Okay, so if you have been on Pinterest, chances are you've seen these awesome Height Charts that look like HUGE rulers... no? Well, I have- and I clicked and clicked and clicked until I found the original... on Pottery Barn... for $50 not including shipping (and it was YELLOW)!! No thank you. I knew I had to have it, since we are a military family- we move A LOT which means that we haven't been able to track my daughter's height at all, which has been really disappointing! I used to love going to my Grandma's house every year to get my new height marked and to see how much I had grown that year- and I really wanted my daughter to have that experience also.

If you're like me- you hunt for the best deal on everything. I saw some tutorials where you can create your own, but these people were measuring out every line and painstakingly drawing in each dash and number by hand- sorry, but I am just not that talented (or patient!). I knew I could do this so much easier and more quickly! 

I set my design team on it and we quickly had a beautiful, easy, affordable design to make this DIY an easy success- and here is how you do it. 

1. Buy the materials you will need (and scrounge around, I found I had many already on hand).

You will need:

• Large Board- this depends on the size you want I chose a 1 x 10 x 8 "Top Choice Whitewood Board" from Lowes-examine them well as I went through about 15 boards before finding the "perfect" one. Make sure you lay them on the ground flat to see they aren't warped and check for crack & holes. There are a lot of different sizes, widths, etc. out there- get the one that works best for your home! The decal can be cut down or moved up to suit your needs. 
• Buy the decal from Trading Phrases. It has all the lines pre-measured and it is all ready to go. As an added bonus you can personalize it for FREE with your family name or child name- super cool. If it is too long- cut away the top portion!
• Stain- pick the desired color for your board. I used a walnut stain in the smallest bottle I could find
• Paper towel- professionals will tell you to buy stain rags or sponges... I find using just a small amount of stain at a time on a paper towel is perfectly fine (and more affordable). 

2. Optional Step- sand the board lightly- totally up to you, I did it but am not sure it made much of a difference. 

3. Stain the board to you preferred darkness. I did one coat and a touch-up coat. I would recommend not going TOO dark so that you can see the black decal on the board clearly (if you choose black for your rules). 

4. Apply the decal! Simply cut apart the sheet into more manageable sizes and use the edge of the board to line your decals up. This is where it CAN get tricky- if you would like to mount your board on the wall you'll need to measure from the floor to bottom of the board so you know where to begin your numbering. I decided I just wanted mine to be floor level- so I started from 0. If you would like to make it easier start 1 foot up and simply make sure the bottom of your board starts 1 foot from the floor when you hang it. Follow the instructions and rub your decal firmly to the board and peel up the tape layer. I found that at first the decal didn't want to stick well to the board, but pressing more firmly fixed that! 

5. Rub over the whole thing with your hands and press the decals down into every crack- just a precautionary step. 

You are done! Start tracking your child's height right on the board- with no worries about when you move... since you can take it with you! I recommend a black sharpie or a paint pen. Don't want to use it as an actual height chart? It makes a beautiful conversation piece in your home as well just as decor- I already have SO many compliments on mine! 

Oh- and isn't my daughter totally adorable? Love her to death! I'd love to see photos of your projects you can email them to me at samantha@tradingphrases.com for a great discount off of a future purchase!