I saw this growth chart through a Pinterest post and knew I had finally found the growth chart I wanted for my home. My daughter is almost three and I have looked at growth charts for years. Nothing made me happy- too themey, too big, too child-like!
Based upon her post, I went out and bought a 1x8x6 board at Lowe's. I went with a little higher priced Aspen pine to avoid having knots in my finished product. I also bought a small container of stain in the color Autumn. After sanding the board and beating it with a hammer and screwdriver to age it, I applied 2 thin coats of stain to the board using a sponge brush from Hobby Lobby.
I then rubbed on a medium colored brown paint and rubbed it off with a wet rag. I wanted a little more depth and color to my aged ruler.
Once my color was achieved, I went over the edges again with the sander just to help age it more. I want a ruler than looks like an old plank from a schoolhouse!
Now it was time to make my board a ruler! Knowing that it will be hanging on the wall and off the ground, I started it at 6" rather than at zero. So, 6 inches up, I made my first mark and considered that 1 foot. I then marked every 12 inches in pencil. I went back with my black Sharpie and made those 1 foot marks 2" long. After my 6 feet were marked, I went back to every 6" and made 1.5" marks and then at the 3" point, I made 1" marks.
Now, it was time to add the numbers and this part stressed me out the most. But, 517 Creations had the most genius way to do it! She used 200 point Century font for her numbers, so I did the same. Once they were printed, I laid the number on the ruler where it belonged and pressing firmly into the paper with my pencil, outlined the number. Look what happened! Genius! I was able to go back in and fill in all my numbers with the Sharpie in no time!
My goal in selecting the stain and brown paint was to match my hardwood floor. Look at how close I got- the extra floor plank is lying on top the ruler. Winning!
To hang my finished product, I placed a zig zag hanger on the back of the ruler at the 6' mark. That made is easy to place my nail 6 feet off the ground on the wall. My first test was my 37" child :)
Here is a closeup of my finished product on the wall. It looks wonderful!
This was such a fun project- I love the finished results and it didn't take nearly as much time as I expected. Plus, we have a fun focal point in the living room. It makes me laugh as I think about the height strips at local gas stations- we have our own in case a criminal runs out the back door!
