8 Creative Repurposed Yardstick & Ruler Crafts

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Feature square image of wood yardsticks and rulers in a vertical pattern with the title: 8 Creative Ruler Craft Ideas.

Vintage yardstick and ruler crafts to make for yourself, to give as gifts, or to sell!

I love old yardsticks and their vintage advertising.

I often find them for $2 or $3 each at flea markets and antique stores, but you can also find them online on eBay or Etsy.

Below are a few ideas to infuse vintage charm into your crafts using these often forgotten gems.

1. Ruler Wreath Frame

If you have a wood frame that is missing the glass, use it to display a wall wreath by cutting and gluing yardsticks with wood glue to the back. Add a small wreath made of boxwood or pine wire garland.

Photo of a square wide wood frame lined with vintage yardsticks. This rustic frame frame had a boxwood greenery wreath in the center and in the center of the wreath hangs a small porcelain light spring green birdhouse ornament.

2. Soda Crate Cubby

I often see soda crates like these at flea markets and antique stores. This one is already sectioned. To add a pop of color and practical storage, I added a few ruler drawers to the mix. Check out more details on this project here –> Upcycled Soda Crate Organizer With Ruler Front Drawers.

Photo of a yellow sectioned soda crate with twelve tiny drawers made with colorful red, yellow and blue wood yardsticks for the fronts. This soda crate turned display and storage crate is decked out here with tiny Christmas items like resin rabbits and a fox, a teddy bear and vintage red glass ornament orbs filling the holes. Three of the drawers are pulled out to hold bristle brush Christmas trees.

3. Yardstick Topped Furniture

Give an old thrift store table or wooden trunk a makeover with colorful yardsticks! This is a great way to revive an old furniture piece, especially if the top is damaged.

Shown is a white wood side table with two drawers. The top of the table is lined with colorful yardsticks in blue, yellow, orange and wood tones.
Photo of a vintage black wood trunk with old yardsticks used to refinish the top. This is a photo of the trunk in the antique store and another idea to repurpose vintage yardsticks

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Square feature image of a hare leaping through ferns and over whimsical mushrooms. This boho linocut block illustration is one color- one cut file layer for Cricut, sublimation, digital stencil, and paper crafts.

Plant Mom

A one-color illustration and digital craft file for paper crafts, sublimation, and cut vinyl projects.

Shop: Plant Mom Ivy League

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4. Yardstick Poster Holder

Make a simple poster hanger using lightweight yardsticks! This project took just a few minutes, below are the details.

Vintage yardstick make up this fun poster holder tied at the top with twine to hand it on the wall. The ruler on the top has a piece of old advertising type that says: You'll always be glad. The bottom vintage ruler is more worn with paint spots and cut off wording says: Run To the Sun for. The poster background is a bright pink palm tree design with a mermaid illustration and the words: Meet Me at the Beach in royal blue overlay.

To make a poster holder out of yardsticks, you’ll first need to cut four yardstick pieces slightly longer than your poster. You will need two for the top and two for the bottom.

Next, glue button magnets to marry the pieces together using silicone glue. I put a set of magnets in the middle and a set on both ends. Six total on the top and six on the bottom for my 16″ x 20″ poster. The button magnets I’m using for this project came from Walmart, and they are .75″ in diameter.

Let the silicone adhesive dry overnight, then hang up your poster and enjoy!

5. Ruler Box Magnets

These cute ruler box magnets can be used in many different ways. Check out the full tutorial and all the ideas here –> How to Make Ruler Box Magnets.

Square feature image of two finished air plant holders made out of yardsticks on a white refrigerator.

6. Scrappy Tiered Tray

Make a tiered tray using scrap wood, wood rulers, and other found items! For more DIY tiered tray ideas, check out this post –> 6 Unique DIY Tiered Trays Made With Flea Market Finds.

6 DIY Tiered Trays - Wood Yard Stick Tiered Tray - feature image with garden supplies and plants around it.

7. Ruler Framed Chalkboard and Catchall

Use rulers to make a frame. Below, I framed out the chalkboard on this catchall to give this upcycled piece a little added vintage charm.

Photo of a finished upcycle project, Baking Pan Message Board & Catchall. Cookie sheet with a bread pan attached to the front hanging on a paneling wall with a clock and tools nearby. Painted with chalkboard paint - reads "Dad's Fix-It Shop".

8. Ruler Scrap Ideas

Last, after making these projects, you may have some odds and ends left over. Why not use them to make a beautiful necklace or keychain? If your yardstick piece doesn’t have a metal grommet, you can glue metal washers to the front and back using E6000 for a more finished look!

Photo of a necklace charm made with a piece of an old yardstick that has a metal grommet at the top in brass, this was natural to the piece and a left over from other projects. Three holes were drilled into the bottom of the one inch wood yardstick piece and metal wire strings a brass tiny key in the center and wire with three beads each on the sides. The beads are peach and amber in tone with a couple of brass beads in the stack. I used a vintage matching large link chain to match. Show here hanging on an old blue sea glass bottle.
Two keychains, one about two inches long and the other four. Both made from left over pieces of a vintage yardstick. One has the natural brass grommet but the other I used two round, aged washers to make a grommet around the hole. Both have large key chain rings in silver and are shown with keys in a white shell dish with tiny blue floral accents.

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Horizontal closeup photo of four finished vintage clipboard frames with skeleton clips in dark brown with black and white urban architectural elements like stairs and building exterior clipped to them.

Learn how to make vintage-style clipboards!

Read More: How to Make Vintage-Style Clipboards

MORE HOME DECOR IDEAS:

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Watch A Video

Link to the full tutorial here –> How to Make a Pretty Brooch Pin Bracelet

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