Printable Mandala Clock

I bought 5 clock movements from Klockit when I ordered the movements. Originally the plan was to make a mandala clock, but then the other clock projects happened first. I also should have ordered more movements because this is fun and I love clocks that tick.

Like the comic book clock, I did this one using lamination, but you don't have to. The project will work just fine using cereal box weight cardboard, heavy printer paper or cardstock and ModPodge. I have a laminator though and enjoy using it.

For this one, you'll need to print a mandala. This is the colored version I used. Click on the image for a larger version.

Or you can print and color your own version of this mandala HERE. 

This mandala was designed to be used as a clock dial. The divisions are by 12 and 60 for hours and minutes. Any mandala will work, but I do recommend one with 4 sections of radial symmetry or with 12 sections of radial symmetry to make it easier to tell time. 

You will need:

Scissors

Clock movement

Clock hands

mandala

For the ModPodge- you'll need Mod Podge and a second piece of card stock or other lightweight cardboard

For the laminated- you'll need a thermal laminator and a letter sized lamination pouch

For a cardboard/card stock lamination, you'll take one colored mandala (either your own coloring or the version above) and cut it out around the mandala then cut out the second circle. Trace that mandala and the center circle on a piece of card stock or cereal box cardboard, and then trace the inside of the larger hex nut in your clock movement kit in the center of the small circle. Cut it out just outside the tracing and check it on your clock movement to make sure it fits. Trim only a little off at a time until it does fit. Then use a black permanent marker to color the center of the backing. Spread the back of the mandala with Mod Podge and glue it carefully into place on the backing piece, then cover the surface with more ModPodge. Let dry. Follow kit instructions to install clock movement.

For a laminated version, you'll follow the same steps as the comic book clock basically.

Print the mandala, color it if you chose the blank version.

Cut out the center circle and cut out the mandala so it's round.

Laminate using a letter sized 3 mil or 5 mil pouch

Trace the inner circle of the large hex nut using a permanent marker

Cut out, check on movement shaft, trim to fit

Cut out carefully around the mandala leaving a small laminated edge all the way around.

Follow kit instructions to install clock movement.

So why is this so addictive? Because it's easy and because I really, really love clocks. How easy?

These are the pieces from the Klockit clock movement kit and the instructions. It's only a few pieces. I used the #10043, which is a quartz battery operated clock movement that uses a standard double A battery and has a very short shaft which is perfect for paper clock projects. It has maximum dial thickness of 1/8th inch. Most craft store movements are designed for thicker dials. The only tricky part of installing the movement is getting the hands set just right. For that reason, I don't recommend the hands I used above for absolute beginners. The delicate scrollwork is a little too easy to bend. The spade shaped hands are really easy to set though and have a classic look to them! The rubber ring goes between the movement and the face and holds the face in place fairly well once you screw down the large hex nut. After the large hex nut, you set the hour and minute hands. The holes on them are shaped specifically to fit in different places on the movement so it's really hard to make a mistake except when you are setting both hands to the right positions. You can't accidentally push the minute hand down to where the hour hand supposed to be, and they are spaced so as long as the hands are straight, they won't lock up together going around the clock. Then you will either put on the final closed nut, or if you're using a second hand, a small open nut, then the second hand. Then it's done. Set it to the right time, put a battery in it, and tick tick tick! You can also order movements for other dial thicknesses, so if you have a clock that has a lot of sentimental value but no working movement, you can replace the movement yourself.

The back of the movement has a hanger on it, which is perfect for the paper clocks.

How to make a comic book cover clock

As I've mentioned before, my family is happily geeky and comic book love falls in that geekdom. So we have boxes and boxes of comics and some of them are in less than pristine condition. Never, ever cut up a comic unless you know that it's not a collectors item, preferably only comics in "loved"condition. The comic above isn't valuable and I have duplicate copies of it.

You will need:

• comic book with an intact cover
• thermal laminating machine 
• 3 or 5 mil letter sized pouch (I used 3 mil- glossy)
• small sharp scissors
• paper trimmer or large scissors
• pen- ball point worked on my laminating pouches
• Clock movement kit- I used #10043 from Klockit, the shaft is short, and perfect for thinner faces.
• hands for the clock- you can pick free hands from Klockit when you order the movement, a second hand costs a little extra
• battery for the clock

About thermal laminating machines- I have a couple of them, the one I used is a very fast Black and Decker model that is a little on the pricey side. A much less expensive option that does take a little while to warm up is the Scotch thermal laminating machine. I have one, and used it for years, and can recommend them for hobby use. Links to both at the bottom of this entry!

