Giant Ruler Growth Chart Tutorial :: Via The Photographer's Wife

I recently received an email request for one of our giant growth chart rulers who mentioned seeing a great tutorial on The Photographer's Wife blog.  Without hesitation I ran aka typed really fast to check it out.  

The first thing I noticed when I got there was that I had been there before looking at other project in the past.  How awesome that we are now a part of the wonderful tutorial posts there!?!

Below is a cut & paste (with permission) of the wonderfully done tutorial post. Please be sure to also go pay The Photographer's Wife blog a visit and check out more tutorials and great parenting posts.

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We liked the idea of tracking Trent’s height growth throughout the years, but since we might not be in this house forever, we didn’t want to track it on a wall that we would have to leave behind if we moved.

So we decided to make our own growth chart ruler that can go with us wherever we go! And it fit perfectly with our theme for his nursery, too!

Brett searched “growth chart ruler” on Etsy and came across a custom vinyl decal from Ten23Designs. [you can also go to her website to order it HERE] 

The decal is 6 feet tall and can be ordered in a variety of colors. When we ordered, there were different measurement options, so we made sure to specify that we wanted it in inches. Personalization is free, so we specified in the comments of the order that we wanted his name, Trent, printed too!

The decal arrived in 4 separate sections. Brett purchased a 6 ft. tall x 9 in. wide x 1 in. deep piece of wood…no need to cut it.

Place the decals where you will end up sticking them, making sure that your measurements line up. Only a half a foot will be at the bottom, since you will end up placing the bottom of the ruler about half a foot off the ground when you hang it on the wall.

It may be easier to cut the decals into smaller sections, so they are easier to work with. Peel off one side of the decal backing and stick the decal onto the wood and press down firmly,smoothing it out.

You may also benefit from a furry DIY helper nearby.

Slowly peel back the other side of the decal backing, leaving just the decal itself. By peeling slowly, you can catch any wrinkles before peeling too far.

Do this for all the sections and the name!

Spray several coats of clear coat onto the front and sides to give it that somewhat shiny, finished look. We used Valspar Clear Sealer Gloss. Let dry between each coat.

 

Screw on a mounting hook to the back of the ruler towards the top.

Place two felt pads on the back of the ruler towards the bottom, so it will rest firmly against the wall.

Hang onto the wall, making sure to line up the measurements from the ground (the 1 on the ruler will measure 1 foot off the ground).

Now, you’re ready to track your child’s height and don’t have to worry about leaving those memories behind if you move!