by Ashley Horne
This wooden height keeper is a twist on ordinary measuring charts. Easy to use, fun and affordable to make, this height chart can move with you as you grow. This is a fun parent-child project that requires only a little set up and very little woodworking skills.
For this project you will need the following items:
- 1×4 pine board, 8’ in length
- Cordless drill and drill bits
- Safety glasses
- Hammer
- Nail
- 18” portion of strong yarn, ribbon or twine
- A black permanent marker
- Yard stick
- Paint or stain (optional)
- Paintbrush (optional)
To complete this project a parent will need to drill two holes at one end of the pine board (make sure Mom or Dad wears their safety glasses to protect their eyes from any sawdust!). The holes need to be equidistant from the edges of the board (about ¾” from either side) and will need to be large enough to feed your yarn, ribbon or twine through.
If you would like to paint or stain your pine board, do so now. Be sure to allow adequate drying time before continuing.
Feed your yarn, ribbon or twine through the holes. For the most security, you will want to feed the material through both holes from back to front and then allow them to cross in the front and feed them through both holes to the back again. You will then be able to tie the material at the top.
Use the yardstick and permanent marker to draw a scale on one side of the pine board. You will want to designate feet and inches. Start at 10” and go to as much as 7 1/2’ if desired.
When finished hang the scale on the wall in a convenient location. You will want to measure from the floor up 10”. That is where the bottom of the height chart should start to ensure accurate measurements.
Each time you take a measurement use a camera to take a picture. Then print the photo and glue it to the board next to the measurement. This way you’ll have photos to go along with your memories!
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