Family Tree of Life Wall Decor from a Bicycle Wheel

Family crafting can turn a simple project into a keepsake. At our country house, we found an old bicycle wheel that my mother had ridden as a child, and it sparked the idea for this family tree of life. Here is how we made it.

To make this decoration, you will need:

• an old bicycle wheel;
• a toy-car tyre;
• insulated wire (or thin ordinary wire that can be spray-painted).

Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for wire cutters, spray paint, and any glue you use. Children need age-appropriate materials and close adult supervision; keep small parts and wire ends away from very young children.

First, remove all the spokes from the wheel rim. Pliers and wire cutters make this easier. Spray-paint the bare rim in your chosen colour; we used black so that it would stand out against a light wall.

Use wire or old cables to form the trunk. Cut each length about 30–40 cm longer than the radius of the rim. The number of lengths is up to you: it affects the thickness of the trunk and the number of branches. Twist the wire into a firm bundle to make the trunk.

Hold the bundle against the rim and spread the upper and lower ends in different directions to form the canopy and roots. Secure each loose root and branch end in one of the spoke holes.

Make a small twine loop at the top so that the decoration can be hung on the wall.

For a detail that represents childhood, tie a toy-wheel tyre to a length of twine and fasten it to one of the branches. It becomes a small symbolic swing.

That is all: the family tree of life wall decoration is ready.