Today the market is rich in various wall clocks. It would seem that everyone can find something that suits their mood and interior. But it's not that simple.
In the pursuit of quantity and variety, the quality of products often suffers. Therefore, modern watches are short-lived and not at all practical, and often they have no soul.
Therefore, we encourage you to take the plunge and create a watch yourself. In this article you will definitely find answers to questions about making your own watches.
The benefits of creativity before purchasing
Firstly, it is new experience and new knowledge. You will understand the mechanisms, begin to understand how everything works, which is important.
Also, this is a great chance to realize any of your ideas, make a personalized item, select right size and color palette.
In general, create exactly what suits your home and specifically you.
Decoration techniques. What to choose?
In general, it all depends on you, your imagination and your desires. Here are a few basic techniques that you can take a closer look at:
- Decoupage - attaching a pattern or ornament to a base, varnishing;
- Quilling is the process of creating a pattern by twisting strips of paper;
- Elements of scrapbooking - creating collages using photographs or drawings;
- Working with epoxy resin - pouring the mold with resin with the addition of various decorations(sparkles, rhinestones, dried flowers);
- Painting with acrylic paints in various styles;
- Using strains to emboss ornaments;
- Embroidery;
- Use of wooden blanks.
Decide what is closer and clearer to you. Perhaps you are already familiar with some technique, or maybe you have long wanted to try yourself in a new style - this is a good opportunity.
Watch base – what is it?
Be sure to go through all your bins, chests and pantries. It is quite possible that you will find something that can be used in further decoration. Namely:
- Buttons that have been lying around for a long time, ribbons and pieces of fabric (great for decoration)
- Old records of different sizes (why not a base for a watch?)
- Clippings from magazines, newspapers, old photographs.
- Dried flowers and leaves.
- Pieces of plywood that remained after repairs, wood cuts, hemp (can also serve as a good base)
- Thick cardboard (pay attention to whether there are any boxes of equipment lying around - an excellent consumable material for the base)
- Shells, pebbles and various small parts.
Clock mechanisms
The main element of any watch. Nowadays, there are many types of mechanisms; they differ in the quality of the materials used and small subtleties.
But, in general, there are two main types - mechanical and quartz.
Looking at the watch, you will quickly determine what mechanism is inside: if the second hand moves continuously and almost silently, then this is a watch with mechanical “stuffing”; if the second hand twitches sharply and “nervously”, then this is a watch with quartz contents.
What is their difference and what should you prefer?
Quartz. It is now widespread because it is quite cheap and at the same time is characterized by faulty operation. A battery is used as a power source, which must be changed on time.
Why quartz? Because to create energy, the battery passes a charge through a quartz crystal. The crystal, in turn, begins to vibrate and sets the entire device in motion, and the arrows begin their path.
Mechanical. It is considered a work of art, a fine work of a master. This is what you will find in the most expensive and elite watches.
The essence of the work is that all the gears and parts are controlled by a spring, which gradually unwinds.
Such a mechanism is quite capricious; its accuracy can be affected by temperature, the position of the watch itself, and other factors. Therefore, it is considered normal that such watches will be slightly behind.
If you look into creative stores, you will find sets with quartz movements. They come in different qualities, and their price depends on this. But overall, this is a reliable option for creativity.
If you decide to give preference to mechanical “filling”, then you have two solutions - create a mechanical mechanism on your own or contact a master, since, basically, such mechanisms are made to order.
You can find a similar design in stock, but it is not a guarantee that it will be the right size.
In the first case, you will need a lot of time, desire and patience to master the skill. And the work of a master can cost you a pretty penny, you must be prepared for this.
Repairing the watch yourself is also possible. If you have a quartz movement, you will only need to remove the battery, wipe the contact area first with a damp cotton swab, then wipe dry with a rag and insert a new battery.
But if you have a mechanical mechanism, then you should not try to solve the problem yourself; it is better to seek help from a specialist.
Features to pay attention to when creating
Before you start, if you are a complete beginner, look through photos of head made watches on the Internet. Take a closer look at the details. This can help you decide on a style, and will certainly inspire you for further creativity.
