How to Make a Wooden Wall Measuring Stick Growth Chart
Kids grow up fast, and you might as well enjoy it. You can do just that by measuring your child's growth with a do-it-yourself wooden growth chart. You can mount this chart on the wall so you have a permanent visual record of your child's growth. Your child can also see how far she's grown, and the personalized artwork will tell her she's special. She can also look up and see how far she has to go.
Things You'll Need
- Piece of wood 1 inch thick by 6 inches wide by 5 feet long
- White paint
- Ruler
- Pencil
- Acrylic paints in various colors
- 1-inch house paintbrush
- Acrylic craft paintbrush
- Markers in various colors
- Nails
- Hammer
Instructions
Paint a 1-inch wide board white on both sides and the edges. The paint will help prevent warping in the future. Measure and mark inch and feet measurements on the right front edge of the board with a ruler and pencil. Your growth chart will mount 1 foot off the floor, so mark the bottom of your board, "1 foot." Mark the inches from there, then place a 2-foot mark and on up until you have marked the full length of the board. Erase any mistakes and remeasure. Write over your pencil marks with a black marker, or use another color if you like. Write your child's name in descending letters down the middle of the board. Make big block letters that you outline with a marker, then fill in with another color. Decorate above and below the name with flowers, stick figures, clowns or any of your child's favorite toys or interests. Draw these in pencil first, then go over them with colored markers. Measure 1 foot up the wall with your ruler. Make a light mark with a pencil. Place your growth chart against the wall so that the bottom of it just touches the 1-foot mark you made on the wall. Ask someone to help you hold the board in place. Hammer a nail near the top center of the board into the wall. Hammer a nail through the bottom center of the board to hold the other end.