Pottery Barn Inspired Growth Chart Tutorial

Before I say anything, I'll admit to being the world's worst procrastinator, so judge me if you must as I write this next part.

I've been wanting to get a growth chart and start tracking the girls' height since Addison was born 6 years ago!

I did buy one a few years ago, but it was a vinyl wall decal and the height markers on it were removable...so any heights I tracked got taken down by curious little fingers!

The vinyl was one problem...the other was finding a wall that I wanted to track the heights on. We have lived in 3 places since we started having kids...2 trailers and a rental. So there has never been a "permanent" wall where I wanted to start marking.

A few months ago, I was just perusing Pinterest one night (as usual), and I came across this growth chart. It was so perfect I could barely stand it! It's big, it's moveable, it's simple, and it's beautiful...to fit into any decor we may have over the years! I followed the link to this great blog to find out how to make it....then I procrastinated about 4 months before I actually got around to doing it myself :)

If you want to make it, here's how I did it. It's seriously easy...otherwise I NEVER would have made it!

Step 1. Head to your local home building centre and pick up a 1x8x8 board. I paid $3 for mine.

Step 2. Find a saw (or ask your hubby to help if he won't let you touch his tools :)) and chop 2 feet off, so the board measures 6 feet long.

Step 3. Stain your wood. I love the "true brown" of a walnut stain, but you can use any that you like!

Step 4. Once it's completely dry (usually a full day), it's time to make it pretty! I suggest putting on a great movie or show after the kids go to bed to do this part! A glass of wine makes a great companion too :D

Step 5. For this step, you can use a black sharpie, or a paint pen. I used a sharpie because I couldn't seem to find a paint pen anywhere in town. Using a ruler, mark off the height lines. The are spaced 1 inch apart. I made them 1 inch long, and every 6 inches, made that mark 1.5 inches long.

*sidenote for the absentminded, like me* I found I made way less mistakes when I started at the 1 or 1.5 inch mark rather than at the edge of the board. If I did that, sometimes I went over my mark. Make sense?

Step 6. Time for the numbers! First, I found a great font called DIDOT in our microsoft word for mac program (although there are tons of great ones online too!). I printed off the numbers 1-6 in size 200, then I cut them out....but cut them so there is a square of white around each!

Step 7. On the backside of each letter, trace around it in a fairly thick pencil line.

Step 8. Place the number, with the front side facing up, in the place you want it on the growth chart. I put the 1 at the first 6 inch mark, so the chart ends up being 6.5 feet.

Step 9. With the pencil, trace around the number carefully, with a fairly heavy hand. When you are done and lift the paper off, you should see a slight indent of the number, with a light pencil line to help you trace around it. Use the sharpie to carefully trace around the number, then fill it in :)

Step 10. Repeat steps 7-9 for all 6 letters.

Step 11. Mount a sawtooth picture hanger on the back of the chart, and hang it wherever you would like it in your home. If you change your mind, you can always move it!

I can't help but think of what the chart will look like in 20 years...with all of my children's' heights on it, and possibly starting into grandchildren's heights!

If you make one, post the link to some pics...I'd love to see them!