Unique Clocks for the New Year

Alicia W
by Alicia W
15 Materials
$10
1 Hour
Easy
Looking for a clock that out of the ordinary? You can literally make a clock out of anything - all you need is a clock mechanism that you can find at any craft store or on Amazon.
Here are three pretty cute ideas to inspire you.
I found this mechanism at Hobby Lobby. There are also different size hands and if you’re making a large clock, there are mechanism for larger hands.
The first clock I made is using a photograph. This is my dog, Gus.
A - I began by increasing the size of the picture to 8-1/2”x11” & printing it out, then I cut out his face using a utility knife.
B - I traced the face onto a piece of cardboard.
C - I cut the carboard using a utility knife.
I determined where the hands would be placed and marked the hole using a pencil, pushing the pencil through the photo and cardboard, making a hole.
I applied Tacky Glue to the cardboard and smoothed it with my finger making sure to get along the edges.
Allow to dry.
Once the glue was dried,
A - I pushed the clock mechanism through the hole
B - I then made the clock face: 1-metal washer, 2-nut, 3-hour hand, 4-minute hand, 5-cap.
So. Freaking. Cute.
Everyone has tons of pictures lying around. Why not make them into a clock?
A-I purchased 12, 3.5”x5” frames
B-I added my pictures
C-Using these Scotch brand adhesive squares (this is a good alternative to nails. The squares won’t damage your walls so you can change the design)
D-I attached the squares to the back of the frames
Using the clock mechanism,
A-I measured the depth
B-Drew those measurements onto a piece of cardboard
C-Placed the mechanism along the measurements and traced
D-Drew the depth measurement along the side and cut using a utility knife
E-I scored (did not cut through) the cardboard along all the black lines
F-I determined the center of the mechanism
G-And marked on the cardboard then cut the hole in the center
A-I added the hanger onto the back
B-I poked the mechanism through the center hole in the cardboard
C-Then wrapped the sides of the cardboard around the mechanism
D-I wrapped the sides with duct tape
E- Making sure everything was smooth
F-I painted the box with paint that matched my wall color
A-I put the hands onto the mechanism: 1-washer, 2-nut, 3-hour hand, 4-minute hand, 5-cap
B-Ready to hang
C-I hung the clock onto the wall using a small brad nail. Measuring from the mechanism, I applied the first picture to the wall at 3 o’clock
D-I hung 3 more pictures at 12, 6, and 9 o’clock before hanging the rest of the pictures.
Cute.
If you have children, you could replace the pictures of family members with pictures of a bed at 8 o’clock, a dinner plate at 6 o’clock, etc.
For the final clock, I used a whiteboard which every organized home has no matter what size.


Determine where you want to place the clock.
A-Using the clock’s hands, measure where the hole for the mechanism should be placed.
B-Flip the whiteboard to the reverse side and mark thone measurements
C-Using a small drill bit, drill a pilot hole
D-Find a drill bit that is the same circumference as the clock mechanism
E-Using that drill bit, flip the board to the right side, and slowly drill the hole.
Now add the clock hands.
A-Place the mechanism through the back to the front of the board, inserting it into the hole you just drilled
B-Add the metal washer
C-Add the metal nut, tightening it but not overly tightening it
D-Add the hour hand
E-Add the minute hand
F-Add the second hand
Because of the width of the clock mechanism, the whiteboard cannot sit flush against the wall.
A-Measure the length of the board
B-Mark those measurements onto two pieces of 1”x2” pine
C-Cut the pine to size
D-Apply glue - I used Weldbond
E-Mark the back of the whiteboard where the pine will be attached and lay the pine board, glue side down, onto the back of the whiteboard
F-Clamp the pine board in place
Allow to dry.
I determined where the whiteboard would be mounted, measured and placed three screws into the wall on those measurements.
Once the glue was dried, I placed the pine board onto the tops of the screws to hang (Yellow circle)
The numbers on the clock are scrapbook stickers but you can write numbers directly onto the whiteboard using pens.


How could you be more organized then to have a clock directly on your command center??
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Frequently asked questions
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3 of 4 questions
  • LaVenna Kay Cox LaVenna Kay Cox on Feb 05, 2019

    I really like the dog clock. How do you hang it though?

  • Sheila Lindner Sheila Lindner on Feb 10, 2019

    How did you attach the family pictures to the click? Are they in clear frames?

  • Gina Cochran Gina Cochran on Feb 20, 2019

    I want to make a large round clock..how thick can my woos be?

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  • Debbie Debbie on Mar 21, 2019

    I did something like this for my youngest child she is in the pokieman stuff so I got 4 of the little toys 12 was tacky so I just 4 will I glued them on it and put together it turned out super cute. my friend wanted one done with cars so I got 12 match boxs cars OMG super super cute.

  • Dulce Dulce on Mar 18, 2022

    This isn't a question, but I love this idea for myself. I was thinking about my grandchildren on this one for some reason . My children when young would always change the time on my clocks at home when they wanted to stay up. Sneaky, when all 3 were in this together. I was picturing my grandchildren children changing the time and removing notes, especially chores. Lol.

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