Vintage Film Reel Clock

Happy Friday! Here’s a fun and easy weekend craft using a vintage film reel, a map and a craft store clock movement.

I had this 8mm film reel in its can sitting around for over a year knowing that since its movie days were long gone, I’d reinvent and give it a new life some day. Well, that day arrived this week and crafters, here’s how ya do it.

You’ll need:

• Film reel (mine is a 5″ diameter reel) – scour your local antique markets or Ebay
  
• A clock movement – I used a 3/8″ clock movement from Michaels Craft Store
• A 1/2″ Forstner drill bit – this bit drills a perfectly round hole and can be purchased at any hardware store. It looks like this.
• E-6000 Adhesive
• Spray Adhesive
• Map or any decorative paper
• X-Acto Knife

Here’s how ya do it:

1. Remove the reel from the can and set aside.
2. Drill a hole in the center of the can base. Eventually you will nest the reel inside of this part of the container.
3. Determine the diameter of the inside of the can base and cut a circle out of an old map or decorative paper and apply spray adhesive to the back of the paper. Then place it inside the can base. Use an X-Acto knife to cut out the center hole in the paper – the hole you drilled in the can base will serve as your template.
4. Glue and nest the reel into the can base. Let dry a couple of hours.
5. Follow the instructions on the clock movement to remove the clock arms. Then, from the back of the can base, insert the clock movement through the back of the can and through the center hole of the reel. Use adhesive to glue the clock movement to the back of the can and let dry.
6. Reattach the clock movement arms to the movement shaft which is now sticking through the center of the reel. Note to crafters, to give my clock a little pop, I painted mine orange.
7. Glue the can base to the container lid. Let dry and your done!

It may seem like a lot of steps but this project is easy and fun. Enjoy and happy crafting!