I love the fact that it’s portable. When I was a kid, we got measured against the kitchen door frame. Which was great, being able to see how much I had grown since the last time – until we moved! So now that Raya can stand on her own (standing still is another matter, of course) I want to start from the beginning, and I want this to be something we can have anywhere we may end up in the future.
This would make a great gift for a baby shower or first birthday, and all it takes is a 4′ board, some paint, and a little creativity. This is a pretty self-explanatory project, so I didn’t take step-by-step photos.
I’m no good at freehand painting, so I had my friend at Streamline Design print me some vinyl numbers and graphics to use. :) I primed and painted my board, then added numbers at the half-feet, and marked every inch with a sharpie marker. You can get away with using a 4′ board because you will likely not start before your kids can walk or at least stand, so a nice comfortable growth range is probably 2′ to 6′ – though it will depend on your family’s genes… My daughter is already nearly 32″ tall, so I started her board around 2-1/2 feet. My vinyl started at 3, and I’d rather have it taller just in case! You can always go with a longer board, but trying to get that into my sedan with a carseat in the back wasn’t likely to happen. :)
I added a pair of sawtooth hangers on the back so that I could hang it on the wall. The most difficult part of the entire project was measuring and drilling the holes in the wall to hang it. For one – I normally do projects like this at naptime, and I wanted to put this in Raya’s room. And two? Our walls are made of poured concrete, so anytime I want to drill a hole, it requires getting out the hammer drill and making an unholy amount of noise.
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| Yes, at this stage, taking the books off the shelf is way more fun than reading them… |
Then, all that was left was to get her first height on the board. I even attempted to get it on camera, but at this age, she is always on the go…
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| She’s just a blur – always on the move! |
It’s not perfect, but I really don’t mind. I’m always going to love watching my daughter grow – it’s the little marks along the way that are going to make it beautiful!
I link up to these great parties!
~ Adrianne
That turned out so cute! :D
This is cute. I've wanted to make one for my little one but haven't gotten around to it yet!
I LOVE the blurred shot!! It's so true they are always on the move. Your growth chart is adorable! I so need to make one for my kiddos.:)
Such a great idea!
LOL – for the longest time, those were the only photos I could get of our nephew,..blurred ones. They are just crazy with energy when they're so little. I guess it was all the sitting for so long, lol. Your growth chart is so sweet and nice that you can take it with you when you move.
That is such a great idea. We measured our children on the wall behind the bathroom door. When we repainted we always leave that little area. I'm thinking I should put a frame around it or something.
This is such a cute idea…I really need to make one of these! and I know what you mean about hanging things on the wall making a lot of noise, our walls are 60 year old plaster that, at this point, are just like concrete. I always have to wait until just the right time to hang things so I don't disturb our entire house :)
Your little lady is too cute…blurry, but very cute ;)
I have been meaning to get one of these for my daughter's room. This looks simple enough. So I will definitely give it a try.
Thanks.