This DIY Giant Wooden Ruler Growth Chart is useful for marking your child’s height as they grow. Handmade and hand painted with love, it’s perfect as a First Day of School Photo Prop.
While kids are surely wanting to forget that it’s time to go Back To School, parents are already planning special ways to commemorate that big first day!
The First day of school pictures have become so much more than a just quick snapshot of the kids with their backpacks waiting for the school bus. They’re now creative mementos that celebrate special milestones in a child’s life. Whether you’re creating a photo backdrop or using special props or signs, the first day of school pictures are something that you (and even your children) will treasure for years to come.
Today we have a special guest blogger Sejal from My Butter Fingers sharing her easy First Day of School Photo prop – a DIY Giant Ruler Growth Chart with us.
DIY Giant Wooden Ruler Growth Chart – First Day of School Photo Prop
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Making this DIY Wooden Growth Chart has been on my mind for a long time. Yet, it took me a while before I actually got down to making it. And I am only glad I did!
As intimidating as it looks, it is not a carpentry project and anyone with the basic level of skill can make it too.
When I first saw the Wooden Growth Chart in Pottery Barn, I wanted to order it right away. My child was going into Grade 1 and I thought it would be perfect to keep a track of his growth through the school years. Price and logistics got the better of me and I realized there are almost a million ways you can DIY this Wooden Growth Chart. So with a strong will of nailing it (pun intended), I started this project.
There are many ways of achieving the same result. You can paint on the Wooden Board, you can print and paste on the wooden board or you can simply use a permanent marker to make this life-size ruler.
Supplies for the DIY Wooden Giant Ruler Growth Chart
- A 6 Feet tall and 1-foot wide piece of Plywood ( you can choose any other quality of wood too)
- Sandpaper and Wax Block
- Wood Primer or Wood Stainer
- Painter’s Brush
- Sharpie
- Measuring Tape
- Mod Podge (optional if you chose to cut out and paste the letters)
- Height Chart Printable (optional)
Instructions to make the DIY Wooden Giant Ruler Growth Chart
Lay your plywood on a flat surface. First, rub the sandpaper over the entire plywood. After that rub the wax block on all edges and uneven corners. This will smoothen the sharp corners of plywood and fill in any unwanted gaps in it.
Apply a primer or wood stainer with a brush on the entire surface. You may or may not need another coat. If you do please wait at least for a couple of hours between coats.
Once dry, use a measuring tape to run along the length of your plywood. Secure it with sticky tape along your plywood so it doesn’t shake while you are making your markings.
You can use a pencil for marking the inches on the Wooden Board before you use a Sharpie. If you are confident, then go ahead and skip the pencil and use a Sharpie straight away.
Decide the length of your markings. I chose the Foot marking to be strikingly longer and thicker than the half-foot mark. The inch markings between were even shorter and lighter.
I printed the numbers and cut them out by hand for the Wooden Height Chart. If you wish you can go ahead and draw with a sharpie or you can use a big stencil and paint the numbers with acrylic paint. (Optional) If you are cutting out the numbers like I did then use mod podge on the back of the paper and stick it in place. Now use another coat of Mod Podge on it and cover the number fully in Mod Podge. (Optional) Use the Height Chart printable and stick it on to the Wooden board.
I added a fun element to this Growth Chart and put down our family’s height record. Grandparents, Uncles, and Aunts on both sides and my husband and I, all our heights have been printed on it.
My son is now busy calculating how much he needs to grow to be taller than each one of us on that list.
There are a lot of ways you can use the Wooden Ruler Growth Chart. We used it as a Photo Prop for our First Day of School Picture. Each year I take pictures of the first day of school for my son. Other than creating memories, it’s a great way of keeping track of his growth over the years.
Do you record your child’s height on a growth chart? If you like the idea of recording your child’s growth but you simply cannot DIY this Wooden Growth Chart, don’t worry!
I am including 3 FREE Printable which you can download and print at home or an office supply store and use it immediately.
1. White Background Height Chart
2. Wooden Background Height Chart
3. Yellow Background Height Chart
Please note: All Printables are strictly for personal use only.
I hope you try it out soon!
Salute you, crafty mom. The pics are awesome.
This is such a fun idea.. for now I ll start with one of the printables.. my son is only 2 😉
Brilliant idea Sejal – way to go!!! Happy growing young boy!