The inspiration for the mantle clock display craft came to me from Martha Stewart’s Living Magazine (a 2007 issue, but I can’t remember which). The idea was so simple and beautiful, I fell in love with it. By taking a cheap mantle clock and removing the timepiece, you can use the hollow cavity to display beautiful things.
Any mantle clock will do for this craft. You can display seashells, pottery, miniature porcelain figurines (as I did), a family photo, or anything else that strikes your fancy. Here’s how I created my mantle clock display craft, and I’ve added ideas for other kinds of mantle clock display crafts to spark your imagination.
Step #1. Find Mantle Clocks
Cheap mantle clocks are easy to find in garage sales, flea markets, home decorating stores, department stores and even pharmacies. They look very pretty, but the mantle clock timepiece is cheap and will likely break after a week. Luckily, for creating a mantle clock display craft the timepiece is the least important part. So have fun choosing a mantle clock and focus on the shape rather than color, as you can paint the mantle frame later as part of this craft.
Step #2. Remove the Clock
Cheap mantle clocks typically have a sliding piece at the back which allows you to access the clock and replace its battery. Use a hammer to gently tap on the back of the clock all around until it comes loose and falls out the front. There may be a decorative rim that falls out with the clock; if so, reattach it over the hole in the mantle clock using glue.
Step #3. Decide What to Display in the Mantle Clock
Rest the mantle clock on its back and slip decorative items inside until you find the perfect one. Because the mantle clock is lying on its back, you’ll be able to place the items at the perfect height to display them through the clock cavity. You can then decide if to hang the item from above or to elevate it on a stand inside the mantle clock frame.
Step #4. Affix the Display Inside the Mantle Clock
I found it easiest to install a pin inside the mantle clock, at the top. I then hung my porcelain Danish shoes on a string that was just the right height for displaying them at the center of the mantle clock hole. Alternatively, you can place a piece of wood below the displayed item to raise it sufficiently. In the Martha Stewart article, the artist chose to display seashells and she displayed them on a wooden peg which she glued to the bottom of the mantle clock.
Step #5. Paint the Mantle Clock Display Craft
I loved the stained finish of my mantle clock display craft so all I did was sand the frame a little to give it a worn look. You can also paint the mantle clock display craft in white, then paint over the white in a darker color that will match the item displayed. Then by sanding the darker shade you can expose the white here and there for a rustic look. You can also use a crackled paint or hammered gold or silver finish from Rust Oleum.
I arranged my mantle clock display craft with similar items around it: the porcelain blue and white tea pot and similar Dutch knickknacks. I then hung a shimmering white and blue shawl over the back wall to complete my beautiful display.
For more of my ideas, here are my favorite 50 Craft-Projects.
