Summer Memories in an Old Clock Frame
by
Jewellmartin
2 Materials
$2
2 Hours
Easy
We picked up many shells and shards this summer. The condo we stayed in had a huge picture frame filled with local shells, twigs etc. That brought me to a clock frame!
I took an old clock completely apart, since it didn’t work at all. I cleaned the frame, removed the frame (tiny screws!), removed the front liner and the glass, and then I took off the the hands. I did not remove the paper with Roman numerals because it was glued to the base of the clock.
I spent some time painting the background, using Apple Crate craft paint This is two shades of blue and some white paint, Unicorn Spit could have added more dimension to the waves, but I wanted the background the stay in the background.
I painted twelve seashells from my husband, grandson, and daughter-in-law’s morning walks on the beach at PCB, Fl. I washed the shells, then used one or two colors on each shell.
These are the painted shells, glued in numeral position, but with no numbers. The ocean doesn’t need to measure time. I love the rough shell in the middle, with pieces of other sea creatures stuck to it—just like barnacles on a ship’s hull.
Well, the glass didn’t fit the bigger shell, so I used in its stead a sparkly fish! And some glue bubbles that turned translucent as they dried.
I had three ideas then. The clock frame looked a little like a ship’s wheel. I went to our local Elliott’s Hardware and had a delightful time, just looking for several things. My first thought was to buy some cotton rope and dye it with tea, then wrap it around the front of the frame. I bought the rope, but wanted more. Nope. Then I decided I needed four knobs like on Spongebob Squarepants’s sunken ship. I had the help of the store manager, but we could find nothing like the knob in any ship’s bow. Nope. Then I found something.
This chain is the same gold and black mottled design as the clock frame! So that’s how I came to the finished design with a chain. I found this 16” piece of chain in the cut-off bin at the hardware store and paid $1.19 for it instead of $1.49. Even better.
See how perfectly the metal chain matches the plastic frame? I attached the chain to the back with Scotchguard packing and sealing tape, backed up by a strong nail and reinforcement for the frame. Cost: I had these small items worth 4 cents.
Here it is, ready to hang on a wall. And I know just which one.
Please comment if I can answer any questions, or if you would like to tell me how you used your summer seashells. ☺️
Comments
Join the conversation
2 comments
-
I love this! What a sweet way to timelessly keep memories in sight!
Frequently asked questions
Have a question about this project?