No princess glitter on the wall, please

September 29, 2011 2:31 AM

I need a height chart that looks like art, not fairy princesses.

My wish list: a chart that can stay in our living room and doesn't look like a unicorn barfed rainbows all over it.

I adore this one from Bold and Noble, but before I fork out 43 quid, can you suggest a lovely chart for the family?

I'm handy with graphics, so even a self-print template would be grand.

posted by katiecat to Home & Garden (10 answers total)

No unicorns, but probably too geeky:

Scifi Grow Chart
posted by Akke at 2:39 AM on September 29, 2011 [1 favorite]

Plenty of options on line when looking for 'cool growth chart'

Vintage
posted by Akke at 2:55 AM on September 29, 2011 [1 favorite]

Why not just make one? All you need is a ruler to make the markings and you can make it look however you want.
posted by agregoli at 6:07 AM on September 29, 2011

Why not just make one? All you need is a ruler to make the markings and you can make it look however you want.

Seconding this. You could even make it a project for the kids themselves - get a roll of butcher paper, mark off the spots with a ruler yourselves, then lay it out on the floor and give the kids art supplies - paint, crayons, whatever -- and stand back.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 6:08 AM on September 29, 2011

Consider doing such an art project on a board that can be screwed to, and more importantly unscrewed from a wall or trim board. that way if you need to repaint the room you can remove it temporarily and you can take it with you if you move.

Turn it into a whole project, go to the lumberyard, get a nice board that's maybe three inches wide, some sandpaper, some paint and have fun. Kids love sanding, and painting.
posted by mareli at 6:57 AM on September 29, 2011

I bought this one for friends since it's so simple and well-designed and not "cute." Delivery didn't take too long, even from Australia. If you're artsy it would be easy to make a neat one yourself.
posted by Bunglegirl at 8:00 AM on September 29, 2011

An idea I've been kicking around that I think I found somewhere here on MeFi is to find a unique piece of lumber, maybe 6' long. Something with gnarled edges or interesting knots or even just a very beautiful pristine piece of wood. Mark their height and then drill a whole at that mark through the wood. I'm still thinking about it but my daughter is coming up on her first birthday so I need to get on it! I also am not quite sure how I would annotate each drilled mark -- maybe just in pencil on the back. Pencil will come off with sanding but is generally pretty stable. Not sure, though. Anyway, I like the ideas above, too. Thanks for asking this!
posted by amanda at 12:13 PM on September 29, 2011

Best answer: Oooh, have you looked at pinterest? I see some cool ones there!
posted by amanda at 12:14 PM on September 29, 2011

Similar to amanda's idea, if you're crafty: Use an attractive piece of fabric and embroider their heights in different colors. Or, use fabric pens.
posted by linettasky at 7:18 PM on September 29, 2011 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: Thanks all! I love Pinterest - I'm good at graphics but not at wood or painting, so this looks the best bet. I think this one may be the winner!
posted by katiecat at 1:42 PM on October 1, 2011