Homemade Height Chart Ruler

I've always liked the way these growth charts looked and have been wanting to make my own for a long time. Well, yesterday/today, I finally got around to it. ...and because I already had most of the materials, the total cost for this project was less than $4 (basically, just for the board). Heck yeah.

Materials:

• one 1 in. x 6 in. x 8 ft. wooden plank (can use whatever wood you like. I bought the cheapest...which was white board)
• acrylic paints
• foam paint brush (could use any brush...but I think the foam is best)
• container for mixing paint (I used an old glass ghee jar...make sure wide enough to fit your brush)
• rags that you don't mind ruining
• pencil
• ruler
• printout of numbers at size 200 (just click on the size in MS word and type 200) using Times New Roman font
• printout of family name, if desired, at size 100 using Edwardian Script ITC
• permanent ink (though I've read Sharpie's bleed...so maybe not those)
• Varnish/fixative
• sawtooth hanger (like for mounting picture frames) and nails

Here's a step-by-step (with pictures) of what I did...

First of all, you'll want to cover your floor/table (wherever you're working) with throwaway paper. I used some deconstructed paper bags like you get from the grocery store. They were thicker than newspaper and kept my floors from getting wet/stained. If you use newspaper, you may want to use multiple layers. Here's a picture of my boards original color with the bags underneath...

Next, you'll want to mix your acrylic paints and dilute with water until you achieve the desired shade you want for your final project. Personally, I used a mixture of burnt sienna and yellow ochre. It gave the wood a nice golden brown color. You could also add a little red for a cherry color...or use green or blue if that's really what you want. Basically, this is a cheap/easy way to stain the wood. You could also use wood stain...but be aware of the dangers of mixing acrylic/oil products (make sure you use all the same type for stain, pen, fixative).

Apply the stain in coats using the foam brush. Wipe off the excess liquid with a rag between coats. Don't forget to stain the sides as well. Continue until the desired hue is achieved.

Allow the stain to dry thoroughly. When dry, mark off the wood in 1 inch increments. Because my board is only 6 feet long and my husband is just over 6 feet tall, I wanted to have a little leeway in case my own children achieve or surpass that height, so I started my ruler markings at 6 inches in. It also comes in handy to NOT start at 0 if, like me, your house has any molding/trim/baseboards. Otherwise, the ruler is like any other ruler. I did the "foot" marks longest at 2 inches each. The half foot markers second longest at 1.5 inches long each. The quarter foot marks next at 1 inch long each...and the remaining marks (two each side of the quarter foot marks) 1/2 inch each. Here's a close up to see what I'm talking about...

You can also add your family name as I did by printing it out in whatever font you prefer, scribbling the back with pencil and then writing over the top of the name to transfer/stencil the font onto the wood. That is also how I transferred the numbers.

Once your board is prepped with all the lines/writing, use a permanent pen to go over your pencil markings. I used a Pigma Micron .05 pen. It's what I had on hand (besides Sharpies...which, again, I'd read can run/bleed) and did really well.

When the ink is dried/set, apply your fixative/varnish. I used a spray varnish I had that was for use with both oils and acrylics. It did not cause any running or bleeding with the pen ink.

When dried, apply a sawtooth hanger to the back and hang on the wall (make sure it's 6 inches above the floor to be accurate). Enjoy!