And also do not forget to make a hole in the base so that it matches the diameter of the thread. And select the rod so that it is convenient to screw it with a nut so that everything is fastened tightly and securely.
It would be best to first select a clock mechanism, and then select a base with the required thickness
The hands should be arranged in order: first the hour, then the minute, and the last is the second. Make sure that the hands do not touch each other, otherwise the clock will not work.
Subtleties of wristwatches. What to do with them?
There is no limit to creativity! Even wrist watch you can make it original and exclusive. But in creative stores you are unlikely to find the necessary mechanism. To do this, you will either have to disassemble your old watch or deliberately buy an old one at a flea market.
But to do this job, you need to have special skills and tools. This type of work is more complex and serious, as it is considered a craft.
If in doubt, look on the Internet, look through photographs of sketches of various watches on your hand, and take a closer look. It is quite possible that you will decide to master this art.
Rules for using wristwatches
There is a stereotype that a wristwatch should only be worn on the left hand, regardless of gender. But in reality this is not so important. You will not offend anyone if you are much more comfortable wearing a watch on your right hand.
For men, the choice of hand mainly depends on the functionality, convenience and safety of the watch. For a woman, combination with other accessories is more important. Therefore, everything depends on you. Creative success!
DIY watch photo
Finding beautiful wall clocks and fitting them into your interior can be difficult. Especially for those who love original accessories and is not ready to pay a lot of money for designer models. Our selection includes 10 ideas for creating unusual watches from unnecessary things.
Clock made from disposable spoons
Very stylish and unusual wall clocks can be made from several hundred plastic spoons. The result is a funny accessory that looks like a bright flower.
Watch for book lovers
A godsend for reading lovers is a watch made from book volumes. A composition made up of several elements will look especially impressive.
Wall clock made from a bicycle wheel
Even an old bicycle wheel can make a fashionable watch. To do this, remove the tire and attach numbers and arrows to the rim.
Clock made of wooden boards
An excellent accessory in the shabby chic style can be made from wooden boards. If you don’t have a ready-made round blank, you can carefully cut the boards according to the drawn stencil.
Knitted watch
An ordinary boring watch can be updated with a bright knitted case, partially stretched over the front.
Wooden wall clock
A wooden round clock will fit perfectly into a rustic interior or an eco-style room. To make them you will need a piece of wood, well sanded, a drill, hands and a clock mechanism. For originality, you can write only one number on the dial.
Moon clock
You can paste an image of the moon onto a pre-prepared dial - you will get a very interesting art object.
Clock made of wooden sticks
Even wooden sticks for coffee are suitable as a material for creating original watches. But it will take a lot of patience and perseverance to carefully glue them together.
Sometimes there is a desire to change something in the apartment’s furnishings, but global renovations require a lot of money and effort. Then they come to the rescue original crafts, for example, a watch. Homemade watches are easy to create from scrap materials. The finished item will not only decorate the room, but also become budget gift, which will provide the recipient with a sea of positive emotions.
Making home decorations doesn't take much time and is fun. A variety of options will help you fit the clock into any interior. The master class on how to make a wall clock with your own hands will tell you how an unusual craft is born in just a couple of hours.
Clock for home
A clock mechanism from an old device or purchased from a specialized store can be used as a basis. You can involve children in the process of creating a masterpiece.
Let's consider one of the options step by step instructions for wall clocks. To design the frame you will need colored pencils or felt-tip pens. Drawing supplies are attached to a round or square base using glue.
Pencils play the role of rays. It is not necessary to strictly follow the combination of colors, the length of pencils and the distance between them; in any case, the watch will turn out bright and cheerful.
You can also make a wall clock for the kitchen with your own hands. Coffee beans are ideal for this option. wine corks and even tiny doll dishes. And cutlery looks good as clock hands.
To create a Provence-style atmosphere, dried lavender flowers are sometimes used, and shells and small pebbles are transferred to the Mediterranean coast.
Decoration techniques
There are a huge number of techniques that show how to make a wall clock correctly. Let's look at the main ones.
