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A crest is a part of heraldic history. Knights wore crests on their helmets in battle and tournaments as identification, along with a painted shield. Crests also served the purpose of making them tall.[1] Both the crest and shield were also incorporated into the coat of arms. If you're wanting to create a coat of arms, you usually incorporate a crest, as well.
Steps
Choosing a Crest for Your Coat of Arms
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1
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2Know 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 whole family name. In addition, crests and coats of arm are heavily regulated in some countries, such as the United Kingdom.[4]Advertisement
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3Think about what would be appropriate on your crest. 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.[5]
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4Choose symbols to represent your ideas. 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.[6]
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5Stick with traditional colors. 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.
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6Pick or draw a stylized form of the symbol. 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.[7]
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7Remember that your crest will sit on a helmet. That is, it shouldn't overtake the helmet, but be small enough to sit on top of it.
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8Place it on your coat of arms. Usually, the helmet sits above the shield, so the crest's colors should blend in with the other colors on your coat of arms.[8]
Making a Fun Coat of Arms as a Family Activity
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1Gather your materials. You'll need items such as construction paper, stickers, markers, glue, and scissors.
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2Gather everyone together. This activity is meant to help bring your family together and brainstorm about what makes you unique.[9]
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3Brainstorm ideas. That is, talk about what makes you special. Do you like to laugh? Are you a nature-focused family? Maybe you have three dogs.
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4Think of symbols to represent your ideas. That is, maybe if you like to laugh, you can include part of a favorite joke in your coat of arms, such as a banana peel. If you love nature, you could include a favorite flower or tree, and dogs could easily be part of a coat of arms.
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5Create the background shape. Most coat of arms use a shield, but you can use other shapes, such as triangles or squares.[10]
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6Pick a person to design each piece. Each person can design a symbol to go on the coat of arms. You can also let someone design the mantling and the helm. The mantling is a decorative piece that drapes above the shape, such as leaves or ribbon, while the helm is the centerpiece of the mantling. The helm is often a knight's helmet, but you can use whatever you want.
- Don't forget the crest for the helm. The crest can be another symbol that represents your family.
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7Divide the shape. If you want the shield or shape to have more than one color, divide it up and color it in. Because this activity is just meant to be for fun, you can use whatever colors your family likes best.
- Traditional colors for a shield are exclusively red, blue, purple, green, and black, with silver and gold as metals.[11] However, traditional shields also allow for "natural" colors to create certain symbols.
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8Glue the pieces onto the crest. Glue each piece on to create a complete crest. Often, the shield has a centerpiece, called a charge, but you can also put several symbols inside the shape, especially if you divided it into sections.
- You can also create supporters, which go on either side of the shield. Generally, these are two animals that help create balance within the design.
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9Add a motto. If your family has a motto, you can create a banner to go across the top of the crest. Write the motto on the banner.
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10Place your family name on a banner. Place that banner across the top of the crest.[12]
Community Q&A
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QuestionIs government permission required to have a family crest in the US? How can I include both sides of a blended family into one crest?
Community AnswerNo, you do not have to get government permission to create a family crest. Try including ideas from both sides of the family to make it more detailed and reflective of both of your family sides. -
QuestionWith so many symbols available to use to reflect my family attributes, how can I narrow down the choices so that the crest doesn't become cluttered?
Community AnswerLet one person in the family each pick the symbol that they feel represents the family so there is only so many symbols.
Warnings
- In places like the United Kingdom, crests and coats of arms are taken seriously. To commission one and use it, you must meet certain eligibility requirements, generally set by the government.[13]⧼thumbs_response⧽
References
- ↑ https://www.houseofnames.com/wiki/family-crest-elements
- ↑ http://www.fleurdelis.com/coatofarms.htm
- ↑ http://www.genesreunited.co.uk/blog/genes-reunited-blog/archive/2013/11/7/what-the-symbols-on-coats-of-arms,-family-crests-and-seals-mean
- ↑ http://www.fleurdelis.com/nofamilycrest.htm
- ↑ http://www.famlu.com/blog/how-create-modern-family-crest
- ↑ http://www.famlu.com/blog/how-create-modern-family-crest
- ↑ http://www.fleurdelis.com/tinctures.htm
- ↑ http://www.fleurdelis.com/tinctures.htm
- ↑ http://www.focusproject.org/focus-on/Family-Closeness-Family-Crests
About This Article
To make a family crest, which is a symbol that represents you and your family, you need to visualize an image that you can then draw and place on your crest. Start by thinking about symbols that represent your family’s history, your profession, and your interests that you can include in your crest. For instance, if you’re a mechanic, maybe a gear or a wrench would be a good symbol. If bravery and courage are traits that you value, you could include an image of a lion or an eagle on your crest. Choose colors that you like and complement each other, such as red and black or white and blue. Draw the image of a shield to mimic the look of a classic medieval family crest. Then, draw your symbol on top of the shield. For tips about how to come up with a family motto, keep reading!
