Wednesday, September 2, 2020

We Made A Small World Clock! And It's SO SPARKLY

John and I have some readers-turned-friends, Chris and Brandon, who just bought their first house. They love all things Disney and mid-century modern, so when Chris asked if we could make them a Small World clock for the dining room, I jumped at the chance.

Here's a sneak peek to tide you over while I explain how we did it:



At first I thought we'd make the clock from scratch, but then, how to ship it? I wanted something big, at least 20 inches, and that meant finding custom packaging on top of the cost to mail it cross-country.

That's when John had the brilliant idea of buying an existing clock from Amazon - which ships free with Prime - modifying it, and then re-using the original packaging & box to mail to Chris & Brandon. Boom. No need to buy the wood, clock guts, OR the shipping box.

It took a little hunting, but here's the clock I finally purchased:




It's nearly two feet across, and don't let the wood "planks" fool you: the entire front of the clock is really a printed sticker on a solid piece of wood. Perfect for our dastardly plans. (Ok, so our plans aren't all that dastardly. I just like the word dastardly. Dastardly dastardly dastardly.)

First we removed the clock hardware and added a few coats of white satin paint with a small foam roller:


Foam rollers (like these) are the best option when you want a perfectly smooth surface; even spray paint can leave spatters and sagging areas, especially when you're working on large areas. And I hope this goes without saying, but NEVER use a brush if you want a perfectly smooth surface on top of another perfectly smooth surface; it'll leave brush marks galore.

John did the super tedious work of cleaning up the best Small World clipart we could find to get it ready to cut with our Cricut. This took 3 or 4 tries, as he kept going back to smooth out more lines, but eventually, it looked like this:



We cut this in sections since it's bigger than our Cricut mat, then pieced it all together on the counter with packing tape before applying the transfer paper.

I have to admit, I had no idea how hard it would be to transfer something this large. Hehehhehe whoops. Definitely a 2-person job, trying to get all the tiny bits to lift up onto the transfer paper!

One thing that helped was taking the peeled-off backing of the transfer paper - the part that nothing will stick to -  and placing it under half the design as we were getting it into position:

See the paper backing under the left half? This way we only had to worry about half of the vinyl sticking at a time, plus the backing paper made it easier to slide into position.

John had the Cricut cut a hole in the nose where the clock hands go, so we used that to line up the design in the exact center:

Ta-daaa!

Isn't it pretty?

Ahh, but we're not done yet!

Originally we planned to add gold vinyl accents to the cheeks and chin, but when we tested it out I felt like it was missing something. It all felt too flat.

See? Not bad, of course, just a little... meh.

So I got out some random glitter seals I had lying around, and...

Aw yeeeah, THERE 'TIS

We sent off the test pics to Chris, and happily she LOVED the glitter, I think maybe as much as I do!

Now for some beauty shots of the finished clock:

 


The clock mechanism on the back makes the clock stand out from the wall a bit, but I kind of like the extra shadow underneath.
  Chris chose simple dots in gold vinyl for the hour markers, but you could also use dashes or actual numbers in a fun mid-century font.

I really struggled with these photos, both because it was hard to nail the white balance and because it's nearly impossible to capture the metallic shine and glittery shimmer of this thing.


Seriously, y'all, it's just so pretty.

Here, we tried a little video to show off the sparkle:


 This gives you a little of the idea, but it's still better in person.

 The glitter adds dimension and motion as you move around it in the room, plus, c'mon, there is SO MUCH glitter on the original, this is only fitting.


Even though this build only cost about $45 to make ($30 for the original clock and $15 for a new roll of silver vinyl), John and I've been brainstorming ways you could make it even cheaper and easier. I think we've got it, too: FOAM CORE. Eh? I want to give it a try, so we're thinking we should build a second clock and film a tutorial along the way. Stay tuned! Oh, and of course I'll give you all our template files then, too.

Speaking of giving things away, our Squeegineers winners for August are Carissa W. & Ginger T.! Congrats, you two, and please check your inboxes for an e-mail from John, so you can select your prizes. (Remember you can also choose a custom mask set; it's just not in the gallery yet.)

And for the rest of you: if you have an idea for a fun build that's small enough to ship, throw them my way! John and I love our on-location projects like painting and home repairs, sure, but we also love building things like this - especially if we can share them here on the blog. So if you give me an idea we actually build, and assuming it's mail-able, then we'll ship it to you for free. How's that for a carrot? :D So get to brain-storming, my friends, and let me know what we can build for YOU.

Also have a great week. 'Cuz I love you. And people I love deserve to have great weeks.

::mwah::

*****



P.S. Looking for more Disney DIYs? Then check out my tutorial page for goodies like these:

45 comments:

  1. That is so pretty! When volunteering the group of kids wanted to do an "It's a Small World" themed banner, which sent me down a rabbit hole of researching Mary Blair, and converted me into a fan of her art and style. Hmmm maybe I can leverage that for the theme for my office.

