Thumbprint Height Board

So today, we have a tutorial on how to make a height board for your kids. This one is for a boy, actually, but you can easily adapt the idea. Your kids can help mark their height by using a thumbprint, and you get to preserve their thumbprint everytime you measure them! I'll show you how...

What you will need:

-1   1x6x8  pre-painted hardboard 

-6  themed foot markers

-self adhesive velcro

-1  ink pad

- scrapbook paper (lamination optional)

-square

-permanent marker

-paint and small brush (feet numbers)

-hot glue gun

1. Get your foot markers out:  I used six ship helms from Michael's. Peel the stickers off the back.

2. Paint the inside where your number is going to be. Once it's dried, paint the numbers in a contrasting color.

3. Have your board cut down to about seven feet or cut it down yourself.

4. Using a square or ruler,  measure and mark each inch with a pen or pencil. I made the inches, half foot, and foot marks progressively larger lines.

5. With your square, go over each inch mark with a permanent marker.

6. I used a peice of tape on the edge of my board to make cleaner marks with the permanent marker. I marked my board to about six feet five inches. No one in my family is that tall so I figure that's safe. But consider your family history when deciding how tall to make your board.

7. Hot glue your foot markers at the appropriate height. I placed one of the helm handles over the foot mark.

8. With your scrapbook paper and a printout of your childs name, create a cover for the inkpad to camoflage it. Laminate the cover since it's going to get touched with inky hands.

9. Hot glue the laminated cover to the ink pad lid.

10.  In order to get my velcro at the same level as the bottom of my ink pad, I cut a peice of wood to glue to the bottom so my velcro would work.

11. Peel the backing from the self adhesive velcro and attach at the top of the height board. This makes finding the ink when it's time to measure up very simple!

12. Have your child use the ink to mark their height (with your help) by creating a thumbprint! My little boy just turned one and so this is his first mark! I plan on measuring him each year so I will know each age by counting the thumbprints from the bottom up.