring old photos and keepsakes, then share and swap information. Turning family history into a family event will encourage everyone to get involved in the project.

Branch Out and Explore
At some point, you’ll need to do some research on your own. Find out what’s available outside of your family’s immediate sphere. Libraries and genealogical societies collect published family histories, old newspapers and other research materials.

Don’t be scared of technology. The Internet is an excellent source for family history information. Ancestry.com’s World Tree, for example, contains millions of names submitted by fellow researchers.

If you’re uncomfortable with a computer, sign up for an Internet beginners’ class. Invite parents, children or spouses to attend these classes with you. You may unwittingly encourage others to start family history projects of their own.

Share and Preserve
After you’ve completed a good portion of your research, sort through the memorabilia you’ve collected. Take the prettier pieces (like moth-eaten letters and greeting cards) and organize them into a home display. Several frame shops specialize in shadowbox displays and other ways to preserve precious documentation.

Consider organizing displays by theme – a collection of World War II clippings for example. Choose frames and matte colors that complement the era you’re trying to evoke.

Take the rough draft of your actual family tree and rework it into something beautiful. Local artists are often willing to transform computerized documents into works of art – often painted or embroidered.

One way or another, be sure to show off your handiwork. Remember that you’ll want a tangible heirloom to pass on to children and grandchildren. Whether it’s a scrapbook, shadowbox or elaborate family tree, a material collection of your efforts will be appreciated for decades to come.