Growth Chart Ruler DIY

I made a growth chart ruler for my home some time ago. I love the old school rustic vibe that it gives. This project is ridiculously easy, and even cheaper!! I recently made one for a friend and decided to do a quick tutorial.

Materials:

1x8 plywood board *
stain of choice (I used Jacobean)
foam brush
old rag
Pencil
measuring tape
straight edge/ruler
computer/printer
white paint pen (found at hobby lobby)
fine grit sandpaper

*pay attention to your board. Make sure it isn't to knotty or messed up and is a generally flat and smooth surface.


Steps:
1. Using your foam brush and light even strokes, paint on your stain. Depending on how dark you want your stain to be, brush accordingly. I make sure to give it a good even coat, but I try not to over do it on the stain.

2. Let the stain set for about 3 minutes. Then take an old rag that you can throw away (or a whole wad of paper towels) and wipe off the extra stain. Be sure to use even strokes that go with the grain of the wood. If you feel like your stain is too light after wiping...apply again and repeat steps 1 and 2.

3. Allow AT LEAST 24 hours for the stain to dry. I'll be honest. I usually do the stain and forget about the board for a week or so... (literally). When I made my sister's I was in a bit of a hurry and didn't allow all the stain to completely dry. It was fine for the most part but it did make me sticky. And I cannot stand to be sticky. At all.

4.THIS IS THE BIGGEST STEP!!! PAY ATTENTION!!!!
Because you want to be able to hang this on the wall and it still be accurate you need to start your ruler at the six inch mark. So the bottom of the board is hung exactly 6 inches from the floor. The first marking is actually 6.75 inches and the next marking is 1 foot!! I think if you examine the picture below it will all make sense. DON'T forget this step..its so easy to just get caught up in the markings and forget to start at 6 inches. (Ask me how I know.... :)) Again with the rush on my sister's I did just that.*facepalm* So she had to whack 6 inches off the bottom of hers to hang it on the wall. She's forgiving like that!

5. Using the tape measure mark your ruler every 3 inches. I just make my general markings and then go back with a straight edge and make the marks the correct length.
For the markings at each quarter foot they are 1" long.
For the markings at each half foot they are 1.75" long.
For the markings at each foot they are 3" long.

6. After getting all the marks done with pencil then run to your computer and open up Word. Find you a font you like, make sure your size works and then print it off. This may take up to 5 days if you are out of ink at home and so you are just guesstimating font size and emailing it to your hubs to print off at work. Then he gets home and its all wrong. And tomorrow comes, and you give it another try (again...ask me how I know! :)). I ended up using Blackoak STD in a 160 point font.

7. Cut the numbers apart. Lay each of them where you want them. Using a pencil trace around the numbers edge pressing VERY hard. It may take several times to get the impression deep enough to see on the board. Continue to do all the numbers.

8. Grab your paint pen and shake it well. Hold it down until the paint feels the sponge tip. I suggest doing this somewhere else and not on the board, where you could end up with a random paint splotch. (yeah, yeah...ask me....)

9. Carefully trace each line you made and fill in each number on the ruler. Try to be consistent and even when using the paint pen. Allow to completely dry.

10. Grab a fine grit sandpaper and just run it over the whole board. You can do as little or as much as you like. It makes it look a bit older and more worn, which I love.

11. To hang on the wall we just drilled straight through the board into the wall. We don't intend on leaving this house for a very long time and I wanted it to stay stable on the wall. If you would rather do a hanging kit or something on the back it would probably work as well.

 

 


12. Grab the kiddies and make the first mark on your ruler!!