I Made A Personalized Clock So I Can Think About You All The Time

Happy New Year! To kick off 2013, this month's Designer Craft Connection Blog Hop theme is "Home Decor". And when I think of home decor, I think of wallpaper but only because the wallpaper in the bathroom shocks me awake each morning when I see it. Someday, that wallpaper will come down but in the meantime I just try to hide it by hanging more things on it - like this clock which I made a few years ago for my Sweetie, Bruce. (Actually this clock hangs in the kitchen, but there is no wallpaper there and that's ok because ugly wallpaper in the kitchen makes everything taste bad no matter how much salt you add.) Making this clock is very easy; it's all coloring with pens and pencils and you can adapt the idea to suit your own favorites.

Each of the hours on the clock has some phrase to describe what Bruce might typically be doing at that time. He's a sound effects editor for features so that explains the "Boom" and "Whoosh" at five o'clock. Seven o'clock is the little black MGB that was my ride in college and which Bruce restored about ten years ago.

I even drew little caricatures of Bruce and myself onto thin plastic and then glued them onto the clock hands! (Yes, he is taller than me in real life. :) )

Here's how:

Personalized Wood Clock

- Blank Wood Circle (*Optional - I also used an outer wood ring for the numbers but you can just add the numbers to the large circle if you like.)

- Battery Operated Clock Movement (make sure shaft is long enough to fit though the thickness of the wood circle)

- Oil Color Pencils (available in the wood section at the craft store)

- Assorted Paint Pens

- Picture Hanger

- *Optional - Thin Plastic Sheet - for face cutouts

- Acrylic Spray Sealant -(I like MinWax Polycrylic)

Tools:

- Rotary Tool with Small Drill Bit

- White Glue

- Scissors

Instructions:

1. Use the rotary tool to drill a hole in the center of the wood circle. Drill the hole large enough so that the clock movement shaft will fit through it.

2. Use the oil color pencils to fill in the entire front of the wood circle. *Here's a trick - use three different shades of your chosen color to get a really pretty textured effect. For the green background, I used a light yellow/green, a medium green and a dark green. Start with the lightest color and draw short strokes all over. Leave some blank spaces. Then do the medium color and then the darkest. You'll end up with a fun brushy effect. *Here's another tip - oil color pencils work best when you press down hard and use lots of pressure. This lays down a lot of color and makes everything pop.

3. Draw the hour numbers around the outer edge of the wood circle with a paint pen.

4. Here's the fun part. Using paint pens, personalize your clock by adding drawings, doodles and phrases. Go all out!

5. Seal the design by spraying lightly with acrylic sealant. Do this outside! Set aside and let dry.

6. Follow the package directions to fit the clock movement through the hole from the back of the wood circle. Glue a picture hanger to the back as well.

6. Optional - if you'd like to add little faces or figures to the clock hands, draw them on thin plastic with paint pens, cut them out and then attach them to the hour and minute hands with a drop of glue.

That's it! Wouldn't these would be cute decorated for each of the holidays or customized for everyone on your holiday gift list? I am always so behind on crafting my Christmas gifts but I think if I start making these now, I might just be ready in time for next Christmas!

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You can see lots more January Craft ideas by following along on the Designer Crafts Connection Blog Hop. Just click on the "hop forward" or "hop back" buttons on the badge to visit the next site. You'll be inspired when you see all that the Designers have created!