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  2. I am currently trying to source a MCM-ish box to make a custom vivarium for our ball python. It needs to be a long rectangle so he can fully stretch out, with a glass front, and pool stick legs are a MUST. Not having found such a box, I was thinking of hiring a carpenter to biuld one. Not easily shippable but I only live an hour from you. And we'd pay for the materials, natch.

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  3. The clock is beautiful! I thought your project would be Small World themed when I saw your IG post😀. I've been wanting a caddy for my jewelry making tools & spools of wire
    I currently have them in a cardboard box. Though, I have to say the vivarium for the ball python sounds like a cool challenge for you to make.

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  4. I would love to have a video phone booth like Pee-Wee's Playhouse. That has been my lifelong dream and especially wished for since I started working from home and having to do video calls. But I have a tiny apartment, and shipping for something like that is prohibitive, so maybe something Playhouse inspired that is a foam shogi screen or something? Just the top part I can put on a stand? I feel like I can't be the only person our age who wants this.

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    1. K, I had to look it up, and WOW that would be a fun build. Not too hard, either, if you're ok using foam board for some of the accents. As for making it apartment sized... the inside is just a plain giraffe print, so how would you want it to look? Would you want a screen of the outside of the booth with the face behind you?

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    2. Oh Jen I didn't even think of that. The fun part is the outside, right? So for maximum recognition it would have to be the outside of the booth with the face behind me or course. I'd be the coolest kid in Playland with a setup like that.

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  5. Small builds, huh? Well, I've personally been trying to figure out a killer My Little Pony display for my collection/custom toy display at a booth - not that there's any conventions to have booths at this year, anyway! But I was thinking something along the lines of a moon-shaped shelf, with little 'steps' for the ponies to stand on ... but that's where I get stuck. What would I build this moon out of? How would I affix the shelf-y bits? I guess it involves a lot of contractor-type knowledge that I just don't have! Or hell, what if you built a tiny Ferris Wheel for ponies that you could spin on your table?! That would be great! Anyway, once I dig myself out from under these 300 unfinished projects, I'll jump right on learning how to work wood! :P

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    1. We're actually in the design phase of making a big pony display shelf for another reader! I have some messy sketches, but I admit I've just gone heart-eyes over your Ferris Wheel idea. OooOOOOooh.

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    2. Hey, thanks for the reply! I know you're a busy blogger, but it means a lot to me! :) I'm super excited to see your pony display shelf, I have a million of the little buggers and I'd love to have an awesome display for them too! I'll take notes when you post it for sure! Best of luck!

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  6. I'm glad this project is up, whenever you showed sneak peaks I kept thinking "Dangit, that looks familiar but I can't place it". Finally the mystery is solved!

    And I'm definitely going to be wracking my brain for mail-able project ideas! I'd love to be able to add something from you guys to my Labyrinth shelves. Maybe one of the masks from the background dancers in the Masquerade sequence?

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  7. I made a clock out of a game board. I took one of our favorite games (History of the World), and took the board down to the copy shop and made a full-size color photocopy of it. Then I glued that down to foam core with some spray glue. I inserted a craft-store clock mechanism at a spot that looked good, then surrounded it with numbers made of six-sided dice glued down. The clock just took up a small area of the gameboard, which was fine. Since the clock mechanism was off-center and wouldn't hang straight, I had to adjust by adding some weights to the board (just washers taped to the back). I'm pretty pleased with how it came out, and the whole thing cost very little.

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    1. What an awesome idea! And I'm going to remember the dice-for-numbers thing, LOVE that.

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  8. I am in love. I have lurked for 5+ years and this is the first time i had to comment because i need the tutorial for this. I love It's a Small World in Disneyland and this is the perfect thing to bring a portion of it home. P.S. Please include more Suki and Eva pictures. They make me so happy. - Carolyn

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    1. We just finished filming our video tutorial for the second clock, so stay tuned! It should go up sometime in the next week.

      The girls agree they need more features here, so I'll try to include more fluffy beauty shots next time. :D

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  9. That is so cool looking! I love it!!!

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  10. I've been thinking for AGES that there must be some way to turn one of those plastic dragon skulls you can get during halloween- into a vent or drain cover for outside... like, if it were faux concreted somehow... Imagine the vent blowing hot air in winter like dragon breath! Or a drain cover turning a basic pipe into a dragon gargoyle head...

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    Replies
    1. Love this idea! I'll be on the lookout for a good dragon skull.

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  11. My favorite time of day is when I have a chance to sit down and read your newest post. You two are so creative! Love it!

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  12. what i love about your tutorials is when you say it took 2 or 3 tries. i would assume if i messed it up first time, we're done with this. the fact that it takes you a couple of goes inspires me not to assume that you only get one shot and if that fails you're a failure. thank you xxx

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    1. I'm so glad; too often I *do* want to give up after the 1st try, and that's where John comes in to help me push through. It sounds like you're like me - lifelong perfectionist, right? - so that's something we'll always wrestle with. We have to remember that failure never means we're a failure: it means we're DOING things, learning things, & leveling up our XP!

