Colorful Kitchen Clock DIY - A Beautiful Mess

Have you ever just had a project idea in your head that didn t exactly fit your style but you fell in love with it anyway? Yeah. That happened to me recently.

I don t usually make projects with tons of colors. I m just not a heavy color person. If you look in my closet or around my house you d see that it s not exactly a rainbow. I tend to stick to what I would consider safe colors (a.k.a. neutrals). But, I got this idea for a colorful (think color wheel) clock, and I just couldn t get it out of my head. I ve been wanting to make a clock ever since Elsie and Laura made this one. and I realized how simple it can be. After a few months of thinking it over, I decided to take the plunge and just go for something colorful. The end result: I love it! It does stand out as something very different from my usual choices, and I really like that I let myself out of my usual, neutral color box for a little bit. )

This clock is not really a color wheel, even though it kind of looks like one at first. I decided to place my colors more randomly because, while planning, I just felt like the clock felt too heavy on one side if I stuck to a more traditional color wheel placement. I also must admit, this clock reminds me a lot of my mom. She s a campaign, just-go-with-it kind of gal, and her attitude toward life and art has always been a big point of inspiration for my sister and I.

Anyway, here s how I made my clock. Supplies:

-clock kit (can be found at most craft stores)

-wooden round (a circle or oval)

-12 wooden spoons

-primer, optional if your wood piece is darker

-craft paint (in 12 colors)

-painter s tape

-paint brushes

-Krazy Glue

-power drill

-5/16 drill bit (or whatever size fits your clock kit)

-ruler

Aproximate Cost: $28 (does not include cost of tools)

Step One: You ll note that I originally started the project with an oval wood piece but later switched to a circle. I had wanted to drill holes along the edges of the clock to fill with the spoons, but this proved very difficult without splitting the wood. So, I adjusted my project. But I still wanted to note this change here.

Step Two: Paint the wooden spoons. I taped mine first so the line would be super clean looking.

Step Three: Prime the main wood piece. Once dry, use a ruler to measure out twelve even spaces around the clock for each hour.

Step Four: Paint each of the hour areas with colorful craft paint. Again, I used painter s tape to keep it clean looking.

Step Five: Drill a hole in the center and add your clock kit (follow the kit instructions; it may vary based on the type of clock kit you purchase).

Step Six: Attach the wooden spoons to the hour dividers using Krazy Glue. Make sure your clock hands will still be able to move around the spoon handles (you don t want them to stop the clock s movement). Ta-da! Colorful clock is a go! The clock kit I used had a hole in the back to allow you to easily hang the clock on a wall. Most kits will also require a battery or two for the clock to work. I had originally intended for this to hang in our kitchen. Get it? With the wooden spoons and all. But now that the project is complete, I just feel like it fits better in our home office. maybe near my sewing/craft area. Hmm. We ll see. Thanks for letting me share! xo. Emma

Credits // Author: Emma Chapman, Photography by: Sarah Rhodes and Emma Chapman. Photos edited with Cleo of the Signature Collection .

Have you ever just had a project idea in your head that didn't exactly fit your style but you fell in love with it anyway? Yeah. That happened to me recently.

I don't usually make projects with tons of colors. I'm just not a heavy color person. If you look in my closet or around my house you'd see that it's not exactly a rainbow. I tend to stick to what I would consider safe colors (a.k.a. neutrals). But, I got this idea for a colorful (think color wheel) clock, and I just couldn't get it out of my head. I've been wanting to make a clock ever since Elsie and Laura made this one. and I realized how simple it can be. After a few months of thinking it over, I decided to take the plunge and just go for something colorful. The end result: I love it! It does stand out as something very different from my usual choices, and I really like that I let myself out of my usual, neutral color box for a little bit. )

This clock is not really a color wheel, even though it kind of looks like one at first. I decided to place my colors more randomly because, while planning, I just felt like the clock felt too heavy on one side if I stuck to a more traditional color wheel placement. I also must admit, this clock reminds me a lot of my mom. She's a campaign, just-go-with-it kind of gal, and her attitude toward life and art has always been a big point of inspiration for my sister and I.

Anyway, here's how I made my clock. Supplies:

-clock kit (can be found at most craft stores)

-wooden round (a circle or oval)

-12 wooden spoons

-primer, optional if your wood piece is darker

-craft paint (in 12 colors)

-painter's tape

-paint brushes

-Krazy Glue

-power drill

-5/16 drill bit (or whatever size fits your clock kit)

-ruler

Aproximate Cost: $28 (does not include cost of tools)

Step One: You'll note that I originally started the project with an oval wood piece but later switched to a circle. I had wanted to drill holes along the edges of the clock to fill with the spoons, but this proved very difficult without splitting the wood. So, I adjusted my project. But I still wanted to note this change here.

Step Two: Paint the wooden spoons. I taped mine first so the line would be super clean looking.

Step Three: Prime the main wood piece. Once dry, use a ruler to measure out twelve even spaces around the clock for each hour.

Step Four: Paint each of the hour areas with colorful craft paint. Again, I used painter's tape to keep it clean looking.

Step Five: Drill a hole in the center and add your clock kit (follow the kit instructions; it may vary based on the type of clock kit you purchase).

Step Six: Attach the wooden spoons to the hour dividers using Krazy Glue. Make sure your clock hands will still be able to move around the spoon handles (you don't want them to stop the clock's movement). Ta-da! Colorful clock is a go! The clock kit I used had a hole in the back to allow you to easily hang the clock on a wall. Most kits will also require a battery or two for the clock to work. I had originally intended for this to hang in our kitchen. Get it? With the wooden spoons and all. But now that the project is complete, I just feel like it fits better in our home office. maybe near my sewing/craft area. Hmm. We'll see. Thanks for letting me share! xo. Emma

Credits // Author: Emma Chapman, Photography by: Sarah Rhodes and Emma Chapman. Photos edited with Cleo of the Signature Collection .