So to start, open your comic to the middle and unpin the staples to remove the cover intact. It's easier to trim it straight if you can cut right along the fold or in the case of my comic, it had a line down the middle. 

Cut the cover in half, then find the middle. You'll bring the top and bottom edges together, and make a small crease approximately in the middle of the fold.

Repeat lengthwise, then you'll have a small folded + in the middle of the cover.

Now the thing about lamination is there has to be an outside edge of the lamination for it to be sealed. So to create that edge for the hole for the clock shaft to go through, I used the brass washer from my clock kit and traced around the outside of that. Place it directly over the + and trace with a pen.

Then cut out the hole using the small sharp scissors, cut just slightly outside your traced line.

Now you put the page in your laminating pouch, and run it through your laminating machine. 

Now you need to cut your hole for the clock movement shaft. This time I used the larger of the 2 hex nuts that were in the kit and traced the inside.

Use the small sharp scissors again to cut out the hole. Then check it on the clock movement, if you need to make the hole a little bigger trim just a shaving around the edge until it fits.

Now it's all set to go, pull out the clock movement and trim the edges around the cover remembering to leave at least a 1/8th to a 1/4 inch of clear lamination all around the edges. Then install your clock movement following the instructions that came with it.

Now you have you own comic book clock! The same technique will work with all sorts of paper projects, the key is having a fairly stiff lamination. When you hang it, it will stick out from the wall the same distance as the clock movements thickness.

About The Warlord- The Warlord was written and illustrated by Mike Grell, and it was one of my favorite comic books when I was a kid. My mom didn't like me reading comics so a lot of the time my Uncle Lamar would sneak them to me. He was fond of all sorts of titles, but mostly not the superhero books. The Warlord was a favorite of his. I'll probably make another one of these with a Green Lantern cover for my husband. 

Easy Quick Fabric Clock Project

I love clocks that tick. It's soothing, especially when I'm going to sleep. I'm less fond of chiming clocks but you could do this with a battery operated chiming movement as well.

You will need:

• 8 x 8 inch square of fabric with pinked edges 
• 6 x 6 x 5/8 inch canvas (I got mine here)
• Quartz clock movement (I got mine here)
• Hands that are less than 2.5 inches long
• staple gun (there's a link to the one I use at the bottom of the project)
• ruler
• pencil
• Mod Podge matte
• Foam Brush
• button for 12 o'clock spot
• thread and needle
• Scissors or craft knife

The first part is super easy and makes a great way to showcase Spoonflower swatches as well (oh! Or use a Spoonflower swatch to make a clock!)- You're going to wrap the canvas with the fabric stapling it in place on the back of the stretcher bars. Fold the corners in for nice neat corners. Which turned out less than perfect on my clock, so if you have fabric that wants to get bulky or balky, trim the corners a bit before folding the corners in.

You need to mark the center for the shaft of your clock movement. To do that, use a pencil on the back of the canvas. Using a straight edge, draw a line from one corner diagonal to the other corner, repeat with the other two corners. Then you'll line the ruler up square with the middle which is where the diagonal lines meet, and draw lines vertically and horizontally.

Do you see the bit of thread peeking on the right hand side? That's the 12 o'clock mark. Center your button over the vertical line on the front of the canvas, on the inside edge of the stretcher bar, and stitch into place. I found the easiest way to make that knot tight was leave a long tail, and then tie the tails in a square knot using  2 strands of embroidery floss to stitch the button in place.

(please ignore the hole, I took the photos AFTER this step)

Using the foam brush and a firm touch to really work the Mod Podge into the fabric, paint Mod Podge over the front and sides of the canvas. Let that dry for an hour, then put Mod Podge on the back of the canvas. Let both sides dry completely. This step makes it easier to clean and it seals the fabric so the hole you cut for the movement won't cause fraying.

Cut a hole using the guidelines on the back that's big enough for your clock movement shaft. 

The movement will come with instructions, so follow the instructions to install the movement. If you click on this image, you'll see the shaft of the movement I used poking up from the center of the fabric.

Put a battery in the movement, hang and enjoy!

You can also staple Spoonflower 8x8 swatches to 6x6 canvases for quick art work. The two shown are from my fabric collections at Spoonflower. 

The clock movement I got from Klockit is the #10043, there are price breaks for quantity. The size fits in the space between the stretcher bars of the canvas very well and the profile is the same depth as the canvas. Klockit does use SmartPost for standard shipping so if you're in someplace like Alaska, you could wind up waiting very impatiently and wishing very much you expedited shipping. They do have a great selection of movements, hands and second hands!