I didn’t have a growth chart growing up but decided it was something I wanted to do with my children. If this interests you too the good news is it doesn’t have to be complicated! You can make a DIY growth chart in a few minutes with a stencil and some acrylic paint. Or, if you want it to be portable – in case you move a lot – you also have the option to make it on a tall flat board. Since our current house is probably not our forever home, I opted for the second to make sure I can record Penny’s height throughout the years.
Easy DIY Growth Chart Made with Stencils
Now, we can already tell Penny is short. As my pediatrician told us this week, “She’s the shortest of the short!” I’ve never made it past 5’2 so this is not surprising anyone. My grandma was around 4’11! Personally, this makes it even more fun for me to have a growth chart to watch her reach each new milestone, even if she ends up on the shorter side. 😉 Also, this DIY is versatile. You can use a stencil to paint right on a wall in your home. Or you can buy a fairly cheap piece of pinewood at Home Depot or Lowe’s and, as I’m doing, make a portable growth chart to hang on the wall. Also, because I’m using a stencil from Stencil Revolution I don’t have to worry about measuring the chart out! This officially makes it one of the easiest DIYs I’ve ever created.
(This post is sponsored by Stencil Revolution and may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure here. )
Let’s get to it.
Supplies for DIY Growth Chart
- A wooden board 6-8 inches wide and 6-feet long (Or just an open wall)*
- Stain or paint
- Growth Chart Stencil from Stencil Revolution
- Acrylic Paint
- Stencil Brush
- Washi Tape
*You can easily buy this at your local Home Depot or Lowe’s stores. Many come already cut in 6-foot boards, but you can also have a larger board cut down.
How to Make an Easy DIY Growth Chart
1.) Figure out if you are stenciling straight onto the wall or a board and then measure accordingly. If painting on the wall if you will need to measure to the 1st foot with a ruler if you have a baseboard in the wall.
2.) If using a board, decide whether you want to paint or stain it. Allow a day to dry. I kept mine the natural-looking wood because I wanted it to look like a ruler.
3.) Line up the Growth Chart Stencil from Stencil Revolution with the bottle “line” of the stencil matching up with the bottom of your board or the wall. Attach the stencil with washi tape (because it’s safe for wall paint!)
4.) Pour out acrylic paint of your choice onto a disposable plate and tap the stencil brush into the paint. Make sure to keep the paintbrush upright. Tape the brush with paint on the plate a few times to remove excess paint. The key to a clean looking stencil is to go light on the paint and tap tap tap!
Don’t forget to tap!
5.) Tap the stencil brush lightly onto the stencil filling in the cutouts. If stenciling a board keep the brush upright.
6.) Once one section is finished, remove from the wall or board and line up the stencil to match the “long” notches which equal the foot mark. Yes, that’s right NO measuring is necessary with these stencils! This is great news for me because measuring is not one of my strengths – just ask my husband. But with the growth stencil from Stencil Revolution you just match it up and the hard work is already done for you. This is why it takes no time at all to stencil an entire board!
7.) Keep going into you stencil the entire six feet.
8.) Allow the board or wall to dry.
9.) Go back and stencil in the numbers every foot. Just make sure to start stenciling the “1” at a foot and not the bottom like I did the very first time. Whoops.
That’s it – you’re done! Now go measure you’re little kid and get that growth chart filled in. Also, make sure to check out Stencil Revolution’s other awesome stencils that you can use to stencil “wallpaper,” cookies, or homemade signs. There are so many possibilities with stencils!
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This is such a cute idea! I really want to make one for our new house.
You should!
Such a cute DIY baby Penny is soooo adorable too
This is such an easy and quick DIY to do, adorable
Cute idea. I’ll have to share this with my mom friends.
I appreciate that!
This looks great and not that complicated to make.
Don´t worry! Smaller girls are always the cutest!
Hehe that’s what I say. And it’s super easy!
Love it! I like putting it on a board too, that way you will always have it. I actually have a kit to do the same thing…maybe this will motivate me to get it done! And your daughter is adorable = )
Yes make it! So easy. And thank you 🙂
My son-in-law made one of these growth charts and it is fun to see how all the grandkids are growing.
Aww super cute!
I love this growth chart! So SO CUTe
Thank you!
This is super-cute, as is Penny! It looks relatively easy to make, too! Love the name Penny, btw — I have an adorable niece named Penny, too! 🙂
This is SO cute! And your daughter is adorable! Thanks for the step-by-step, definitely going to save this for when we decorate our nursery 🙂
Yah, I hope you get to make it!
This is so freaking cute! My friend just had a baby and I think this would be a perfect and super easy baby gift. I might have to whip one up for her!
Oh she would love it!! I’ve thought about taking it for a next baby shower gift, too. So easy!
So cute! How do you personally make marks on there for when you measure her? I have one, just not sure how I want to mark it up. ☺️
Thanks! I use a sharpie marker and just make a dash with the height and then put her age in the paranethesis.