Finally! A Growth Chart

It seems kind of silly to devote an entire post to discussing my search for a growth chart, but the process took enough time and went through enough iterations to seem worthy of a conversation. Perhaps all my thinking can save you some thinking if growth charts are on your horizon.

First, let me say that I'm a little sad that I waited two years to purchase a growth chart. Ideally, we would have been charting Henry's growth from the time he was standing. But we didn't. 

I'm over it. 

I started my search on Etsy and immediately fell in love with giant wooden ruler growth charts. I love that they look like authentic rules, especially because we have a vintage schoolhouse theme going on at our abode. I even pinned tutorials about how to make your own. However, the more I tried to visualize what they would actually look like on the wall, the less I started to think that a single piece of wood would look good hung on the wall. 

As I scrolled through page after page of options, a list of criteria started to form:

1. I wanted something that wasn't childish. If the goal is to chart a child's growth from start to finish, it seems more prudent to purchase something with a more classic style that will continue to look good on the wall throughout many, many years.
2. I wanted something that could move with us. Our hope is that we stay in the same house for a long, long time, but I don't want to count on it. I saw some awesome vinyl growth charts, but once you peel them off, they can't be re-applied.
3. I wanted something that could be rolled up and stored when we're older. Although I think it might be awesome to keep a growth chart up on the wall long after the kids have left the nest, I imagine at some point I'll want to stow it away and pass it along to the children when they're grown.
4. I wanted something that could double as a piece of art. As I mentioned above, we honestly have an old schoolhouse theme going on (think science lab table, maps, chalkboards, textbooks, vintage desks, etc.). We're lucky that something with 6-feet+ of measurement can actually fit into our decor.

After consulting with Matt, I settled on this canvas, vintage-inspired ruler. I chose it over this awesome canvas, vintage measuring tape because the starting point can be customized. I ordered it six inches shorter than pictured because I want it to hang above the baseboard, flush with the wall.

I have a couple different places in mind to hang it, although I obviously won't know for sure until our house is built. I'm excited that it meets all four of my criteria. Hopefully you'll see it in a Home Tour blog post in the next six months or so. Come on, City of Austin, we are eagerly awaiting that permit!

Photo courtesy of KimsSister