I love clocks and especially love clocks with personality! Starburst Style clocks appeal to me in many ways but they're usually a little too retro or gold for my style-- so I was excited to try making a new version of the Starburst :) I'd love to see you do the same using the tutorial below!
These clocks were my inspiration! [sources 1 & 2]
- a big handful of wood coffee stir sticks (7" long)
- all-purpose white glue
- sharp scissors
- working clock with a flat face
To skip drilling & wiring a clock from scratch, I used a flat pre-made clock with no dimension-- this cappuccino masterpiece was $10 at Walmart. Plus, the clock is ready to hang!
You'll find long wooden stir sticks at grocery stores, restaurant supply stores or ask your local coffee shop if you can buy some from them. Do not use the random wonky/curved sticks.
Step 1/ So that your sticks fit well side by side on the clock surface, you will need to cut a long and sharp point on one end of each stick. Use a pair of scissors (not your favorite pair) and cut towards the tip of the stick (not towards the center... that way is hard to cut). The longer the point the better; aim to shape each stick like a like a sword not a picket fence. Cut 100 to start and make more if needed.
Note: I originally covered the clock with contact paper so that any visible spaces between the wood sticks would blend in easier. You can ignore this step, the second layer of sticks covers any gaps :)
Step 2/ Start gluing a 'row' of sticks with the cut point aiming to the center of the clock (see 1), butting all angled cuts against each other. On the same layer, fill in the large gap between the 'first row' of sticks with another pointy stick (see 2). The sticks point should wedge in between the sticks snuggly-- trim and tweak along the way to help sticks fit better.
Gluing Technique: Apply glue to the clock in sections like a pie, then lay out the sticks and continue to the next 'slice'. For the second layer (see next step), I added the glue to each stick like I was icing a cupcake. The official pie and cupcakes technique ;)
Continue adding glue in 'slices', positioning sticks along the way until you reach your starting point.
Second Layer of Sticks:
Step 3/ For the second layer, you'll do it almost exactly the same as the first layer, but this time, focus on aiming the sticks to cover the gaps from the layer below. I also cut different lengths of sticks so that the starburst would feel balanced and 'bursting'.
Tip: Make sure that the height of your sticks doesn't get too tall for the clock hands to pass.
Now you're ready to hang your clock and enjoy the burst of style it ads to your home or office :) xo, LA
