Here is my latest DIY project, a Mobile Height Chart. The thing I love about this project is the fact that it is mobile. People move all the time and this is easier to take with you than the wall, that for years, you've hash marked up with your children's yearly growth spurts. The project can be as inexpensive as you want or you can add more to it that will raise the overall cost. I chose to add some dimension to mine by putting house numbers on it which were $3.98 each. This added to the overall cost of the project but in my opinion is really priceless when you figure the sentiment that will last forever!
It's all in the details~
The tools needed for this project are; the board, stain, black sharpie, ruler, measuring tape, drill, drill bit, Phillips bit, and house numbers. The overall cost for this project was $30.20 and took me about 2 hours time overall. about 30 minutes to stain and an hour and a half to draw all the lines and attach numbers. I stained the board one weekend and finished the following. The board was $6.32 and the house numbers were $23.88. I used stain that I had left over from previous projects. All the tools necessary to complete this project can be found at your local hardware store. I purchased mine at Homedepot. This project could cost you as little as $6.32 plus tax, which is a far cry from $40.00 (which is the cost of one at Kirklands).
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| This is a great stain because it seals and the color is such a rich and beautiful brown! |
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| 4" House Numbers. Purchased at Homedepot. |
Get it Straight!
Here you can see I had two measuring tools in order to make sure that my lines were level and straight. To start I simply had the measuring tape extended along the left side of the board and made a small dash every inch. I then laid the measuring tape along the right side without making marks, and proceeded to draw my lines. Having the measuring tape extended on the right helped to keep the line straight but and then by using a ruler to draw my straight lines I could ensure all the hash marks were the same length. Then I went on to draw the individual inch marks, making the lines some what like an actual ruler. For instance, the 6" mark I drew it a bit longer than the three inch and nine inch marks, and about twice the length as the one and two inch marks. You'll be able to see the difference on the big picture. For this project it is very important to get your lines straight for aesthetics. Please see photo.
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| How I made my straight lines |
Now that all my lines have been drawn it is time to attach my house numbers. This part of the project I moved the board to the floor so I could get a good birds eye view over the entire board and eyed up the numbers in their place. Also, I just drilled the top hole of each number and hand screwed it down so to keep it loose and then I could stand it up and level out the number. I then proceeded to pre-drill the bottom holes and screw them down. Pre-drilling the holes was important because I didn't want the drill to get away from me and cause a dent or scratch on the nicely stained board. I used my father-in-laws super duty Stanley drill! This sucker can go!
Voila!
Here is the finished product! I can now write my children's heights on it and take it where ever need be! The love the mobility aspect of this project is two-fold, if I redecorate I can easily reposition it in the house where ever it coordinates best. Not only does this have function but it has a decorative element as well! I hope I've inspired you to make your own Mobile Height Chart!
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| Final product |
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