Get ideas of what you want your family crest to look like based on other family crests that already exist. Simple online searches for "family crest" will provide numerous image results, but spending some time at your local library, looking at books such as "An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Japanese Family Crests" or "Coat of Arms" by Catherine Daly-Weir is sure to inspire your design.
Decide what colors you want to use on your family crest. Typically, only two colors are chosen for the design, although three is not uncommon. Crest colors typically have different meanings. For example, silver and white represent honesty, sincerity, peace and purity. Gold stands for wisdom, generosity and faith. Orange is for ambition and maroon signifies victory. Purple is for patience, royalty and justice. Blue means loyalty, strength and faith. Green equals abundance, happiness, hope and love, and black stands for wisdom, prudence and grief. Think about your family's history as well as the hopes and dreams you have for your family's future. Discuss your family's core values and beliefs with them so that you can collectively come to a decision regarding colors.
Choose your basic design using a clip art program, hand-drawn artwork or design editing software. The basis of a family crest is usually a medieval and heraldic theme, such as a coat of arms or a lion's body. This will be the center of your design and everything else in the crest will branch of off this background.
Choose what elements of a typical family crest you want to include: Doves, banners, shields, mantles and storks are all common symbols. Banners often display your family name, and you will need to decide on a font for that display. There are many ways to arrange the crest, just remember that once the design is chosen, the items it is printed on will become family heirlooms for generations to come, so choose wisely.