Writer-Themed Tim Holtz Clock

Writer-Themed Tim Holtz Clock
Have you seen the Idea-Ology Assemblage Clock from Tim Holtz? I've actually gutted vintage clocks to make them over... and I can tell you this clock is waaaaay easier! The back just pops right off, no screws. And it's basically a blank canvas waiting to be personalized. The hardest part is choosing a theme.

I thought about doing a Christmas theme (and I still might!), but I wanted a clock I could display year-round, something that was... me. So, I chose a writer theme. I loooove a good book. I'm also a children's author (check out the Villain School Books).

Here's a quick tutorial on how you can make this writer-themed clock.

Most of the elements (the background and little pile of mail, scroll, tiny books, etc.) came from my Romance Writer Scrap Pack. I actually had to resize the elements to fit the clock and have the "mini elements" file available to anyone who purchases the scrap pack from my Etsy shop.

Remove Glass Front
The first thing I did was remove the glass front piece to prep the clock for spray-painting. It comes in a shiny silver, which is attractive, but I wanted a more "vintage" feel. A pair of pliers helped to loosen the little nuts so I could turn the metal pieces enough to slip the glass out. Be careful, some pieces of this are sharp and could potentially cut you.

Spray Paint
Set the glass aside. I found a piece of old cardboard to lay my clock on and went outside to spray paint. I did not want a black clock, but rather a vintage silver. So, I did a very LIGHT coat of spray paint, standing a couple feet away and just misting it over the clock. I repeated it until I got the look I wanted.

Paper Backing
Next, I traced the back onto some paper from my Romance Writer Scrap Pack on Etsy. It has the look of old typewriter keys and made a nice backdrop for my decorative elements. I glued it to the clock-back.

Assembling Mini Elements
Now it was time to assemble my writer-themed elements! I printed out a few items from my Romance Writer Scrap Pack and also my Da Vinci Mini Book & Alice In Wonderland Mini Book. Re-sizing the items, I created a mini pile of envelopes & postcards, tying them together with hemp twine (find a similar twine here). I used a pencil to roll up my "scroll" and added a goose down feather I found outside as a "quill".

Arranging The Layout
I played around with the layout, placing my clock over the back piece to see how things would fit.

Finishing Touches
Once I had the items arranged as desired, I glued them into place. The mini books I simply tossed in the bottom, then I pushed the back onto the clock, with the elements glued to it. A tiny vintage typewriter pencil sharpener (found on eBay, you can find a similar one here) with some typed words displayed on top finished the look.

Will you do a clock makeover now? What will your theme be?
Share on my Facebook page.