DIY Vintage Pie Tin Clock

2 Materials
$8
30 Minutes
Easy

Rummaging around in my parents basement a few weeks ago, I stumbled across a stack of almost 20 vintage Table Talk Pie Tins that had been my Grandmother’s. Back in the day (approximately the 1930’s-1950’s), people would buy these store-bought pies with an extra 10 cent deposit that would be reimbursed if you returned the clean pie tin back to the store… but apparently my Grandmother chose not to, haha. These pie tins were a fun vintage find, and sentimental because they had once belonged to her. Since we didn’t have a kitchen clock I figured turning one of these tins into a clock would be a fun idea - and here’s how I did it. | This post contains affiliate links |

The first step to creating your clock is to purchase a clock kit that has the right diameter hands for your pie tin, so when they are mounted in the center of the tin they can move freely all around the face without touching the sides (very important).

After some measuring and browsing around on Amazon, I settled on this  Mudder Clock Kit - I liked the style of the hands and they would fit perfectly in this size pie tin.

Next, carefully measure to find the center of the pie tin and poke a pilot hole through with a small nail and hammer. After that, make sure your pie tin is well supported and on a safe area for drilling (I used some scrap 4x4 posts as a work station). Then carefully drill out your hole, starting with your smallest drill bit.

In order not to “rip” the tin, it’s very important to start small and work your way up in drill bit size. I started with the smallest drill bit and then worked my way up, using every-other-drill bit in the set going up in size order.

If you get a large burr, carefully cut it off with a pair of  small wire cutters before you move up to your next drill bit size.


Please note: Keep in mind that these pieces of tin are SHARP so use care and be mindful of the metal shavings you may drop while drilling. Make sure to clean up the shavings well after your project is done.

Periodically check to see if the threaded clock mechanism can pass through your hole yet. For this clock kit, I needed to jump up to a larger drill set in order to finally work my way up to the size hole I needed (in this case it was a 5/16” drill bit). Once the hole is the correct size, use a round file to clean up any little burrs around the edge.

Now it’s time to assemble your clock - follow the manufacturer’s directions on the best way to assemble the clock hands for your particular kit. Keep in mind that clock kits and especially the hands are VERY delicate so take care assembling them.


Once your clock is assembled, install the battery and set the time - now you can enjoy your new Vintage Pie Tin Clock!

Please see my original post for a link to purchase Vintage Pie Tins from my Etsy Shop: http://www.birchlandinghome.com/journal/2019/11/27/diy-vintage-pie-tin-clock


{ Follow me on Instagram: @birchlandinghome }

Resources for this project:
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Sarah | Birch Landing Home
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  • Devra Devra on Nov 20, 2020

    What are the other 6 holes for?

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  • Melinda Record Melinda Record on Nov 20, 2020

    This project is so clever ~ I love it. This antique pie pan repurpose adds such a great vintage vibe to any farmhouse kitchen decor ~ absolutely adorable. And I like that you did not add any time numbers so that the details of the pie pan could shine through!


    Thank you very much for sharing and inspiring!

  • Shelby 🐈 Shelby 🐈 on Nov 20, 2020

    I really love this. I can remember my grandmother & great aunts using pie tins like this. Pies - oh the pies we had growing up. Mmmmm


    I love that you kept the tin in tact as much as possible. I love the 10 minute marks rather than the 15 minute marks and you can actually READ the imprint.


    Thanks for the memories and I really do appreciate your clock.

    • Thank you so much! And I didn't add any time marks, I think what you're seeing are old knife scratches/dents on the tin :)

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