DIY Pallet Growth Chart

For many years now, we’ve kept a record of our kids’ heights on the door frame leading into our kitchen.  It’s quite handy and we get to see it every time we pass … but it’s starting to disappear.

We’ve used pencil to record most of those heights over the years, and slowly but surely, the lead is wearing off.  And of course, if we should ever move, all of those heights and dates would be lost.  I needed a solution, a much more permanent way to record the growth of our children.

I decided to create a wooden growth chart.  It had to be 6 feet tall (because we’re a relatively short family), and it had to blend in with the rest of the colours and decor in the house.  Oh yeah, and it had to be free.  Christmas spending really puts things in perspective each year!

So, with a plank from a wooden pallet that my brother was throwing away, left over scrapbook stickers, some old stain and varnish, and a little creativity (although not much – this is a pretty simple DIY), I came up with this:

How To Make Your Own DIY Pallet Growth Chart

Tools and Supplies:

• 6+ foot long wooden plank (preferable reclaimed from a pallet or something similar)
• power sander or sand paper
• stain or paint (any colour)
• scrapbook sticker numbers
• tape measure
• glue
• pencil
• Sharpie
• ruler
• small paintbrush (or Q-Tips)

Directions:

1. Sand all of the rough parts and splinters off of the plank.
2. Stain or paint the wood and allow to dry.
3. Starting from the bottom, mark every 6 inches using your tape measure.  At each foot, draw a line across the plank with the ruler and pencil.  At each half foot, draw a line from the middle of the plank (roughly) to one side.
4. When your lines are complete and look properly spaced, go over them with the Sharpie.  Use the ruler to keep your lines sharp and straight.
5. Place scrapbook stickers on the lines corresponding to the height.  I wanted to place my plank one foot off the floor, so my first full line is actually at the 2 foot height.  Use the glue to attach the stickers if their own adhesive isn’t strong enough.  I used one style of stickers to mark each whole foot, and another to mark half-foots (1.5, 2.5, etc.).
6. When you’re happy with the placement of the stickers and the glue is dry, use the paintbrush to cover the stickers with varnish.  The varnish should be only on the stickers so that you’ll still be able to write on the planks in the future as your children grow.
7. When the varnish is dry, mount the plank on the wall or doorjamb with whatever you prefer.  You could screw it right into the wall or studs, or you could hang it with a picture hanging hook.  Just make sure it’s secure so that it doesn’t fall on anyone.  And make sure you measure up from the floor so that you’re placing your plank exactly where it should be.  Use your tape measure to double check.
8. Start marking your children’s heights!  You can use Sharpie for a bolder look, or ball point pen to put a small horizontal line where the top of your child’s head is, along with the month and year.

 

How do you keep track of your child’s growth?