Finally!!!!

Alright, so here it is.


A growth chart!


That's right. I used every ounce of my creative being to construct a growth chart. FROM scratch I may add.


To keep it simple:
When we were little we had a growth chart. It was on the inside of a door in our kitchen, and it marked the 10+ years we lived in that house. My dad would stand us all up next to the door, measure, name, and date each mark. My parents had their obvious reasons for keep track of their children's monstrous growth, but I remember finding it fascinating how big we were all growing.


Sad to say, the new owners of the house won't move on the door. Not even a bit. The story of our lives, trapped forever!! I know that this piece of wood is the one priceless thing our whole family would really like to have our hands on.


It being my nephew's SECOND birthday (time's a flyin'), I knew I need to 'chop' to it.

There it was-
Door like
'Story of our lives' themed
growth chart
Incorporation of the family name

One version of a thousand cool ways you could make this:

1 piece of lumber
4 pieces of lumber to make frame (to size of main piece)
Mod Podge (paper only)
Flat 3 inch nails
Crafting nails
Hammer
Letters of last name
Stain for lumber
Spray paint/paint for letters
2 books of your choice
3 small paint brushes/sponge brushes

Estimated time: Depends on your level of craftiness. (I am a beginner carpenter, and it took me 6 hours).


1). Wood. I decided that the chart needed to be under 6 feet or they would never get it back to Chicago. I also knew mine would need a frame, so that would be wood too. I headed out to Home Depot and did some chatting. Someone made the unfortunate mistake of slipping that the Home Depot will cut ALL lumber to the length you need, for FREE. So, they cut my lumber to size, as well as (THIS IS HUGE) the four pieces needed to make the frame.




2.) Stain that wood. I chose a natural stain that was similar to the door stain at our old house- and it also worked out REALLY well that we already owned it.




I did two coats, waiting atleast a day for the first one to dry.

3.) Pick those books! I'd done my research, and for contrast a 'newer' book and a 'classical' book for the different hues of white or aged and new. I chose Invisible Man by Ralph Elison for the new..and of course, the great American classic, The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald for the classic.
3a). I used Mod Podge to attach pieces of paper to ALL the pieces of the frame. Here is where it can get time intensive if you're looking for specific sayings and quotations to be part of the project.


A sealant coat of the Mod Podge is required two hours after the first.


4). After everything is dried, it's time to nail that frame together.
4a) Nail ONLY the two pieces that go LENGTH wise, using FLAT nails. Make sure to have the two width pieces in to ensure everything fits. I used 4 nails per length piece.
4b) Once nailed in, Mod Podge over the nails.
4c) Once dried, start measuring tape (use quilting measuring tape '120 inches) and nail the tape in at the bottom of the wood. Nail again at the very top. Use box cutters (if possible) for clean edge.
4d) Nail on width pieces.
4e). Mod Podge over nail pieces, and Mod podge frame together.



5). Using the letters of the last name, spray paint/paint and let dry.
5a). After drying, use crafting nails to position letters where you'd like.




And what do you know, you have yourself a growth chart!!!!











It was a total hit! I made a book themed card, incorporating the story of their lives! Great gift, for a great day! Now my sister's friend wants one. Look out time the Tool man Taylor, Etsy, perhaps?!