Mapping Out Time - Making a Decorative Map Clock

I was at a second hand store recently and saw this clock with a frame that I LOVED but wasn't so thrilled with the flowers on the face of the clock. 

I thought about getting it just for the frame but since I have so many already, I skipped purchasing it. I went a few days later and they had a really ugly 70's clock with glass mirror on the edges and it hung lengthwise and under the clock there were three holes and there were three old maps in the holes. 

It gave me the idea to make a "map clock" out of the flower clock that was still at the store. 

I purchased it and went right over the the scrapbook paper store and asked for anything they had with old map prints. I purchased a few and also found an old map that we hadn't used for Princess One's wedding that I could use. 


I didn't want to choose which map went into the frame clock since Prince One collects old maps and has the one from their wedding that I found and used as a decoration. He has an old spinning globe from his grandmothers and he has their names made out of maps that my sister made for their wedding as well as a few other old maps that I found a few months ago. 

When they came to visit recently, I let Prince One choose which paper her liked the best for me to use and he picked the scrap paper you see at the top. 

Basically, be very careful and take the top nut off the clock hands, then take the hands off taking care not to bend them while wiggling them to get the loose. If they do bend a little, just press down on the bent area on a flat surface and they should go flat again as they are thin metal. 

Use the pliers to take off the large round nut holding the battery unit on. Once that is off, you can take the entire clock mechanism off and then measure and cut what print you choose to fit inside the frame. 

You can make your own clock by using an existing clock, purchase a used clock and take out the mechanism and put it into a new frame and just cut a hole in the center of the back piece of "wood" to insert the clock. Using a drill bit that is just a bit larger than the center of the clock stem wouldn't take long. 
 
To get the center of the frame, draw a straight line from one corner to the other on the diagonal and then from the other top corner to the opposite lower corner on the diagonal and where the two lines meet, drill the hole for the clock stem there. 

Once you have the hole, measure the paper, cut it to fit inside the frame.  Draw an x on the backside of the paper through the center hole and poke scissors through the center of the x in the center of the paper and also trace around the circle drilled in the wood onto the paper around the "x" so you can carefully cut out the center hole for the stem to go into. 

Once you have the "X" cut, check the fit one more time and if everything lines us, you can use spray adhesive or a glue stick to adhere the paper to the backing board. 

Let it dry and set for a few minutes and then push the stem from the back to the front. Carefully hand tighten the nut onto the stem and give it a tighten with the pliers. Put the hands back onto the clock stem and push gently on the base of each inserting it into the mechanism for that hand making sure the larger opening is on first which is usually the fat hand. Screw the little decorative nut back onto the stem for the clock, locking down the hands of the clock.


Set the time and insert the battery. You now have any decorative clock you want. I thought it would be cute to have a clock at a wedding with it set to the time they met, the time they first kissed, the time they got married etc. having several clocks matching the wedding colors. 

This project is simple and I know the second hand store throws out tons of clocks that don't sell so you can pick them up for a dollar or two and use their hands and mechanisms and use any frame you want with wedding color backgrounds etc for the center face of the clock. There are lots of options with this idea. I am thinking a wedding theme of "It's our Time" or "It's about time," or "Just in Time" or some other cute "Time or Clock" theme would be creative.

Here are links to Princess One's wedding posts. Video post showing maps and doors theme with Pinwheels etc.
French door entry with map and picture spots. Bouquet made of maps paper flowers.