Decoupage
To decorate products using the decoupage technique, you will need to prepare a plywood frame, paper napkins with a pattern and a clock mechanism.
Making a wall clock consists of the following steps:
- Leveling the surface of the watch base. For this, fine-grained sandpaper is used.
- Coating the mold with acrylic primer in several layers and drying thoroughly.
- The next step is to cut out a pattern from a napkin and create a composition.
- Next, the frame is covered with a thin layer of glue in the places where the pattern will be located. A napkin is applied to the glue, the next layer is cellophane film, which presses the pattern tightly to the surface.
- The decoration is again covered with several layers of glue and dried thoroughly.
- At the last stage, the clock mechanism is attached to the base.
Craquelure
You can also make the body of a wall clock yourself using the craquelure technique. The primed watch mold is coated special varnish. When dry, its surface forms cracks.
Some craftsmen create an antique effect by rubbing paint of the desired color into the cracks.
Other clock making ideas
Ordinary embroidery hoops can be given a second life by transforming them into a fun and bright clock for the wall. As a base, you can take a thick fabric of a color that will harmonize with the interior of the room.
The excess parts of the fabric are carefully trimmed, and 12 buttons are sewn around the perimeter of the circle in the places where the dial numbers are located. All that remains is to make a hole in the middle of the future clock, attach the clock mechanism and hang it on the wall.
One more unusual idea for making interior decoration is to transform an alarm clock on legs. Specialized stores sell scrapbooking products. These can be various textile ribbons, flowers and much more. With the help of decorative elements it is easy to create a unique composition that will decorate any interior.
A wooden board will serve as a stylish base for a wall clock. A wide variety of shapes are cut from it.
Many shades of wood allow you to choose the best option for any room. You can burn a pattern onto a wooden base, this will make the decoration even more unusual.
The watch dial can be embroidered or knitted, painted with acrylic paints, or covered with sparkles. The more unusual the idea, the more unique the interior decorations will be. Other ideas for creating crafts can be seen in the photo of a DIY wall clock.
DIY wall clock photo
To create a cozy home, you need to think through many details. First of all, this applies to interior and decorative elements, such as curtains, lamps, clocks and pillows. Today we propose to consider how to make a watch with your own hands. Anyone can make them. The main task is to install a large working mechanism; it is usually bought in a specialized store. Having an old watch will greatly simplify the task, because you can use its mechanism. Everything else depends on your skill and imagination.
Wall clock using decoupage technique (MK)
You can make a clock for the kitchen with your own hands from scrap materials. But if you want to create original product, then the decoupage style will become ideal solution . These watches look elegant and will become a unique decoration for your home interior. We offer interesting master a class that will help you create your own wall clock at minimal cost.
You also need to prepare:
- clockwork hands;
- wooden base (round or square);
- napkins and ready-made patterns on paper;
- acrylic paints;
- tassels;
- sponges and varnish.
Making a watch with your own hands in decoupage style is carried out in a certain sequence:
1. The workpiece is being processed . The base of the future product must be sanded using sandpaper and coated three times with white acrylic paint, it will serve as soil.
2. When the paint has dried, retreat a couple of centimeters from the edge of the workpiece and outline the future framework .
We outline the frame 3. The base is given texture , choose a paint color that best suits the interior. The paint is diluted and applied with a sponge in a chaotic manner to age the product.
Apply a second coat of paint 4. The frame of the future watch stands out more dark color , brown paint is ideal for this.
Painting the frame 5. From prepared rice paper pattern is cut out and applied to the workpiece . If a napkin is used, then it is soaked in water and applied to the selected place on the dial. Glue is applied over the image.
Glue the image 6. Now you need to use your imagination and make sure that the drawing fits organically into the surface. Paints of appropriate tones and a sponge will help here. With their help a smooth transition is created from the pattern to the surface of the dial. It is important to be extremely careful; if you cope with this task, then you are a great master.
Making a smooth transition 7. At this stage the product needs to be aged , to do this, apply a two-component cracking agent to the surface with a dry brush (you can buy it at a store that sells craft supplies).
