If You Have Old Frying Pans And Doilies, You Can Make A Rustic Clock

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On any given trip to the local second-hand shop, there are a few thrift store finds you don't want to overlook. Old, sometimes broken-down frying pans or skillets and doilies from the last century are among them. Although stores might vet these items to ensure they can be used for their originally intended purpose, some of these second-hand goods have just flat out seen their better days. However, if you're the crafty type, their decrepit state isn't cause for sadness. On the contrary, to your designing mind, they're just the raw materials you need to make a kitchen clock that turns all the pieces' flaws into rustic decor assets.

The frying pan becomes the clock's body. Therefore, the more interesting the pan, the more interesting the clock, so choose one that catches your eye. Flaws are definitely okay. Even one with a broken handle will work. Next, look for doilies that have cool patterns and textures as well as cool clock parts. You'll reinforce the kitchen theme if you get a clock set like the PARAOR Quartz Clock Movements, which includes hands shaped like a fork and knife. Paint in a rustic color, like brown or green, ribbon, and thread are the last items you need to redress the clock. You'll also need a couple of tools, such as scissors, glue, and paint brushes — both the sponge and bristle types. Plus, making a hole in the pan for the clock parts requires a drill with a couple of twist drill bits, including a small one to make a pilot hole.

To outfit your rustic wall decor piece with the clock parts, you'll need to make a hole in the middle of the skillet. You can do this at almost any stage of the craft, but there's an argument for doing it at the beginning. If you do it after you've painted it and added the doily, you could face chipped paint or a frayed lace. Once you finish that step, it's time to paint the pan a solid, vibrant color. 

@midnight_laughs

You won't believe what I made with old lace and an old frying pan! #artandcraft #craftideas #artcraft #crafty #diycraft

♬ Happy / Video CM / Ukulele ♬ Cooking / Family(897363) – ImoKenpi-Dou

Next, cut the patterns out of the doilies and glue them onto the bottom of the pan. Some design ideas to keep in mind: Diamond shapes make nice centerpieces for the clock because you can position the points on the diamond to align with the numbers on the clock face. Do note, you're also not required to cut apart the doily. Some patterns are already stunning as-is. In those cases, it's more a matter of positioning the doily over the middle of the clock and gluing it on. You could, however, cut parts from a second doily and use those to decorate the skillet's outer rim.

Next, install the clock parts, including the numbers. You'll hang the pan by the handle, so make sure that the 12 sits directly below it. Finally, make a bow out of the ribbon and thread and glue it onto the handle of the pan. A burlap one, like Ribbli Fall Burlap Ribbon, would fit in nicely with your rustic decor. Once the bow is made, the clock is ready to hang up.

There are many ways to customize this upcycled frying pan. For starters, consider removing the handle using a screwdriver. There will probably be a couple of holes where the screws used to be. Paint a wooden craft ring silver or gold, glue it on the spot where the holes are, and add a chain to the ring. With these two pieces on the top, it'll look like the old pocket watch your grandpa used to wear, especially if you find some small spiral-shaped doilies to glue onto the face of the watch. They'll look like the gears peeking through the clock's face.

Or, you could get more creative with paint. Instead of laying down a solid single color on the pan, paint a scene on the frying pan. A folksy-looking snow village would be really cute if you're a clock decor to hang up during the winter holidays. Snippets of doilies that look like snowflakes amp up your clock's cuteness factor about tenfold. 

Finally, you could approach your designs very literally. For example, find a doily with frilly rounded edges. Paste it inside the skillet instead of on its bottom. Add a round piece of yellow doily or felt to the middle to create a stylized fried egg in a pan. That, plus the utensil clock hands, would be the ultimate nod to the food that's the mainstay of breakfast in a rustic country home.