The Big Measuring Stick

We currently live in a rental house.  We are moving in just a few months, and it will not be the last time.  I wanted a way to measure Natalie as she grows, but we obviously can't just pick a wall to mark her heights.  I have seen a few different big measuring sticks on Pinterest, so I decided to make my own.  This is what I ended up with!

I strategically started this project while Randy (my little brother) was in town so he could help me!  I bought a .75"x7.25"x6' plank of pine (it cost about $15).  We sanded the edges, then Randy stained the wood.

After the stain was dry, I set to work drawing the lines.  How do you like my make-shift T-square?  I drew them in pencil, then traced them with a black Sharpie marker.

I bought some 2" stencils and used those to trace the numbers in pencil.  Then I used black paint to paint in the numbers.  I finished it off by spraying several coats of polyurethane.

I nailed picture hangers into the back, and hung it 6" from the ground.  There you go!

{The first mark!}