Apply a layer of craquelure 8. After the craquelure dries, cracks will appear on the product, which will give it elegance. The workpiece is varnished as a protective layer.
Varnish At the end, all that remains is to install the arrows, the mechanism and glue the numbers (the latter can be drawn according to the template). Now the clock has a completed look; it can be used as decoration for the kitchen, bedroom, or living room.
The finished result On video: making wall clocks using decoupage technique
Cardboard clock (MK)
Some needlewomen make their own kitchen clocks from cardboard.. Such a decorative item can become not just useful, but also an exclusive item. Before answering the question of how to make a clock out of cardboard, you need to make sure you have the appropriate materials.
To work you will need:
- thick cardboard;
- multi-colored caps or buttons;
- operating mechanism and arrows;
- compass;
- PVA glue.
To make your own wall clock, follow these steps:
1. Using a compass, make a circle on cardboard and then cut it out.
Cut out a circle from cardboard 2. Using glue, caps or buttons are glued in appropriate places.
Glue the caps to the cardboard 3. Numbers are depicted on the caps (use a marker or acrylic paint, depending on the material from which the parts are made).
Drawing numbers 4. A hole is made in the center of the intended circle to install the mechanism and hands.
Making a hole 5. The last step is to install the arrow mechanism. A battery is also inserted to operate the clock.
As you can see, you can make a clock out of cardboard very quickly and you don’t need any special skills, but such a decoration will complement the interior of the chosen room.
Quilling style product(MK)
A good option would be to make a watch in the quilling style. This type of arts and crafts uses paper strips of different widths and lengths.. They are twisted into patterns and a composition is formed. You can make a similar clock according to this scheme:
- The basis for the watch will be thick cardboard or plywood. Black paper is glued to the body. To create contrast, decorative elements are mainly created from white or light-colored paper. When choosing a color, take into account the interior of the room where the clock will be installed. They should fit harmoniously.
This is what the finished product looks like - Numbers are made from prepared strips of paper. To do this, use short strips. At the same time, decorative elements are twisted. Various compositions are used for decoration. These could be flowers or just patterns. It’s better to draw a sketch in advance, which will allow you to evaluate appearance future product.
We twist from paper strips patterns and numbers 3. Created figures and decorative elements glued to selected places using PVA glue.
Glue the finished elements to the base 4. A hole is made in the center of the base and a mechanism with arrows is installed.
Installing the clock mechanism Ideas for creating wall clocks vary. Focus on the materials that you have available, but there may be a lot of them. Acceptable use additional elements, be it lace, satin ribbons, beads, rhinestones or even stickers. A kitchen wall clock made of paper or other materials will allow you to always know the time. A made decorative element with my own hands will be pleasing to the eye.
As an idea, you can try to make a wristwatch, but in this case everything is much more complicated. This is due to their small size. The best option This will be an experiment with straps. Combining chains of different thicknesses will allow you to create an original watch for your wrist. Also, zippers, elastic bands, and beads can serve as a decorative strap.
Clock made of paper and CD (2 videos)
Options for homemade watches (35 photos)
In continuation of our acquaintance with the LaunchPad mps430, I offer an article about restoring the functionality of old wall pendulum clocks.
We came across an old pendulum wall clock with a strike from 1952. The mechanism showed signs of repair and was a disappointing sight. In watches of this class, unlike mechanical wristwatches, the gear axes rotate not in stones (rubies) but in holes in brass plates. This, with prolonged operation and lack of regular lubrication, leads to an increase in gear play in the seat. Backlash accumulates in proportion to the number of gears, and the clock eventually stops running. I don’t know how this can be treated scientifically, but on my watch there were traces of the core in the area of the seats, so, apparently, they tried to reduce the diameter of the broken holes. In general, I did not restore the mechanical movement completely.
It was decided to replace the spring stroke with an electromechanical one while maintaining the same functionality, namely, displaying time and combat, as well as adding new features.
For work we will need: a pair of stepper motors from the printer, an RTC, a controller, keys for controlling the motors, an ionistor for storing parameters and counting time in the absence of external power, and some little things...