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  13. super cute :::: humming song :::

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  14. While not technically a build,I would love a face mask for work. I work in an elementary school and always feel like I'm suffocating in my masks. I do not have the talent needed to build one like yours. So if you feel the urge, I would love a foam mask

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    1. Send me your mailing address, Jamie, and I'll get you a set.

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  15. Jeez, I admire how agile your brains are about creating and problem solving as you go. Here’s my wish list of things I’d love to have but haven’t the time/resources/patience/artistic ability to create:
    - a smallish stone-looking statue of Tanooki Mario when he turns to stone to avoid enemies that I could put in my garden.
    - a set of pixelated ghosts a-la Super Mario 3 that are somewhat 3D that I can hang in my tree during Halloween.
    - you know those Americana rusty-looking stars that people hang outside their house? I want to turn one into a Mario star... I envision painting it yellow with the eyes but still distressing the sides of it so it still looks rusty and antique-y.
    - a Mario Star Christmas tree topper. I’ve actually researched a few how-to tutorials on this but haven’t been impressed enough with any of them to do it. If anyone could make a perfect one, it would be you guys.

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  16. I love this! And now that I have a circut, I'm going to try my hand at this. Perhaps with turquoise and copper.
    Something that I would love to see a tutorial for is a cool way to display magicbands. I have collected some because the designs were pretty, but living in Canada I rarely get to use them. I'd like to display them as art but other than plastic watch stands I really haven't figured out a way. A lot of my bands are Epcot focused and I'd love to combine Spaceship Earth like design into it.... any thoughts?

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    1. Hmmm, I'm going to brainstorm on this one. I love figuring out new ways to display things, and I know tons of folks have tons of bands!

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  17. I would love to see you & John's take on the Disney castle photo frame/vinyl cut out wall that went viral about a month ago.

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  18. It's not a geeky build, but I think it might be close to your heart--my mother is looking for a set of stairs for her bed so her aging cat can still keep her company in bed (she's having trouble making the jump due to age and blindness). Can you come up with a solution that's sturdy, but less than the $85 ones online?

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    1. We got these for my cat when she was ill, they don’t look sturdy, but they really are, A human can’t use them, but they absolutely would hold a cat or dog.
      https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000NNHC00/ref=twister_B08D79ZN31?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

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    2. Thanks for the suggestion! I’ll pass that on to my mom! Her bed is really tall, so they may not reach all the way up, but maybe they’ll be high enough that Schmedley can step up onto the bed from the top step.

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    3. Maybe in the meantime you could try a step stool? I use a two step stool for my cat so maybe a three step one for a tall bed. If kitty is used to stairs, maybe she could navigate the stool as well.

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  19. Amy K, I'm not a crafter, but what about something like 2 pieces of wood, hinged? One piece to slide between the mattress & box spring to hold the other in place, and one to go diagonally to the floor. Maybe w wood spacers (glued? nailed?) for the cat to use to get traction as she climbs? That way it could be folded up when not needed. Lynne

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    1. That's an awesome idea, Lynne! You could also glue a cheap door mat or carpet remnant to it for traction.

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    2. That’s a wonderful idea Lynn! I love it, but unfortunately, my mother has already tried the ramp solution. Since her bed is very tall the ramp doesn’t reach high enough and her cat doesn’t use it :( I’m having her send me the measurements of her bed so I can try to build some stairs—Schmedley is familiar with stairs, so I’m hoping she’ll use them if I do!

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  20. My husband and I were married on Halloween and had a Nightmare Before Christmas wedding almost 22 years ago, I would love to make a cat head in the clown box (one of the scary jack in the boxes ) from the Haunted Mansion Holiday. I doesn’t need to actually pop up, but I would like it to look like it works, if that makes sense! So it would kind of bobble and the box would always be open, I can’t figure out how to get the cat head and spring part to cooperate.

    I love this clock, it is beautiful!

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    1. My initial googling only shows me one cat-head jack-in-the-box from HMH, but it looks like a flat 2D cut-out. Do you have any pictures of the one you want? If so shoot me an e-mail or share on the Epbot FB page.

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  21. That made me smile: thank you.

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  22. I would buy one of these. I love the Small World clock.

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  23. I've been looking for a fun way to display our old Magic Bands that could sit on a shelf or a table - something that doesn't need to be mounted on a wall. Maybe you have some ideas about that? I love the creative solutions you come up with, and the fact that you find ways to upcycle instead of buying new!

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  24. Oh cool! I love that idea. It's very fun and geeky but not super-obvious to those not in the know.

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  25. Big prop sword storage ideas! Bonus if they're cheap or easily disassembled and landlord friendly. I've yet to see a good idea that didn't assume access to woodworking talent or wall-piercing capability.

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  26. I've been trying to figure out how to make a jack-in-the-box-o'lantern. A pumpkin, that pops open with a cool Halloween surprise like a jack-in-the-box. I'm not that handy though.

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  27. I’ve been trying to figure out how to make a jack in the box o’lantern. A jack o lantern that pops open like a jack in the box. I’m not that handy though.

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