I love to make stuff from scratch and then admire my masterpieces thereafter. I don't actually make a business out of it (even though many people have suggested that I do) as I just like to keep it as my hobby. Work might just take the fun out of it, if ya know what I mean =)
I've tried almost everything, from making my own jewellery to painting T-shirts to scrapbooking (my newest endeavour). One of my favourites (albeit super time-consuming) is cross-stitching. It's a painstakingly long process that requires a lot of time and patience so I don't really have time to do that many. When I do, I make sure it's a massive project and is super unique.
Which is also why this particular piece is so special to me.
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| I made for our room that we were going to share together |
Wanna know how I made it?
Well, for starters, you need to buy a cross-stitch kit (Spotlight has some nice ones) and sew a picture that you like.
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| Cross stitch picture of a bride & groom |
As I was preparing for my wedding at the time, I chose a picture of a bride and groom. This one's still pretty manageable by my standards (I've been cross-stitching since I was 13 years old).
A tip for beginners: You may want to start off with a smaller picture to get the hang of it before proceeding on to harder ones. Also, sew the darker colours first and then the lighter colours as the lighter threads (especially white) may get dirtied by your hands over time.
Next, get a 3D photo frame that has a space between the glass and the picture. I got mine from Ikea, the very same ones I used for my last Mad-Made project.
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| Fitting the cloth into the frame |
Wrap the cloth around the board that usually comes with the frame and check that the picture is positioned correctly.
Next, drill a hole into the wood (or poke through it with a pen-knife if it's thin enough) and cut a hole in your fabric.
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| Make a hole in both the wooden backing and the cloth |
Make sure both holes line up to each other perfectly as this is where the body of the clock mechanism will be. The clock mechanisms (as seen below) can be bought from Art Friend. I bought the hands separately as the original hands that came with the clock body were tiny and not as aesthetically pleasing to the eye. Cost me twice as much too.
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| Clock mechanisms used for making DIY clocks |
After fitting the 'stick' on the clock body through the holes in the wooden board (see above) and cloth (see below), fit the hands onto the 'stick' according to the manufacturer's instruction.
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| Fitting the hands onto the clock body |
Once you're done, put the frame together, insert the wire (that came with the frame), add a battery..
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| Adding the final touches |
..and voila!
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| My clock is hung above my shelves |
You've got a one-in-a-million clock that nobody else has but you! =)
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This post is part of my Mad-Made Art series that documents our artistic creations!
You can also see more on Instagram via the hashtag #madpsychmumart!
