Growth Chart Ruler

Growth Chart Ruler

So this one was inspired here.

Since there was no tutorial you all are subject to my lessons learned :) and my awesome photo tutorial.

Supplies:

1 6ft board 1x8in

sand paper

paint or stain

ball point pen

words and letters template

sharpie

These are REALLY nice boards so there isn't a ton of sanding to do BUT you do want to make sure the corners are not sharp.

Paint your board. Below you will see one painted and one with a white wash stain that I later customized by ragging watered down black acrylic paint. Let you boards dry completely before moving on. 

 Since we has a special board prep night and all of your boards are dry, this is where may of you will be joining me :) 

Here is where you need to decide what you want your ruler to look like. The ones I made are made to be hung on a wall to the appropriate hight. SO if you want to do that you want to decide how high you want them to hang. a foot off the ground? Then start your board at 1ft... a foot and a half, start your board at 1.5 foot. Got it? :) 

If you want yours to sit on the floor you need to decide that NOW. You will start your board at ZERO. Note if you decide to do your board this way you will either not be able to have a saying at the top OR you will need to stop at 5 ft... Your choice. 

Okay all decided??? Measure your board and with a PENCIL like one you can erase :)  mark your board. I found it easiest at this point to make my "tick" marks first. Using a T square or ruler draw on your ticks. I made mine 2 inches long for each inch tick and 4 inches for each foot tick.

Take your number template and fold in half in the middle of each number (see below) Line up where you want your number using the fold. Carefully while holding in place, open paper. 

 Okay paper opened. 

 Take a ball point pen and trace the outside of your number. When you remove your paper there will be a light indentation. Repeat for each number marking each foot. Also repeat this process if you are doing a saying at the top. 

After your ticks are all done in pencil and your saying and numbers have all been traced, whip out your sharpie. I tried the fancy expensive PRO Sharpie and found that the dollar tree cheap ones worked BETTER. I know, WIN for the Frugal. I found that using your t-square or ruler and drawing a thin line for my ticks worked great. If I wanted them a little thicker (I did) I was able to free hand it a little thicker. Using your indentations from tracing, Sharpie on your numbers. Sometimes in different light it is easier to see it. I stood mine up in the hall way with only a small lamp on and it helped me see the indentations better. Less light easier to see, very strange. 

That is really all there is to it. Please feel free to message me with questions. This one is easier to understand once you are actually doing it.