Project no. 1: Clock Makeover

I received a clock that I liked overall, but that had on it the logo of the company that gave it. I don’t know about you, but I personally dislike too visible brands. This is how this project came about: the clock makeover.

First thing to do is decide on the following:

–          The design

–          The materials and colors that blend well in the environment that the object is being placed in

–          The method to be employed

I did a bit of research and didn’t come up with anything interesting, so I designed my own abstract pattern. I drew it on a bit of paper, I decided where each colour is to be placed, I cut piece by piece the coloured shapes, and stuck them to the clock in the desired pattern, so I can easily remove them when I start placing the tesserae (pieces of mosaic) on it.

The colours I chose are: black and tan – as they are found in my kitchen, and blue – for a bit of colour and energy. The material is glass mosaic.

The method I decided on was:

–          Direct, as the tesserae was to be applied directly, piece by piece on the clock rim; and

–          Without grout, as the clock would become too heavy and the look would not be as edgy as the one I was looking for.

Let’s get started… 🙂

Start cutting the material you are using in the shape you desire. Use protective gear as discussed in “Materials & Utensils”! Because I chose the grout-free method, I had to try and fit the tesserae to perfection so the gaps between them are very small.

The only way to learn how to cut the mosaic is by trial and error. You will get the hang of it quite fast, don’t worry! Try diagonal cuts, smaller, bigger, anything that comes to mind, until you figure out how the material you are using reacts to being cut. And use a cloth (covering the piece of mosaic as you cut it) to stop the shards of material to not hurt you or fly all over the room.

Remove the first piece of paper (whichever you decide to start with) and add a base of glue.

Dip the base of each piece of tesserae in glue and stick it in the desired place, by respecting the model you chose. You will end up with something like this:

Continue uncovering and filling in the gaps with tessarae by alternating colors. Here are a few steps along the process:

After around 5 hours and a lot of concentration, you will be able to admire the final result in all its spledor.

I am quite pleased with my fancy, upgraded kitchen clock. What do you thing?

Tagged: DIY, home, under 8h

Posted in: English