diy growth chart

So I went to a baby shower last weekend. I'm not so good at baby showers. I mean, I sit there politely and eat the food and hold the babies and whatnot. But I seriously SUCK at talking babies. You know, like feeding schedules and breastfeeding vs. bottle feeding and colic and diaper changing and husbands and stretch marks. That type of subject matter is NOT my forte. As soon as baby talk begins I take one of two tacts.

Tactic #1: Sit in polite silence and feign interest in the apparent nuances between babies' eating/sleeping/crapping habits, nodding attentively so as not to reveal that I'm really contemplating my next date night outfit or whether it's appropriate to make mixed drinks at a baby shower or why I'm not more tan or something important like that.

Tactic #2: Exercise my role as token childless guest and insert my own personal brand of inappropriate jokes and witty comments. I should mention that this is the tactic I usually choose. Or, even better, if there is another childless guest, I engage in some clever banter to distract us both from a diaper discussion.

However, inappropriate jokes and wit are rarely, if ever, appreciated in the world of baby showers. It's a crying shame really. Everything is so much better with inappropriate jokes and wit. I just can't win.

One thing I am good at, though? Gifts. DIY gifts, to be exact. Like these DIY growth chart kits I made for my friend Maudie. They were a huge hit...despite my otherwise inappropriate and witty behavior.

Here's what you'll need for each growth chart:

• two yards of jute webbing (I found mine at an upholstery shop for $1.25/yard)
• permanent marker
• ruler
• one grommet
• safety pins
• small tags

Directions:

1. Use ruler to mark off inches and feet on jute webbing. Use permanent marker to number markings along left side of webbing. A stencil may be useful for this but I didn't have one available so I just freehanded it.

2. Write name along right side of jute webbing toward top. Again, a stencil might be useful here.

3. Use grommet tool to insert grommet at top of growth chart.

4. Package growth chart with safety pins and small tags for recording date and height.

Check out the original source, Whipper Berry, for more pictures of this simple gift idea.