Mechanically it looks like this: 
Initially, the clock had 2 springs, one running, the second for striking, a pendulum that ensured accuracy, etc. After removing the unnecessary parts of the modernization, what remained was the minute and hour gears + the running stepper, as well as several gears, hammers and the stepper that controls the action. In the picture above is the running motor, below is the “combat” motor. A separate dance with a tambourine was created when calculating the number of steps of the travel motor to move the hand by 1 minute. Since printer manufacturers do not take into account the gear ratios of old Soviet watches (I used gears mounted on motor shafts by printer manufacturers), it turned out that to move the minute hand you usually need 14 half-steps, and every 25th minute - 16 half-steps, so that Over time, the readings did not flow away. It's easier with combat. To strike, 3 motor revolutions were needed (576 half-steps).
Here's another picture: 
As an RTC, I literally ordered Extremely Accurate I²C RTC on ebay, which translated means “terribly accurate.” The terrible accuracy according to the datasheet is determined by the built-in quartz and temperature sensor, which connects/disconnects correction capacitors to/from the quartz. In principle, when checking the accuracy of the move, I was pleased with the result. For a week I didn’t notice it leaving for more than a second.
The controller is our favorite msp430g2553, the eldest of the launchpad set from TI. It carries 2 hardware serial interfaces on board, one of them will communicate with the RTC via I2C, the second will send debugging information to the computer via RS232.
The motors are low-current (not that they are not accurate, but that they consume little current); a 7-channel transistor module ULN2003A is quite suitable for control. True, you need 8 channels, but there were no other modules in the magic chest, so the 8th channel was assembled using a BC547C transistor and a pair of Schottky diodes that protect against reverse induction. When checked, it turned out that 5V is quite enough to power the motors.
The 34063 contains a DownStep DC-DC voltage converter from 5 and higher (within reasonable limits) to 3.3V for powering RTC and msp430.
As a control element, a mechanical encoder was amputated from the body of an old, defunct radio tape recorder. in the diagram it is shown as 2 buttons in a circle (the encoder itself). Its central button is also activated. To connect its outputs to power, we will use internal msp430 resistors. 
For feedback (reaction to control) we will add an LED.
Now it’s time to describe the planned feature. The RTC has onboard memory stored by batteries and accessible like other registers via I2C. The idea is as follows. Since we have a stepper travel motor, we can, knowing the reference point, understand what position the arrows are in at the moment and store this position in the RTC memory. When the external power is turned off, the RTC continues to count time and store data about the last position of the hands. When the power returns, we take the old position from memory, the current time, count the difference, and move the hands to the current time. Those. The result is a watch with automatic winding.
The reference point is set by setting the arrows to the 12:00 position and long pressing the central encoder button.
Next, the encoder sets the current time and at the beginning of the sixth signal, by briefly pressing the central button, synchronization is carried out (the clock connects the current position of the hands and the internal RTC time).
Here is a video of the half-hour battle and the operation of the encoder:
After this procedure, we have every right to provide sound accompaniment to the progress, namely the battle. Every hour we will strike the corresponding number of times, every half hour 1 time, but with greater speed. Actually, 1 strike is actually the strike of one hammer and the subsequent strike of two more. You can hear it on the video.
To carry out a quality fight, we also need to know the relative position of the main gear, which controls the hammers. To do this, when turning on the power, we perform “parking”. We turn the battle engine in reverse side all the way. Fortunately, the motor is weak, and when it reaches this stop, it just starts to buzz. After which, using the empirically obtained number of steps, we bring the “combat” gear to the desired position.
The payment was made partly by LUT. If it weren’t for the SOIC RTC case, I would have done it on the installation site as usual. And so, I left some room for crumbling, and this is what happened: 
back side: 
The program is written in C under CCS5
Here are the sources:
The picture must be opened in winrar.
The style of the clock, with the exception of the amputation of the pendulum, has been preserved.
Result:
1. Revived an old clock
2. Added new features
3. Improved mechanics, electronics and coding.
