Growth Chart: An Easy Tutorial

My finished product!

After seeing pictures of giant, over-sized, ruler looking growth charts on pinterest, I decided it was time to make one. I continuously pin all these great ideas, but I've never taken the time to actually make them!  Well, I finally did it and LOVE the results.  There is one pin going around that claims you can make one for $10, but the truth is, unless you have half the materials around your house, you're going to end up spending around $20-$25.  But, it is well worth the money.  So, here is my easy tutorial on how to make a growth chart.

Step 1: Go to Home Depot
I purchased a 10x6x1 board, get the cheapest one you can find.  Some of the boards cost $10 a foot...DON'T GET THOSE!  They have a cutting board/saws in the lumber aisle, use it to cut 3.5 feet off your board; I had my husband along to do the work for me!  : )

Then, head over the paint aisle, where you'll find little jars of Minwax stain.  I think the hardest part of the whole project was picking out the color of stain.  I chose Golden Pecan.  I also picked up a cheap paintbrush.  You could use a cloth.

Last, get a sawtooth hanger to hang your chart when it's all done.  They look like this:

Step 2: Stain your wood
I set my piece of lumber on two paver stones that we had in our backyard.  Since it's winter in Tucson, we can do these things outside.

I applied the first coat at 10am and the second coat around 3pm.  Each time you put on the stain, you want to let it saturate for about 5-10 minutes before you wipe off the excess with a cloth.  You can put on as many coats of stain as you like, depending on how you want it to look.

Step 3: Use a pencil to mark your lines.

I used a tape measure to make little marks, then went back and used a straightedge to make them longer.  Unless your board will be sitting on the floor, start at the 6 inch mark, then when you hang it, make sure it's 6 inches from the ground.

Step 4: Use a paint pen to go over your marks and make your numbers
I purchased my paint pen and 1.5 inch number stencils from Walmart.  

 Step 5: Attach your hanger to the back, put a nail in the wall and voila, you're done!

 
 Total cost of project:
Lumber...$8.76
Stain....$4.78
Hanger...$1.94
Brush...$1.15
Stencils...$3.77
Paint Pen...$2.44

Grand Total: $22.84!