Kid Friendly Project #4 – Hang a Height Stick
By Tim Bogert
HeightStick Instructions & Diagram
They’re growing up so fast. A fun way to track your kids’ growth is with a height stick. Here’s how to make one of your own starting with a single board.
- Choose where you want to put the height stick. (Where you place it drives the size.
- Choose your design. Will the end or edge treatments to match your decor and other woodwork? (More complex designs might require a router or other specialized tools.)
- Head to your local home center for materials and supplies
- Cut your board to size and shape.
- Drill a 1/4” hole in each end of the board to mount the board to a fixed surface like a wall or other woodwork.
- Paint the board to match your kids’ room or taste, or to your common area’s design motif.
- Decorate the surface of the board with height increments, markings and any other personalized designs. (Families with multiple kids can make a height stick for each child, or share a common
- Locate and drill holes in the mounting surface and insert mounting hardware as directed on the hardware’s package. (Hang the height stick to the appropriate height using a tape measure or yard stick to confirm the correct distance from the floor.)
Start when kids are young to get the most growth ‘history’ as possible. Measure at regular intervals (monthly or every 3 months is a good average). A fun activity is to guess how fast kids will reach their next height. Take and print pictures each time you measure and look at the former pictures each time a new measurement is taken.
RECOMMENDED MATERIALS:
- (1) 1” x 6” x 5’ hardwood board
- (1) Bottle of water-based wood glue
- (1) Quart of Low-VOC paint or polyurethane and painting tools
- Decorating materials (like paint markers or diecut lettering stickers)
- Wall anchors or similar mounting hardware for your hanging location
RECOMMENDED TOOLS:
- Pegasus Folding Work Table (WX051)
- 20V Power Share ExacTrack 6-1/2″ Circular Saw (WX530L)
- 20V Power Share Cordless Jigsaw (WX543L)
- 20V Power Share Switchdriver 2-in-1 Cordless Drill & Driver (WX176L)
- 20V Power Share Sandeck 5-in-1 Multi-Sander (WX820L)
- 3/8” drill bit
- 1/4” drill bit
- Tape measure
- Safety Glasses
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Summary
Article Name
Kid Friendly Project #4 – Hang a Height Stick
Description
They’re growing up so fast. A fun way to track your kids’ growth is with a height stick. Here’s how to make one of your own starting with a single board.
Author
Tim Bogert
Publisher Name
WORX
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