Wednesday, May 15, 2013

Growing Up



Growth charts are popping up in all of the major kids’ catalogs right now. This is a little bit bigger than a "Nap Time" project, but it’s worth the effort for the cute factor and cost-savings. This is a great housewarming gift  or a 1st birthday gift for a friend who delights in watching her family grow! 

Materials:
  • 2x4x12 piece of wood
  • Sandpaper
  • Pint of Chalkboard Paint
  • 6” foam roller
  • Paint tray
  • Paint pens
  • Pencil
  • Chalk
  • Ruler
  • Rubber stamps (optional)
  • Drill (optional)

 At your local hardware store, purchase a 2 x 6 x 12 piece of lumber. Ask an employee to cut the piece in half so that you end up with two 6 ft. pieces of wood. Make sure you are involved in the wood selection – sometimes the lumber has large cracks and flaws. 

** Do NOT be intimidated. Just walk in that lumber department like you own the place. Or walk in like me, looking confused and tired, and eventually someone will ask if you need help!**

 Lightly sand the wood to smooth out the roughness.


Paint the entire plank with three layers of chalkboard paint. Wait 20 minutes between coats.
  
Random tidbit: The vinyl drop cloth I use for my painting projects (seen above) was our table cloth when we lived in Chicago. We had it draped over a 4-person card table, and that was our official dining room table. Fancy, right?

Use a ruler and pencil to measure the inch markers. 

**Even though the piece of wood is 6 feet long, I adjusted the inch markings to account for the wood hanging 6 inches off the floor. In other words, your last marking at the top with be 6 feet 6 inches.

Use a stencil, or rubber stamp, to trace the number markings on the chart with pencil.


Once the wood is measured and marked, draw over the pencil with a paint pen. Decorate the rest of the chart with chalk!


Drill a hole in the top of the chart so that it can be secured on the wall in the garage, kitchen or playroom. The wood is 6 feet long, so you have to hang it 6" off the floor to get the measurements right.

I plan to mark Drew's height once a year on his birthday - and I plan to do that with a permanent paint pen. You can keep track of multiple heights on the same chart, just choose a specific paint pen color for each child. 



The rest of the growth chart can be decorated by Drew with chalk - easy to wipe clean and start fresh when the creative mood strikes! You'll notice a few Drew smudges in the pic above. :) 

Below is a growth chart I made for a friend. I wanted to include a full length photo so you can see all 6 feet...and Frank. Always have to include Frank. 

For anyone reading this locally (Maryland), I would be happy to create a growth chart for you - just message me about pricing. 


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