DIY Texture Paste Clock

5 Materials
$10
4 Hours
Easy

Thanks so much for viewing my post ☺️


Today I'm going to show you how to not only make your own texture/modeling paste, but also how to colour it and then use it to make this unique looking clock.


This is another great craft to get the kids involved in because it's simply pure messy fun 🎨


As always, I have an easy-to-follow YouTube video to go with this project. See below for more details and a direct link 👍🏻


WHAT YOU'LL NEED


  • Round wooden boards
  • Drill
  • Clock mechanism
  • Baking soda
  • Glue (any kind, Mod Podge, school glue, Elmer's, PVA etc)
  • Acrylic paints
  • Mixing containers and sticks



1 - YOUTUBE TUTORIAL


As I mentioned above, here's the YouTube video I created for this exact project that shows you how to make this clock. I even have a separate video with more detail on how to mix the coloured paste if needed!


Just click on the video link above to view. If you enjoy the video, please give it a 'thumbs up' and consider subscribing to my channel for more crafty content 👍🏻


2 - PREPPING YOUR WOODEN BOARD


First things first, you'll want to drill a hole in the centre of your wooden board.


You want to do this now rather than later as it's just easier to get it done without the textured paste on the other side.


If you're unsure how to find the centre of your circle then you can do as I did:


  1. Draw 3 random straight secant lines through your circle - space these lines out around the board
  2. Pick a line and measure it's length, then make a mark to indicate the half way point
  3. Now draw a long straight line, perpendicular to the first line, at the half way point
  4. Repeat these steps with the other 2 lines
  5. All the new perpendicular lines should meet at a point - this is the centre of your circle


Now drill a hole in the centre with a drill bit that is at least the same width as your clock mechanism's thread (the sticky-outy bit). I made pencil lines so I rub them out.


3 - MAKING THE TEXTURE PASTE


You won't believe the number of artists who just buy their modeling paste instead of making it. I personally don't get it when it's this easy to make and sooooo cheap! Maybe they haven't found the right recipe yet, I don't know 🤷🏼‍♀️


My paste recipe is roughly 1 part glue, 1 part white acrylic paint, and 3 parts baking soda.


When I make this recipe, I start with small 'parts' for the glue and paint and add more later if needed, otherwise I end up running out of baking soda fast, 3 parts is a lot 😂


You're aiming for 3 parts baking soda but basically, you want a stiff whipped texture like frosting. If the mixture is still wobbly after adding 3 parts, just add more and mix thoroughly.


Honestly, you can't go too wrong. You just want a paste that will spread nicely and that will also stay where you put it without 'melting'.


My parts were about 40mls each as I ended up with roughly 200mls of fully mixed paste.


With your paste made, spoon it out into smaller cups. However many colours you want will determine the number of cups you need.


Add just a small drop of acrylic paint into each cup and mix in throughly.


Remember that part of the recipe is white acrylic paint so whatever colour you add, this will naturally become a pastel version of that.


For a deeper more intense shade, add more paint. Beware that this may soften your mixture slightly because you're adding moisture to it. If this happens, just add a little more baking soda to compensate 👍🏻


I wanted these soft pastel colours though so this wasn't a problem for me. Just a drop of each colour and I achieved my pastel perfection 😍


4 - PASTING UP THE BOARD


With all your colours mixed, it's time to start adding them to your board.


You can do this in so many different fun ways and there are basically no rules but if you want to achieve a similar look to mine then this is how I did it. Also, it's much easier to see what I mean in my video.


I load up wooden popsicle sticks and brush each colour on at a low sweeping angle. I add 1 colour at a time but place this in a couple of locations around the board to try and get an overall 'balanced' look to my piece at the end.


When it comes to adding the next colour, I brush and smear this onto it's own patch of the board but I also try to overlap the edges of the previous colour. I don't care if the 2 colours combine, on the contrary, I want them to. This makes for such an interesting look.


I have never iced a cake before, I don't bake or cook 😬, but if you have then I think this technique could possibly feel the same as that, if that helps.


I mentioned earlier that there are lots of different ways to add the paste, you could use your fingers for one. Maybe use latex gloves though because I found the paste quite drying on my hands. It washed off very easily though and didn't irritate my skin, but that's just me 🤷🏼‍♀️


I guesstimate that you have a good solid hour of work time with your paste before it starts to dry out. You can easily make this last longer by keeping your paste moving - by that I mean stir your colours in the cups every so often.


5 - FINISHING TOUCHES


Once you're happy with how your clock looks and you've allowed it to fully dried out - 3-4 hours to be safe - paint the back of your board a complimentary colour.


You could do this earlier, just after drilling the centre hole, but I didn't want to get paste on the back and have to paint it again. You're probably less messy than me though so feel free to paint it earlier on.


You could also add a coating of satin finishing spray to the front to help protect your colourful peaks but if you don't have any then I don't think it's completely necessary, especially if it's going straight up on the wall.


Lastly, add a clock mechanism with a wall hook built in and voila!


I hope you enjoyed this post and can take away some fun ideas to use in your crafts.


Please remember to check out my YouTube channel as well as this video for lots of crafty content.


I also have an Etsy Store with lots of handmade bits and pieces for sale if you're interested in having a look at that ☺️


Until next time, happy crafting! x


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  3 questions
  • Connie brosius Connie brosius on Nov 16, 2021

    i sure will try this but would it make a good snow ball paint over anything or will it crumble off like fabric or glass ware, canvas , paper??

  • Jo moberly Jo moberly on Nov 24, 2021

    Can you use these paints mixed this way on a metal lamp

  • Nikki Kohly Nikki Kohly on Nov 06, 2023

    Please advise the best way to repair a broken pottery plate (it's big, heavy, was hanging on the wall when someone knocked it down). Thanks.

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