Grow with me, go with me growth chart

When my sisters and I were younger, one of our Papaws would periodically mark our heights (and those of our cousins) on a wall in his house.  It was fun as we got older to look at how each of us had grown over the years.  Unfortunately, all of that was lost when his house was sold after his death.  It would be so nice to have had a growth chart that we could have taken with us.

Okay, you're right, they do make those.  Finding one that looks nice and matches your decor is a different story, though.  One of my sisters (and her husband) made their own and I absolutely love the idea.  So, with her permission, I'm sharing it with you.  This is a very simple and inexpensive project.  You may already have all the supplies you need hiding around your garage or shed.  However, even if you do have to go buy everything, it should still only cost around $10.

Materials

• one 2 X 2 X 8 piece of lumber
• paint in color of your choice
• measuring tape
• Sharpie (or other permanent marker or paint pen)

Instructions

1. Cut the lumber to the length you desire.  I recommend choosing a height that would allow you to stand the measuring chart in the corner of a room, however, if your ceilings are tall enough you can skip this step.  A 2 X 2 X 8 piece of lumber can be purchased for as little as $2.
2. Paint the lumber the color of your choice.  If you've done any remodeling lately, you may very well have enough left over paint lying around.  If not, consider buying a sample-sized amount of paint.  These can be purchased for as little as $3.
3. Use your measuring tape and Sharpie (these are available in a variety of colors) to mark standard lengths along one side of the wood.  Or, for multiple children (or grandchildren), use one of the four sides of the wood for each child (or groups of grandchildren).

Now, line up the kiddos and start measuring.  Make one for a friend, too.  Custom grow with me, go with me charts are a great baby shower gift and so much more attractive than most store bought options.  One of the benefits of this growth chart is that you don't have to wait for the child to be able to stand in order to be measured against a chart hanging on the wall.  Simply lay the stick on the floor to measure baby!  How many growth charts do you know that can do that?  Do it yourself projects make it simple to live the good life.  How will you customize yours?

Karissa