Another DIY Wooden Spool Clock

For this faux clock I used one of the small spools that I found.

 

I used the inside of one the spool ends since it was in better condition than the side that faced out. I decided to do this one a little different than the last one I made. I started out with a white wash effect. I took white acrylic paint and added a significant amount of water to make it really watered down and took my paint brush and “white washed” the entire spool.

After that was dry I thought it need more texture so I took my fan brush and a gray acrylic paint and randomly added some gray strokes that went along with the wood grain. I unfortunately didn’t photograph this part because I was too busy watching the tornadoes but you’ll see it in the finished product. I also painted the inside notch on the spool gray to give it a different depth than the rest of the spool.

I wanted to do roman numerals for this spool but did not have a stencil so I decide to risk it and free-hand it. I marked where the 12, 3, 6 and 9 would be and just eye balled the others. I am too impatient to make my own stencils to use but also am super picky and never happy with my free handed writing either. It’s never perfect but I’m always hoping its good enough.

I used a black paint pen for this step which gave me much more control and accuracy than a paint brush would have. I used a ruler to help try to make the lines straight although it was difficult at times because the wood isn’t completely flat and is aged with grooves and notches.

Once I finished with the roman numerals and they were dry, I grabbed my fan brush again and went over it lightly with white paint and then wiped it off with a napkin in the direction of the wood grain. This gave the number the aged and distressed look without using a sander.

Hind sight, I wish I had used a stencil but overall I really like it and I think I prefer the roman numerals over the normal letters I used for the other wooden spool clock that I did here.

One other thing I should mention is for now I’ve left these with no hands, as you can tell. I know they have kits where you can make these functional clocks but I know I wouldn’t use them to tell time. Who needs a clock when they have a phone? I am debating adding some hands just so it looks more like a clock but I haven’t decided yet.

What do you think? Do you like it without hands or would you like it better with clock hands?