Make Time for a Simple DIY Project: How to Create a Photo Wall Clock

Guest post from Leigh Ann Dutton

I absolutely love capturing memories, especially with my camera. However, I am really terrible at doing anything with the pictures once I have taken them. They sit in their neatly organized folders on my lap top, and I rarely see them again. It’s sad.

My life goal is to create a home that makes it impossible to not think about God. Decorating my home in reflection of God’s grace, namely my baby boy, keeps Him in the forefront of my mind as I go about my daily tasks of homemaking. As I contemplated what I wanted to do with my many photographs, I remembered a cutout from a magazine I had been saving for several years. This was pre-Pinterest, ya’ll!

Once I stopped making excuses about not having enough time, I got to work, and I created this …

DIY Photo Wall Clock

What you need:

• 12 photographs, printed
• 12 picture frames – I bought mine from the Dollar Tree.
• 12 nails
• 1 hammer
• Measuring tape, if you’re particular about spacing – I just eye-balled it.
• Standard clock movement kit- I bought mine from Hobby Lobby for $5.99 (without a coupon)
• Clock hands, in the style you prefer – Also from Hobby Lobby, and these cost $3.49 (without a coupon)
• Leftover Christmas box, optional
• Leftover wall paint, optional
• Scotch tape, optional

Once I gathered all of my materials, I placed my photographs in frames and laid them out on the floor.

Then, I put the 12 o’clock, 3 o’clock, 6 o’clock, and 9 o’clock in place on the wall. I made these 5×7 frames just to give the whole clock some contrast.

Once these pictures were in place, I filled in the gaps with my remaining picture frames. I am not a super meticulous person. I eye-balled this entire project. As a matter of fact, if I had tried to measure this out perfectly, it would have been a complete disaster. Things end up more lopsided when I try to measure than if I just go with it. Do what works for you!

I moved my frames around several times until I got the look I was going for. I found that when it was on the floor the light hit it a lot differently than it did once it was on the wall. I adjusted a few photos, and literally squealed with delight. Yes, I said it. I squealed. My boy clapped his hands. I guess he approves of being plastered all over our wall.

Also, it’s an opportune time to add, if I had been thinking, which is always a dangerous thing to do, I would have put his one month picture at 1 o’clock, his two month picture at 2 o’clock, his three month picture at … Well, you get the point. I would have coincided the months with the time, and at the top, we would have had his one year old picture. He just turned one, Happy Birthday, Sam! I’m thinking about doing one of these in a smaller format for his room. I will probably do my after-thought in there.

At this point, you can follow the instructions on your clock set to mount the hands, and call it a day. However, I may not be meticulous, but I am particular. Therefore, I did not want the black box that the battery and clock parts sit in showing. So, I enlisted the help of my husband.

Here’s what he did …

He used a leftover Christmas wrapping box, and cut it out to cover the black box. He used leftover paint we had from when we painted our walls to paint the cut-out. Then, he taped the pieces together with scotch tape. At this point, he followed the directions on the clock-making kit to fit it all together and mount it on the wall.

And there you have it – your very own DIY Photo Wall Clock.

Total Cost: Less than $25!