Hello, friends! Last week I attended a baby shower for my sister-in-law, Melissa. Any day now we'll be welcoming baby Kinsley into the world. I can't wait to meet my little niece and kiss her sweet little head!
Typically when I go to a shower I just kind of buy random stuff, throw it in a bag and call it a day. This time, since it was for my niece, I wanted to do something a little different. In my head, I knew I wanted to give her a Ruler Height Chart. I mean... moms dig that kind of thing, right?
I began shopping around. The Pottery Barn version of this idea has a sticker price of $90. Seriously? $90 for a piece of wood with some hash marks? No thanks. DIY it is! This whole creative side-of-me thing is relatively new and I've never actually made a gift to give someone, aside from maybe a macaroni necklace or something uber classy like that. But surely this couldn't be too hard, right?
Supplies: 1 - 1" x 8" x 6' pine board Fine Grit Sand Paper Stain (a small 8oz can will be more than enough) Old Rag Ruler Vinyl cutouts of the hash marks and numbers or acrylic paint and a paint brush. 2 Sawtooth Hangers Hammer
Begin this project by preparing your board. Using piece of fine grit sand paper, lightly sand the board going in the direction of the grain. You may also need to touch up the ends of the board.
Completely wipe down the board ensuring there are no saw dust remnants.
Use an old cloth to apply the stain. Allow the stain to dry completely (per the directions on the stain).
Apply a second coat. Allow this coat to dry outdoors for several hours until it is dry to the touch. Then, flip the board over and apply two coats to the opposite side of the board.
Allow the stain to dry overnight. If you're staining yours outdoors, be sure to bring it inside so that it doesn't get covered in dew.
Using a pencil and a ruler, mark off the inch, half foot and foot marks on your board. I used a different size to notate each of these measurements just as you would see on a real ruler.
As always, Ricochet felt the need to be involved in my project.
Next, apply piece of vinyl on each of the hash marks to begin creating the growth chart. Or, use paint and a paint brush to hand-paint the markings.
Tip: I found it easier to mark off the feet and 1/2 feet first and do the individual inches last.
Apply the numbers to your growth chart.
Lastly, use a hammer to attach saw tooth hangers to the back of the board. Although I could have probably only put one hanger on the back, I went ahead and did two. As Ashley said, "We'll already cause this kid emotional damage, we don't want to cause her physical damage as well."
The more secure the better... two hangers it is!
Viola! Here's the finished product. What do you think? In retrospect, it may have actually been easier to paint the hash marks and numbers on, but I like the clean look of the vinyl. I think it was worth the extra time that it took to add that detail I really like the final product and I have to admit, it turned out better than I thought it would. Not bad for my first vinyl project, eh?
Now that I have my Silhouette I hope to start making more custom-made projects like this one. Who knows what I'll come up with next?
Be sure to like me on Facebook or follow me on Twitter so you don't miss more great DIY projects. See you next time!