Father’s Day was coming up and I was just thinking of what would be a great gift to surprise my husband for Fathers Day. I thought, “Hey, why not try to do a DIY giant ruler?” I remember when I was a kid, our mom would measure me and my sisters growth in her bedroom doorway. Us girls would be soooo excited when it is time to mark and record our growth, woohoo! We’d race towards our moms bedroom because were so excited to see how much taller did we get from the last time it was marked. Our mom would cheer us on and instructs us kids to line up so we can get started marking the doorway. It is absolutely priceless memories with our late mom.
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SUPPLIES USED:
- Wood (Home Depot)
- Sander (Ryobi)
- Minwax Wood Stain (Natural)
- Foam brush
- Cloth (cut up old shirts or thin towel would do)
- Number 1 thru 6 (you can get this free file in my resource library)
- Pencil
- Measuring Tape
- Thin brush
- Acrylic Paint (Black)
- Mod Podge
- Hanger Hooks
Note: Ensure to mix the wood stain before applying it to the wood).
Prepare the wood
I sand down the wood till it’s smooth enough to my liking.
Wiped down the wood with a cloth, till there are no saw dust left on the wood.
Took my foam brush and dipped it into the wood stain can. Then brushed it onto the wood.
Once done, I used a cloth to wipe down any excess stain left onto the wood and let it dry (for about an hour or 2).
Marking
I grabbed the measuring tape and started making the marks on to the wood.
– The first mark I made was at 6 inches (from the bottom of the wood).
– And from there, start marking at every 12 inches.
– Next marking would be increments of 1 inch.
– Then I went back to make markings every half of the foot.
Once that is done, I took the printed numbers 1-6 on the paper (which you can also find it in my resource library). Flipped it around. I took my pencil and just scribbled the back of the numbers.
I then flipped the paper around, right side up, facing me. Then I placed the number where it’s needed to be onto the wood.
Then use the same pencil to scribble on to the numbers. What this is going to do, is that the scribble from the other side will now be transferred onto the wood.
Paint
Next, I got my thin brush and acrylic paint (black) and I started to paint the lines and numbers then let it dry.
Seal
For sealing, you can use whatever you prefer. But I used a Mod Podge to seal the entire wood and just let it dry.
Hang
I just used a hanger hooks that can be found online or any hardware stores, this way you can hang the wood onto the wall.
And that’s it! Such a simple project to do.
A great gift to give and a wonderful way to build memories to share between my hubby and our kids which turned out to be a great fathers day gift. He loved it and our kids were all excited about it. The kids were all over the ruler and just wanting to touch it. They were so amazed and we were just having a good time overall. I just love to look through the eyes of the children, so much appreciation. Even our dog Samantha participated on everyone’s excitement.
I hope that you enjoyed this DIY and if you decided to try it yourself. Let me know how it all turned out. Happy Crafting!
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