I found this cute idea for a drop cloth table runner in the June issue of Country Living magazine and it’s actually a fairly painless DIY project.

I think it would also work wonderfully as a growth chart in a child’s bedroom if it were hung vertically on a wall.

Here are the instructions for the table runner:

1. Buy a 6′ x 9′ drop cloth.
2. Cut a strip measuring 14.25″ x 97.25″
3. Iron out any wrinkles.
4. Hem all sides, reducing overall measurement to 13″ x 96″.
5. Use a ruler and pencil to mark one inch spaces from one end to the other on both sides.
6. Draw lines of varying lengths at each mark, as in the photo.
7. Trace over lines with black fabric marker.
8. Affix 6″ high number stencils with stencil adhesive. Use foam stencil brush to fill in numbers with black fabric paint. Allow to dry for four hours before removing stencils.