Make an Animal Silhouette Growth Chart

Chart your child's growth with a cute, colorful and crafty wall hanging.

Kids' Room With Colorful, Handmade Growth Chart

Kids' Room With Growth Chart

Chart your child's growth with this cute, colorful and crafty wall hanging. A small wooden bookshelf keeps reading materials organized at a reachable height for children, making them easy for little ones to access.

By: Brian Patrick Flynn

Related To:

Materials Needed:

online animal silhouettes
inkjet or laser printer
computer
graph paper
pencil
measuring tape
drywall square
8' x 4' sheet of 1/4" sanded plywood

1/2" drill bit
jigsaw
orbital sander
120-grit paper
paint
pre-positioned animal silhouette template
Velcro or mounting squares

Download Template

Download animal silhouette template and print.

Make Silhouettes to Scale

Lay out and scale each animal using basic document-editing software to fit onto a single sheet of paper. Print with inkjet or laser printer. Note: Each animal should be on its own full sheet of paper.

Draw Silhouettes to Scale

Step 2: Make Silhouettes to Scale Lay out and scale each animal using basic document editing software to fit onto a single sheet of paper. Print with ink jet or laser printer. NOTE: Each animal should be on its own full sheet of paper.

Transfer to Graph Paper

Lay each animal silhouette print under a sheet of graph paper and carefully trace with a pencil. The image should span about 35-40 lines vertically on the graph paper and about 14-18 lines from side to side. This will translate into a 70-80" tall by 28-36" wide image on the plywood.

Transfer Animal Silhouette Print to Graph Paper

Step 3: Transfer to Graph Paper Lay each animal silhouette print under a sheet of graph paper and carefully trace with a pencil. The image should span about 35-40 lines vertically on the graph paper and about 14-18 lines from side to side. This will translate into a 70-80" tall by 28-36" wide image on the plywood.

Set Up Plywood

Use a drywall square to make a 2-inch grid on a full piece of 1/4-inch sanded plywood, lightly marking vertical and horizontal lines with a pencil.

Measuring and Making Grid on Plywood

Step 4: Set Up Plywood Use a drywall square to make a 2-inch grid on a full piece of 1/4-inch sanded plywood, lightly marking vertical and horizontal lines with a pencil.

Place Animals Onto Plywood

Referring to the drawing made on the graph paper, start at the bottom edge of the plywood graph, then draw the image by copying the angle and curvature of the pencil line in each box. Tip: To create proper sizing and evenness of lines, make sure that the lines drawn intersect with the grid lines at the same point and angle on the plywood as the paper.

Transfer Animal Silhouettes to Plywood

Step 5: Place Animals onto Plywood Referring to the drawing made on the graph paper, start at the bottom edge of the plywood graph, then draw the image by copying the angle and curvature of the pencil line in each box. Tip: To create proper sizing and evenness of lines, make sure that the lines drawn intersect with the grid lines at the same point and angle on the plywood as the paper.

Drill Holes Around Image

After the entire image is drawn onto the plywood and it matches the image on the graph paper, use a 1/2-inch drill bit to make a hole in each section that is secluded from the outside edges of the plywood. Note: Be sure not to drill too closely to the drawing, and not to mistakenly drill through the part of the image you want to keep.

Drilling Holes for Animal Growth Chart

Step 6: Drill Holes Around the Image After the entire image is drawn onto the plywood and it matches the image on the graph paper, use a 1/2-inch drill bit to make a hole in each section that is secluded from the outside edges of the plywood. Note: Be sure not to drill too closely to the drawing, and not to mistakenly drill through the part of the image you want to keep.

Cut the Silhouette

Using a jigsaw, carefully cut along the outside lines of the silhouette, starting at the bottom then working your way up each side to the top of the image. Use the holes drilled inside the sections to cut out the remaining parts of the plywood, leaving you with a wooden cutout of your printed silhouettes.

Step 7: Cut the Growth Chart SilhouetteUsing a jigsaw, carefully cut along the outside lines of the growth chart silhouette, starting at the bottom then working your way up each side to the top of the image. Use the holes drilled inside the sections to cut out the remaining parts of the plywood, leaving you with a wooden cutout of your printed silhouettes.

Step 7: Cut the SilhouetteUsing a jigsaw, carefully cut along the outside lines of the silhouette, starting at the bottom then working your way up each side to the top of the image. Use the holes drilled inside the sections to cut out the remaining parts of the plywood, leaving you with a wooden cutout of your printed silhouettes.

Cutting Out Animal Silhouette Growth Chart With Jigsaw

Step 7: Cut the Growth Chart Silhouette Using a jigsaw, carefully cut along the outside lines of the growth chart silhouette, starting at the bottom then working your way up each side to the top of the image. Use the holes drilled inside the sections to cut out the remaining parts of the plywood, leaving you with a wooden cutout of your printed silhouettes.

Cutting Out Animal Silhouette Growth Chart With Jigsaw

Step 7: Cut the Silhouette Using a jigsaw, carefully cut along the outside lines of the silhouette, starting at the bottom then working your way up each side to the top of the image. Use the holes drilled inside the sections to cut out the remaining parts of the plywood, leaving you with a wooden cutout of your printed silhouettes.

Sand Edges

Use an orbital sander with 120-grit paper to sand the edges and surface of the plywood cutout.

Sanding Plywood Cutout of Growth Chart

Step 8: Sand Edges Use an orbital sander with 120 grit paper to sand the edges and surface of the plywood cutout.

Paint and Hang

Using a paintbrush, paint the cutout to desired color scheme. Allow at least 4 hours for paint to cure before hanging on wall with Velcro or mounting squares.

Painting Animal Silhouette Growth Chart

Step 9: Paint and Hang Using a paint brush, paint the cutout of your animal silhouette growth chart to desired color scheme. Allow at least 4 hours for paint to cure before hanging on wall with Velcro or mounting squares.