As much as a little part of me wishes that my babies would stay little forever, there’s no denying that they’re growing up quickly, even just based on height alone.
Since they are still quite young, however, I’m always on the lookout for ways to help document their childhood days and all the exciting changes they’re going through so that we can look back on them nostalgically together later, when they’re older and want to know more about their earlier characteristics and personalities.
One of my favourite common ideas in the world of parenting is the idea of keeping a height chart that tracks how much children have grown over time but, as we’re sure will come as no surprise to anyone who knows how crafty we are, we’d rather find a DIY way to make our own height charter rather than just buying the pre-made kind that are sold in stores.
Cool DIY Height Charts You Should Try
Just in case you love the idea of making your very own height chart for your kids just as much as we did, if not more, here are some of the best (and cutest) ideas, designs, and tutorials that we’ve come across so far in our search for inspiration and guidance!
1. Easy DIY ruler growth chart
Are you the kind of person who loves to have everything in your home suiting the same aesthetic and matching a sort of natural, old fashioned look, right down to the smallest display items and things that you got for your kids? In that case, especially if you love a wooden finish as much as we do, we think you might adore this simple stained wood and paint stencilled idea from Old Salt Farm that looks just like a jumbo version of an old school ruler!
2. Magnetic race car growth chart
If you’re going to put in the time and effort it takes to make your very own height chart to use with your kids, would you much rather make something that they’ll actually really enjoy looking at and using as well? Then maybe theming it after something they enjoy is the best idea! If your kids are even half as fascinated with cars as ours are, then we think you might appreciate the way Abby Lawson maps out her process of making a height chart that looks like a vertical road with little magnetic cars that mark the height of each child.
3. Simple wooden height chart in 5 easy steps
Did you love the idea of making your own wooden height chart like the first concept we showed you, but you’re not feeling super attached to the old fashioned aesthetic of the ruler theme? Well, if you’ve ever been a big fan of adding pained details to things, then maybe you’d get along better with trying your hand at this guide from Angie’s List! Their finished product is also wooden, but the real focus here is in the painted design.
4. DIY growth chart baby shower gift
Are you actually such a big fan of the nostalgia and family time that comes with height charts that you almost wish you could share that same joy with all the new parents you know as you watch their own little ones grow and get ready to take their first steps? Well, with this adorable DIY baby shower gift idea from Bump Smitten, you actually can! Take a better look at their page to see how they made this super cute homemade folding heigh chart in a little wooden gift box.
5. Embroidered muslin height chart
Rather than working with wood and other hard materials, are you the kind of person who does better with soft tools and fabric based techniques? Then we have a feeling you just might be the perfect person to make something like this lovely custom embroidered height chart outlined step by surprisingly simple step on Twirling Betty! They also still show you how to do some paint stencilling down one side, but the real charm in this scroll-style fabric chart is definitely in the needlework.
6. Custom painted wood name growth chart
Maybe you actually really liked the old fashion wooden ruler idea that you saw earlier on our list but you can’t help thinking that something with a little more colour and fun customization might be a little more to your tastes? In that case, we’d absolutely encourage you to check out how Domestic Imperfection made these extra cute and brightly coloured painted wood ruler charts with stencilled names for each child! We love that they even outlined the technique for getting that charming purposely weathered look.
7. DIY canvas growth chart
Did you really love the basic concept behind the scroll style canvas chart that we showed you above but you’re not quite enough of a skilled needlework enthusiast to handle hand embroidering the piece like you saw there? Then we think you might get along a little better with something like this simple canvas chart from Craft Lady Lindsay that was filled in with stencils snd iron on decals instead of thread.
8. DIY wooden growth chart and milestone memory board
Did you love the idea of making a height chart that’s a little more interactive and fun to work on with your child but you’re just not sure that the cars idea is quite the kind of thing you had in mind? Then maybe you’d rather make yours more like an activity and less like a themed toy! Personally, we’re obsessed with this hand drawn wooden height charge and memory board from Love + Broccoli. They guide gives you all kinds of cute memory based suggestions for documenting your child’s years in a way that’s very unique indeed!
9. DIY wooden growth tree
Have we really got your attention now that we’ve started speaking about marker work and drawing opportunities because that’s what you and your kids like to do best, but you’re looking for something a little more whimsical looking? Then maybe you’d prefer to creative a wooden growth tree like this one from Meaningful Mama! They show you how to create accurate measurements down one side and hand draw a lovely tree on the other. They also show you how they let their kids create the “leaves” or blossoms that adorn the branches!
10. String art growth chart
Are you the kind of crafter who loves to make just about every project you take on an opportunity for mixed media techniques, putting more than one skill and material to good use in the same place? Well, if you’ve been keeping up on craft trends and found string art as interesting as we did, then we think this cute DIY height chart that features a string art monogram might be just the kind of thing you’re looking for! Get more details courtesy of Hometalk.
11. Sewn hanging banner growth chart
Did we actually mostly pique your interested with our mention of making a fabric height chart that puts your stitching skills to good use, but you’re always been more of a garment maker and sewing enthusiast than you have a hand embroidery and decorative stitching expert? Then maybe you’ll get along a little better with this sewn fabric heigh chart from Jewels at Home! They show you how to tack down a blank white centre that you can write things on by hand with a fabric marker for more personalization.
12. Painted arrow growth chart
Have you actually been feeling the most interested in the wooden ideas as you scroll because you’re actually trying to increase your experience in actual woodworking projects, so you’ve been holding our for something simple that will let you make a new wooden shape, rather than just working with a pre-cut rectangle? Then we’re pretty sure we’ve found the project for you in this adorable and brightly painted DIY wooden arrow growth chart outlined step by step on Autumn + Ash.
13. Ribbon lengths growth chart
Are you very interested indeed in the basic concept of height charts but you’re just not sure that you really have the wall space in your little apartment for a big piece of wood or a whole fabric scroll? Maybe you’d rather document all of the changing dimensions of your kids rather than just how tall they’re getting, like a seamstress taking measurements. In either case, we have a feeling you might find more satisfaction in this super unique idea from Meaningful Mama that shows you how to use fun and colourful lengths of ribbon to document all the different ways a body can grow! We love the way they decided to keep theirs all together on a key ring and hang it on the door knob.
14. Simple striped growth chart
Just in case you’re still feeling the most interested in the DY height chart ideas that involve painting and wood but you’re just not feeling the ruler aesthetic, here’s a cute, block coloured alternative that still gives you the basics if what you’re looking for! This tutorial from Old Salt Farm gives you some tips for making a striped look that features a look like coloured blocks stacked on top of each other, each one representing half a foot for accurate measurements amidst the fun.
15. DIY airplane growth chart
Have you actually been scrolling through our list and thinking the whole time about how cute the cars themed height chart was, but you know that your child is a much bigger fan of things that fly through the sky rather than speeding down the road? Then we’d be willing to bet that you’ll have a lot more success with this adorable airplane themed DIY height chart from Kelly Leigh Creates!
Have you made another kind of awesome DIY growth chart that you really loved but that you don’t see here on our list? Tell us all about what you created and how you did it or link us to photos of your finished work in the comments section!
