A tree of life breastfeeding picture is a photo edit where a tree sticker is layered over a nursing photo so the roots sit on the mother’s body and the branches bloom across the baby’s head. The most popular way to make one is with the free PicsArt app, which has dedicated tree of life stickers and artistic filters built in. The whole edit takes about five to ten minutes once you know the steps.
What the Tree of Life Effect Actually Is
The tree of life edit is a specific style of “brelfie” (breastfeeding selfie) that took off on Instagram and Facebook in the mid-2010s. A transparent tree sticker is placed over the nursing photo so the trunk follows the connection between mother and baby, the roots spread across the mother’s chest, and the branches and leaves fan out over the baby. An artistic filter is then applied to give the whole image a painterly, glowing look.
The symbolism is straightforward: the mother is literally the tree nourishing her child. Researchers studying breastfeeding imagery on Instagram found that nearly half of brelfies in the “providing for baby” category used the tree of life filter, noting it reinforces the idea of a mother as a source of life and sustenance. It’s become one of the most recognized styles of breastfeeding photography on social media.
Choose the Right Starting Photo
The edit works best with a close-up shot rather than a photo taken from across the room. You want a clear view of your baby’s latch and the point of connection between you and your child, because that’s where the tree trunk will sit. A photo taken from too far away leaves the tree looking tiny or awkwardly placed.
Natural light helps. Side lighting or window light gives your skin and your baby’s skin soft dimension, which looks even better once the artistic filter is applied. Avoid harsh overhead light or flash, since the filter will amplify any blown-out highlights. A simple, uncluttered background (a couch, a bed, a solid wall) keeps the focus on you and the tree.
Step-by-Step Edit in PicsArt
1. Open Your Photo
Download PicsArt (free on iOS and Android) and tap the purple plus sign at the bottom of the screen to start a new project. Select your breastfeeding photo from your camera roll.
2. Find a Tree Sticker
Scroll along the editing menu below your photo and tap “Stickers.” Search for “tree of life” in the search bar. You’ll see several transparent tree designs. Pick one that fits the shape of your photo. If nothing looks right, try searching just “tree” for more options. You want a sticker with no background, just the tree itself.
3. Position the Tree
Drag the sticker into place and resize it by pinching or stretching. The goal is to line up the roots on your body (over or near your breast) and let the branches and leaves spread across your baby’s head. If the sticker looks too bold against your photo, lower the opacity slider so the tree blends more naturally into the image. When you’re happy with the placement, tap “Apply.”
4. Combine Two Trees (Optional)
Some designs look fuller when you layer two different tree stickers together. If you want to do this, add a second tree sticker after applying the first. Use the eraser tool to remove the overlapping parts so the two trees merge into one seamless shape. Zoom in close and set the eraser hardness to 100 for clean lines. A hardness of 50 gives soft, fuzzy edges, which can work if you want a more dreamy look. Fine-tune the positioning after erasing so everything lines up.
5. Apply an Artistic Filter
This is what gives the photo its signature glow. Tap the “Magic” button (sometimes called “Effects”) to browse artistic filters. The filters that work especially well for tree of life photos include Midnight (deep blues and purples), Moonlight (soft silver tones), Galaxy (cosmic swirls), Rainbow (vibrant color streaks), and Highlight (warm, luminous edges). Tap through a few to preview them on your image.
If the filter looks too intense, use the opacity slider to dial it back. A subtle application often looks more polished than full intensity. Tap “Apply” once you’ve settled on a look.
6. Save and Export
At this point you can add text, a frame, or additional stickers if you like. When you’re done, tap the downward arrow (or white arrow) at the top of the screen to access save options, then save the image to your device.
Getting the Tree Placement Right
Placement is the part that makes or breaks the edit. The trunk of the tree should visually connect your body to your baby, creating a single flowing line from roots to branches. If the tree is sitting off to the side or floating above the latch point, the symbolism falls apart and the image looks like a random sticker slapped on a photo.
Spend a minute rotating and resizing before you commit. Most tree stickers are vertical, so if your nursing photo is more horizontal (say, you’re lying down), you may need to rotate the sticker 45 to 90 degrees. Don’t be afraid to let the branches extend slightly beyond the frame of your baby’s head. A tree that’s too small and contained inside the baby’s outline tends to look cramped.
Choosing the Best Filter for Your Photo
The “right” filter depends on the mood of your original photo and your personal taste, but a few guidelines help. Midnight and Moonlight work well for photos taken in dim or warm indoor lighting because they lean into the moodiness rather than fighting it. Galaxy adds a dramatic, almost surreal quality that pairs nicely with darker backgrounds. Rainbow and Highlight suit brighter, daytime photos where you want to enhance the warmth without making everything look dark.
Whatever you choose, keep the opacity in mind. Full-strength filters can wash out skin tones and obscure the details of your baby’s face. Pulling the opacity back to around 60 to 80 percent usually preserves the details while still giving you that painterly, ethereal effect.
Sharing Your Photo on Social Media
Instagram and Facebook both explicitly allow breastfeeding photos in their community guidelines, so you won’t run into content removal for posting a nursing image. The brelfie became a global social media phenomenon after actress Alyssa Milano posted breastfeeding photos to her Instagram and Twitter accounts in 2014, sparking widespread conversation and ultimately normalizing the genre. Today, the hashtag #TreeOfLife has hundreds of thousands of posts.
If you want your image to reach other breastfeeding parents, common hashtags include #TreeOfLife, #Brelfie, #NormalizeBreastfeeding, and #BreastfeedingMama. Tagging the PicsArt account or relevant breastfeeding communities can also help your photo get featured.