June 25th 2020

Mendocino Redwood is excited to partner with Kristen, the owner and founder of Boards & Bottle! She worked with us to create a step-by-step “how-to” video to create a fun and easy DIY Redwood Height Measuring Board!

Also known as a Ruler Growth Chart, this DIY project makes for a fun, sentimental addition to your home, or a thoughtful gift. A Redwood Height Measuring Board will add warmth and beauty to any room, while serving to record memories along the way.

To get started, you will need:

  • 1”x8” 8-foot long rough Redwood board
  • 80 and 220 grit sandpaper
  • Stencil numbers
  • Transfer tape
  • Acrylic paint and a foam brush
  • Protective varnish of your choice

When working with tools, please be sure to wear the appropriate safety gear

Step 1: To get started, Kristen cut her board from 8-feet to 6-feet; if you do not have a saw, ask your local The Home Depot to cut it for you prior to checking out.

Step 2: Once cut, use 80 grit sandpaper to eliminate the rough surface. Next, finish smoothing your redwood board by using 220 grit sandpaper, and then remove any excess dust.

Step 3: Using a pencil, measure and mark each foot of your board, and decide how long you would like your marker lines. Feel free to include inch marks too!

Step 4: Decide and arrange where you would like your stencils to be. Apply transfer tape over your vinyl stencil, marking sure all bubbles are smoothed out to avoid any paint bleed.

Step 5: Apply the transfer-taped stencil according to marks on the board, removing transfer tape, and repeat for each placement.

Step 6: Use acrylic paint and a foam brush to fill in your stencil. Kristen chose white to provide a lovely contrast against the natural warmth and beauty of the Redwood. Choose a color that speaks to you and expresses your personality. Be creative in this process!

Step 7: Once dry, you are ready to remove your stencils and apply your protective varnish.

Once the varnish has dried, step back and admire your new Redwood Height Measuring Board! Congratulations on creating a beautiful DIY Redwood project.

DIY Redwood Height Measuring Board Video