DIY Growth Chart Ruler

How to make a growth chart ruler for just $25! There are so many perks to having a growth chart ruler in your home: no more markings or writing on the walls, family keepsake that you can treasure forever (even if you paint the wall, remodel, or move to a different home), and you can customize it to however you want by adding your family name, kids’ names and/or their pictures on the growth chart.

Note – I’ve provided the exact supplies and stain color we used and method for this traditional “old school ruler” look pictured here but you can customize this to your own liking. If you want the numbers and hash marks to be in black, then choose a lighter stain so the markings are more visible. If you don’t like the “wood” look at all, then use paint instead of a wood stain.

Supplies:

1″ x 8″ x 6′ ft pine board or common wood board
Wood stain
- or any paint color if you prefer a different appearance (i.e, white ruler, pink ruler, etc.)
Stain brush (or an old lint-free T-shirt)
Pencil
Oil-based paint markers
Speed square (or ruler; recommend speed square because it’ll be leveled and not move during markings as opposed to a ruler)
Number stencil (or you can make your own – see below)
Hanging supply options: anchors & screws OR saw-tooth hanger OR heavy duty mounting tape
Optional: sandpaper (to smooth out the sides) – we skipped this but if you prefer all-around smoothness, then use sandpaper
Optional: Polaroid camera and instant film roll

Steps:

Apply 1 coat of wood stain with brush onto board
- Don’t forget to stain the sides of the board (no need to stain the back)
- (if you need to smooth out any parts or sides of the board, then be sure to sand and wipe clean before staining the wood)
Let the stain dry for 2 hours or completely dried when touching
Temporarily hang the board on the wall of the desired height from the floor and floor trim and use a pencil to mark where the 6 ft. lands on the board
Lay the board back down and use the speed square to pencil in the inches and feet
- For the exact hash markings as pictured:
  - For every foot, the horizontal line across is 3 inches
  - For every inch, the horizontal line across is 1.5 inch
  - For every 6 inches (half a foot), the horizontal line across is 2 inches
Align all the number stencils onto board and trace it in using a pencil
- DIY stencils: simply type the numbers in a Word document, print it, and use a utility knife or x-acto knife to cut out the numbers. Font pictured: Times New Roman in size 350.
Re-trace the hash marks and fill in the numbers using the paint marker
Let the paint dry before hanging
Several options for hanging the board
- Screws and anchors are the most secure – screw in both top and bottom of board or
- Saw-tooth hanger – what you see behind hanging pictures frames or artwork
- Heavy duty mounting tape – you’ll need several of these to ensure it’s secured to the wall

There are lots of ways to document their growth annually. But here are a couple options:

Simply use a Sharpie marker and initial their names and date it on the board or
Use an instant camera to snap a photo each year and tape it onto the board

If you have multiple kids, you can make a board for each child or record all your kids’ growth together onto one board. We plan to use just this one board for all our future children. This will be such a beautiful keepsake with all their photos throughout the years on here. Happy DIY!