Tile Clock Crafts

Practice

• Practicing skills prior to creating a clock allows crafters to work out the kinks. Purchase a few inexpensive tiles, a ½-inch ceramic tile drill bit, a cordless drill and plenty of painter’s tape. Practice drilling holes through the tile to gain a feel for using the drill on tile, how much pressure to use and the proper technique to avoid cracking the tile. Also, take out your clock kit and practice attaching it to the hole drilled in the center of the tile. Each clock kit differs slightly, so learning how to work with your kit will save time down the road.

Mosaics

• A mosaic tile clock may be created by attaching pieces of broken tiles or small tiles to a sturdy backing, such as a piece of plywood. Glue helps the tiles adhere to the wood backing while grout holds the tile in place for the long haul. Arrange small broken tiles to create a larger picture or a pattern, suggest the crafting experts at Polymer Clay World. Drill a hole in the center of a wooden board, making the hole the width appropriate for your clock kit. Cover the plywood board with a thin coat of tile adhesive glue. Press the tiles into the glue and allow it to dry overnight. Grout the areas between the tiles, using a wet cloth to wipe away any excess grout. Allow the grout to set firmly. Attach the clock kit using your previously practiced technique.

Decoupage

• Use larger tiles and decoupage them with your favorite images. Before starting the decoupage process, use a ceramic tile or glass drill bit to drill a hole through the center of the tile. Gather paper images for your decoupage project such as scrapbook papers, decoupage papers, wallpaper, stickers or magazine images. You will also need decoupage paste, spray adhesive, a small paintbrush and clear-drying varnish. Carefully cut out the images and spray the back carefully with a spray adhesive. Cover the tile surface with decoupage paste. Place the paper on the paste and smooth down with a small paint brush. Continue to layer images, applying decoupage paste to each new layer. Allow the images to dry. Paint on a layer of clear varnish. Allow it to dry completely before adding three to four more coats. Attach the clock kit through the drilled hole.

Painting and Stamping

• Again, begin by drilling a hole through the center of your tile to attach the clock kit at the end. Use craft paint appropriate for ceramic tile to paint an image on the tiles. Allow the paint to dry completely. Or use rubber stamps to stamp images on the tiles, suggests Michelle Herron. Use a solvent ink designed for use on all surfaces if you rubber stamp your image. Add several coats of clear-drying varnish to protect the painted or stamped images from scratching. Allow the varnish to dry completely before applying the next layer. Attach the clock kit and battery pack to the tile. Consider combing several painted, decoupaged or stamped tiles on to a clay-covered, plywood board to create a larger wall clock. Attach picture wire to the back to hang from the wall or use a photo stand to display the finished clock.