DIY: Growth Chart/Oversized Ruler

Update! Since posting this, a wonderful reader mentioned that she is selling vinyl decals for those of you wanting to make this but don't have the supplies. Check out Little Acorns By Ro on Etsy! Right now she's only charging $9.99 for the decal. She makes it easy for you to do this yourself! 

I’m finally participating in Katie and Sherry's Pinterest Challenge!

I jumped on the train. You know, the giant ruler train.  I’ve been seeing them everywhere and pinned the Dear Lillie one a while back. Then my friends started making them (Lynn & Brett and Renee and it made me want one even more and I knew I had to give this project a swift kick in the butt!

PS- If you don’t want to make one yourself, Dear Lillie sells them for $74.95. (It is temporarily sold out though) If you have $75 big ones to shell out for a ruler go for it! I didn’t, so I made my own
Total cost for me was about $10 (D-rings & wood) since I already had everything else.


This was originally created by Pottery Barn (and has since been discontinued) but there have since been many knockoffs. It looks like 517creations may have been the original knocker-offer!
Step 1: Stain your board (I didn’t sand. You may want to because I got a nice splinter in my pinky when I was wiping off the stain!


 
PS- I really need a garage. Like yesterday. Rain and an uncovered back patio are not good conditions for staining furniture outside. Like my No-Moose-Entry-Zone made out of TV trays?
Step 2: While it’s drying create your numbers and tick marks. Most tutorials I found hand drew the lines and cut the numbers by hand or machine. I opted to do both on the machine.

Do you notice my screw up from the shot above? I hadn’t at this point…
Step 3: After the stain is completely dry, apply vinyl. I started 6” up to account that I didn’t want the board to start at the floor.

Can’t WAIT to have a giant craft table so I don’t have to use a shoe box to prop my Cricut on…

Sidenote: I usually use cheap transfer paper for all my vinyl stuff because well, it’s cheap. The first foot and a half or so I used the cheap stuff and you really do get what you pay for…I had a mild panic attack because the vinyl did not want to come off to stick to the board. I finally got it on there with some prodding and peeling but it was super stubborn. For the rest of the board I used some leftover good Cricut brand transfer stuff that worked perfect. Lesson learned!
I put on all my numbers, only to realize my feet were off. Basically I designed it wrong on the cutting program so when I put it on the board, 1.75 feet was where I put the 2. etc…
The board was shaping up to be 8 feet tall (although really only 6 feet) at the rate I was going with the wrong numbers.

Luckily I only had to peel off and re-cut numbers 2-6 and the tick marks could stay.

You can re-use transfer tape by the way. It tends to be good for at least two transfers out of the same piece!

Curiously cute assistant is optional though highly recommended.
Step 4: Screw in the D-Rings


 

I am thinking of sealing it with poly so the vinyl won’t peel, but I can neither confirm nor deny that I will ever get around to it cause I’m lazy. Plus one day I want to be able to write on it to record my kiddos height!
In the meantime, I’ll just measure my fur babies. So proud and tall! Hah!

Sweet boy is 2 1/2 feet tall.

Moose is about 2 feet and stretching her neck to try and be tall like her brother!
Check out the lovely ladies hosting the Summer Pinterest Challenge!
Young House Love
Bower Power
Centsational Girl
Ten June