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Have you ever come across something while antiquing and want it so bad, then you look at the cost? That happens to me all the time. I know some things are worth the cost, and worth having authentic. But other things...well, sometimes I just want the look without the cost. So...I DIY it!
One such vintage item that I would love to have more of but never find thrifting, and only ever find for a pretty penny are old clock faces. I did found this one on the left for about $20, but wanted more...so...I made one :)
What did I do? I went thrifting of course :) And of course I didn't find an amazing cool vintage clock or clock face. I found this below:
Supplies:
Thrifted clock
Scissors
Sandpaper
Dark Walnut stain from MinWax
I was hoping I could just pop it out and have an easy clock face to transform. But no....I started to take off the back...
And found out quickly that it was all one giant piece of plastic with the "clock face" glued onto it. So, I had to start cutting it. And let me tell you, that was a big pain in the butt. It was awful; actually broke a pair of scissors doing it. But eventually the plastic around the cock face was off.
Now to start the fun part...destroying it more! Just kidding, mainly distressing it. I took some sandpaper and roughed up the face a little bit, and then used it to smooth out the plastic.
I then took some stain in dark walnut and brushed it onto the clock face. Once it was all on there, I quickly wiped it off. I just left it on there long enough to give it a good "antique" like feel.
Next, I added the hands back on with some super glue. Now was the problem with the cheap looking plastic on the edges. I took care of that problem with some Rub n' Buff in antique gold and carefully brushed that along the edges. You can see pretty well from this picture how the sandpaper adding a lot of aging as well once the stain was put on.
And there it is! Not too bad for a $1 clock! I actually go to the thrift store by me like once a week looking for more clocks to do this to. It's really hard to find some with vintage type numbering like this. I haven't found one since I found this clock!
I currently have it tucked snuggly in my dining room hutch.
Sometimes saving a couple of bucks is a pain in the butt, like when I spent an hour trying to cut the plastic off this clock. But, it actually was totally worth it. I love how it turned out, and hope it inspires you!
Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
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