DIYer Turns Forgotten Thrift Store Find Into A Stunning Piece Of Home Decor

There are plenty of interesting items you can find at the thrift store that are worth upcycling, but we love this DIY that uses an often-forgotten, often-ignored item hiding in plain sight. Enter old dome clocks. While most dome clocks no longer work, the good news is that you don't even need the clock parts for this project because you'll be taking the piece apart and turning it into a decorative glass cloche for your shelf.

To create your own stunning piece of home decor like DIYer @breeyashade, you'll need an old dome clock, paint, glue (which is optional), and little trinkets to place inside the dome. You can brush on paint, but spray paint may apply more smoothly, and even the cheapest spray paint at The Home Depot can do the job. A hot glue gun will be helpful because it dries quickly. As for the trinkets, you can place dried or faux flowers, mini books, candlesticks, figurines, and more inside. Consider creating a simple floral arrangement, or go all out with a fun little cemetery for Halloween, a holiday display, or any scene that strikes your fancy. You might even want to make the cutest cottagecore cloche with your dome clock and some items from the dollar store. It is common to find people using these domes to display their collections of oddities, from butterflies to bones. 

The first step in creating your unique dome decor is to remove the clock parts, which is as easy as using the proper screwdriver to unscrew them. Once you paint the base and assemble the cloche, it is ready for you to create your display inside. This is where we'll leave it up to you, because there are so many things you can do. Your cloche can be something simple like a small vase filled with faux flowers, and all you'd need to do is glue the vase to the base of the cloche so it stays standing whenever you move it. More intricate designs will require additional work and materials — such as green moss for grass in a cemetery scene or cotton balls for faux snow in a wintery design. 

If you want to get even more creative, consider adding small fairy lights to your displays. Any lights small enough to fit in your former dome clock cloche will work — keep the string leading to the on/off switch on the outside, or use remote-controlled lights. This adds one more creative way to light up your home. While you can glue the dome lid down, it isn't necessary, and it makes it easier to re-enter the dome for adjustments or battery swaps.