thrifty finds: recovered clock

 

Remember this clock I found at Goodwill last month?

I liked it, but it was kind of blah.  So I decided to try to take the sucker apart and give it some new life, using only what I already had on hand. My husband and I are soon celebrating our fourth anniversary with a mini-getaway, and we're also in dire need of a new computer, so the less I spend on stuff, the better!

It took me a few minutes to figure it out, but once I removed some screws in the back, I was able to pop the glass out of the front and remove the hands so they wouldn't get messed up.  The original paper they used to decorate the face of clock was really stuck in there, so I left it there and figured I'd just stick stuff on top of it.

First I tried paper...but it looked weird and it just wrinkled really easily.  So I decided to try fabric instead.  I went ahead and Mod-Podged the paper circle on the clock face anyway, just in case the original design would show through the fabric once that was on there.

Then I found a fat quarter I got on clearance at Jo-Ann a few weeks back and cut the same-sized circle out of it. I ironed the circle really well and Mod-Podged it down over the paper circle, smoothing out all the wrinkles with a rag.

I felt it needed something else....probably because some of my edges were uneven and it was pretty noticeable.  Oops.  Gotta cover that up.  So I found some twine in our laundry room and decided to line the edges with it using some hot glue.

In the end, three rows of twine looked the best to me, so I did that. Then I removed a BUNCH of those annoying little hot glue strings that seem to stick to everything like spiderwebs.  Can they just go ahead and invent some non-string-producing hot glue already??  :o)

Now for the numbers.  I decided to just do 12, 3, 6, and 9, since I didn't want to have to worry about the face of the clock looking too crowded (and, let's face it, naptime was almost over!).  I printed out the numbers in a cute font and laid them on the clock to see how they looked:

Then I used double-sided fusible interfacing to bond the numbers to a coordinating fabric; this made the numbers sturdier and easier to cut out.  This step would have been unnecessary if I had a Silhouette or other kind of craft cutter.  Then the numbers would have already been cut out for me.  On fabric.  Because Silhouettes can do that now.  Sigh.  Maybe one day... :o)

Anyway, I cut the numbers out, peeled the paper off the back, and stuck them on the clock to figure out exactly where they needed to go.  This is what's nice about double-sided interfacing...it provides kind of a temporary hold so you can move stuff around before you commit and iron it down.  If I had planned this out better, I would have ironed them directly on the fabric circle before I Mod-Podged it to the clock face.  Instead, I ended up just brushing some Mod-Podge on the back of the numbers and sticking them to the fabric, using the hook on the back of the clock as a guide so I would know where the "top" of the clock was.  When I was satisfied, I let everything dry, then replaced the clock hands.

I cleaned the glass really well, screwed everything back in its place, and just like that I had a new clock.

Total cost:  $4.14 for the clock.  Everything else, I had on hand!

Love it.  My kitchen loves it too.  Only thing is, the thing's a little temperamental.  Even with a new battery in it, the clock just stops ticking randomly, and usually starts again only if you really press on the battery (which is pretty snug in its holder already).  Weird.  Perhaps this is why the previous owners were kind enough to donate it.  Remember, I found this at Goodwill so you just never know.  I still love it though, and it looks great just as a decoration.  And ticking gets on my nerves after awhile so maybe it's for the best.

So if you have a clock you're not loving that much, give it a new face!  :o)

Linking up to DIY Under $5 at A Little Tipsy today... although I accidentally put MY name under the thumbnail instead of the project name.  Duh.  :o)

I also linked up with Creations by Kara!