My boys are really into Jake & The Neverland Pirates right now. Well, for like the past YEAR. They sing the songs all day long, they call each other one of the characters, and are always fighting Hook the ‘Sneakety Snook’. Way cute! (originally shared January 2014)

I’ve been wanting to do a growth chart for awhile, and have stressed about it more and more since my kids are already growing so much. I’m going to miss all their little growth spurts! So what better for them than an adorable (yet simple and budget friendly) DIY Pirate Growth Chart?!

6′ tall board – $13

Small canister stain – $8 (I used English Chestnut)

Small canister sealant – $8 (I used clear semi-gloss)

Vinyl for letters and lines – $8

Vinyl for Pirate shapes – $4

Take your plain board, lay it on something you don’t mind painting on. Choose an area with good ventilation, too, since the stain and sealant smell STRONG. You’ll also need to leave it in place for awhile to dry, so keep that in mind.

Apply the stain according to canister directions. I did two coats on mine. Be sure to allow it to dry completely before adding the sealant, then after applying the sealant before handling.

I then starting adding the vinyl. I chose to do bone shapes for my FOOT lines, so started by measuring and applying those. I did start with 1′ six inches from the bottom, since I’ll attach the board to the wall six inches off the ground.

Then the ‘fun’ part, measuring out each inch. Tiny vinyl lines are not my friends!

There’s your ‘almost’ complete board!

Now you have the option of applying fun Pirate shapes and fun things: skulls, swords, flags, ships, steering wheels, bandanna caps. Or phrases like ‘Ahoy Matey’ or ‘Yo Ho Yo Ho’ or ‘Walk the Plank’. Have fun with it!