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How To Make A Wood Chore Chart

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Wood cutouts are a handy crafting supply if you aren't an expert with a jigsaw. Most craft suppliers provide a wide range of cutout designs, allowing you to find almost any shape you want. Purchase a few of these to create a handy, easy-to-use chore chart for your kids. The following guide can walk you through the process.

Supplies

  • A wood sign blank, large enough to list all of your children or family members

  • Wood cutouts in various shapes

  • Acrylic paint

  • Paint brushes

  • Drill and a small drill bit

  • Scrap wood (for drilling)

  • Metal jump rings

  • Cup hooks

  • Sandpaper

  • Ribbon

When choosing your wood sign, it has to be large enough to list each family member's name on it vertically. As for the wood cutouts, you can choose any decorative shapes you desire. Since these will list the chores, it may be fun to pick shapes that match the chore, such as a cutout of a vacuum or a feather duster. If you pay for some chores, you could also pick special shapes for these bonus chores, such as stars. Be creative when choosing the shapes so that the chore chart is both attractive and fun to use.

Prep your pieces

A little bit of prep is needed before you can start the project. First, gently sand the edges on all the wood pieces to make sure they are perfectly smooth. Then, take the sign and pencil in the names. You will want to leave space under each name so that you can install a cup hook.

You can begin drilling by putting two holes in the sign to string the hanging ribbon through, if necessary. Some sign designs may already have an incorporated hanger. Next, drill a small starter hole beneath each name on the sign so it will be easier to install the hooks later. Finally, take the chore cutouts and drill a small hole through the top of each. To prevent thin cutouts from cracking, set the cutout on top of the scrap wood and drill through the cutout and into the scrap. Then, reverse the drill and back out of the hole.

Sand the rough wood from around the drill holes.

Decorate your pieces

This is where you get creative. Paint the sign the base color of choice and then use paint pens or a narrow brush to paint in names. You can decorate the sign in any way you wish. You can even glue more decorative cutouts to it once the paint has dried.

For the cutouts, paint them as desired but also make sure to write out the chore on the front so there is no confusion.

Put it all together

Once the paint is dry, you can put everything together. Thread the ribbon through the sign and tie the end to create the hanger. Screw a cup hook into the holes under each name. For the chore cutouts, loop two jump rings together, then slip one jump ring through the drilled hole before closing the ring. You can now loop the chore cutouts over the hooks below each name. Keep a small container nearby for everyone to move the completed chores to as they finish them.

For more information, contact a company like Diverse Woodworking LLC.


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