DIY {Growth Chart Ruler}

Have you seen the super cute growth charts that look like old wooden rulers? I love the way those look! The one I originally fell in love with was from one of my favorite blogs, Dear Lillie. This is her version of the sign.

Dear Lillie's Ruler Growth Chart

Unfortunately, it comes with a pretty hefty price tag of $75. I haven't found a place in my house for it yet, but thankfully my friend Mindy wanted one for her little guy. She asked if I could make one for her (minus the $75 price tag), and of course I said yes!

I have to say, this was the easiest thing to make. You just have to have a little bit of patience as you wait for the coats of stain and paint to dry before you move on to the next phase.

Supplies:

• 6' piece of wood - (I used pine because it was cheaper. Width is a personal preference. I used a 1"x8" board.)
• Stain color of your choice
• Black paint pen
• Water-based polycrylic clear finish (I use the Minwax brand that can be found at Home Depot)
• Pencil
• 3" Number Stencils (I found mine at Hobby Lobby, but I'm sure any craft store would have them.)
•  Yard stick or tape measure
• Lint free cloths (old t-shirts)
• Picture hanger

Directions:

Step One: Time to get started! First things first, while you're at the hard ware store, have them cut your board down to 6'. The great thing about these boards is they actually come in 12' lengths, which means you can make two or split the cost with a friend!


Step Two (optional): If there are any rough spots, you might want to go over your board with 120 grit sand paper. This will help smooth it out and get rid of any pesky splinters waiting to prick little fingers.

Step Three: Time to stain! Use an old t-shirt, lint free cloth or paint brush to apply the stain. I let the stain soak in for about 5 minutes before wiping it off with a cloth. If the stain is too light for your taste, simply apply a second coat, let it sit for a few minutes longer and wipe off. This will help darken and even out the color. Once one side is dry (usually about an hour), flip it over and stain the opposite side. This is important to stain both sides of the board. By staining both sides you are helping to prevent the wood from warping.

Step Four: Once the stain has dried, pick which side you want to be your ruler side. Using a tape measure or yard stick, we will begin making our ruler marks with a pencil. Since this will be hanging on a wall, you will want to begin your ruler at the 6" mark. Therefore, the bottom of your board signifies 6", so your first pencil mark will be the 7" marker. As you can see, every 3rd inch, I lengthened my lines, as you would see on a ruler.

Step Five: This step takes the longest! Once your pencil marks are in place, you will take your black paint pen, and go back over your lines. Use a straight edge to make sure your lines are straight. After the first foot, you will start to get a bit cross eyed and easily loose your place if not careful! I had to re-sand and re-stain because I messed up my line lengths. Take your time on this step.

The great thing about the paint pen is it is oil based. It easily goes on over the stain, and it is easy to control your lines. Plus, no messy clean up!

Step Six: Now you will take your number stencils and line them up on your board. I placed my numbers to the left of their marker. That is the way they appear on standard rulers. Honestly, I just eye-balled how far down to place them. I was tired of measuring at this point! They all look even to me! I will also say, the paint pen was much easier to use with the stencil versus using canned paint with a brush. It helped the numbers look more clean and crisp.

Step Seven: Brush or spray on your Polycrylic finish and let dry according to directions. You actually could skip this step since you will be marking on this piece. If you do use the finish, you will want to use a Sharpie pen or other permanent marker product to record your heights. I don't think a pen or pencil would adhere well to the Polycrylic finish.

Step Eight: Attach the picture hanger to the back of the ruler, measure from the floor up 6", and hang your ruler!

For about $25, you can have yourself a great looking growth chart. Plus, you'll have all the supplies to make multiple ones for friends and family! Wouldn't these make great baby shower gifts, Christmas gifts for moms you know or Mother's Day gifts?

I'm really looking forward to making more of these soon! Maybe I'll get crazy and try one in a painted color too. Can you guess what the baby shower gift of 2014 will be for all of my friends??

Glaze of Glory

A few months ago, I had a client call me up to ask me to refinish a nightstand for her. Someone else had tried refinishing this piece for her, but the color and technique didn't go with the other pieces I had already done for her. Since I have had more than one person tell me that they want to know how I glaze my furniture, I thought it was time to write a tutorial.

The 3 Rules of Glazing

Rule #1: Learn to be a slob. That's right. It's ok to be a slob when you glaze - throw that wet towel on the floor, leave your dishes on the counter, or just refuse to make your bed. You can tell your family you're just practicing good painting skills. Why? Because, you absolutely cannot be a perfectionist when it comes to glazing. It is going to be darker in some spots than others, and that's ok!

Rule #2: Make a manicure appointment. (Or just wear gloves.) Your finger nails will get unbelievably dirty! Glazing should be listed as one the Dirtiest Jobs. But, but it's a good excuse to get a manicure! Unfortunately for me me, my husband figured out gloves are way cheaper than a manicure.

Rule #3: "Have patience, have patience don't be in such a hurry." Make sure you have allowed your base coat of paint to dry and cure for at least 48 hours before glazing. Glaze is water based, and chances are so is your paint. If you begin glazing too soon, it will only reactivate your paint and cause it to peel.

Now that we've covered the basics, let's get started on the step-b- step details!

Materials Needed:
Paint brush, cloth rags, bowl of water, Valspar Antique Glaze 

3 Steps to Glazing Anything

Step 1: Sand, prime and paint your piece of furniture. Let dry for 48 hours.

Step 2

Step 2: Using a brush or rag, begin glazing your furniture focusing on one small section at a time. The glaze typically begins drying in 10-15 minutes depending on the outside temperature and humidity conditions.

I like to pour the glaze into the top of the container. It is easier to handle while I'm glazing, and it makes it easy to pour back in any left overs when done.

To rag on the glaze you simply dip your cloth into water and ring out any excess. You want your cloth to be damp, but not dripping wet.

Next, you dip your damp rag into the glaze and put on a coat of glaze. Don't worry about it being too dark at this point. Glaze is super easy to lighten up once your put it on. The water will be your best friend during this process!

To brush on the glaze, you simply dip your brush into the water prior to brushing the glaze onto your piece. Simple as that!

Step 3: Wipe off the excess glaze.

Step 3

Take a clean cloth and begin ragging off your glaze. If you want a dark glaze, use a dry rag to wipe off the excess. If you want a lighter finish, dip your clean rag in the water. Try to "push" the glaze towards the corners and into any crevices found on your piece. Remember, glaze is suppose to resemble dirt, oil and wax build up found on antique furniture.

This process takes a little time. You have to work the glaze around until you have the right color for you. If you want to take more glaze off, simply dip your rag in the water bowl and rag away.

This is the part where you have to lay your perfectionism aside. You will start to pick apart every little imperfection in the glaze, but that is what makes glaze an antiquing technique - it gives your piece imperfections! You don't want it to look perfect, you want it to look aged.

Now, step back and admire your finished product!

A Few Tips to Consider

I personally think how you paint the piece will determine how your glaze looks. I prefer to use a brush when painting a piece I will be glazing. The brush strokes left in the paint from your brush will leave tiny crevices for your glaze to fall into on the flat services. 

If you will be using a latex paint, the best paint I have found is Behr found at Home Depot. I have tried other top brands and hardware store brands, but I keep going back to Behr for my latex paint of choice.

If you prepare and paint your piece correctly, you don't "need" a special top coat, however, I always like to add an extra coat of protection. For this piece, I used a soft wax finish. If it was a desk or dining room table, I would use a water based polycrylic finish.

Let me know if you have any questions on how to finish your piece of furniture!