I have been on the lookout for a wall clock for a while but haven't been able to find one I really liked. They're all too loud, too big, too small, too crazy or too boring. I had my hand on a $3 clock in resignation when I spotted a wall full of old records for $1 and had an idea. How easy would it be to turn an LP into a clock? Here's how it played out:
What You Need
An old LP.
A clock movement.
Clock hands.
Tools
Depending how you get your movement you might need a screwdriver.
Instructions
1. Choose your record. I chose records that had colourful branding because they would be the only colour and detail on my clock.
2. If you wanted to add detail to the LP/clock face, numbers, dots or dashes, you would add them to the face before you add the movement. I liked the face of the record plain so I skipped straight to the next step.
3. Find a clock movement. You can buy these from craft stores or you can pick up secondhand clocks and use their movements. They are usually pretty easy to access.
4. If your movement doesn't come with hands you'll need to find some you like, or if you're super keen make your own. They are sized to fit over different levels over the movement.
5. Since the records already have a hole right in the centre it was super easy to slip the movement through. It was a squeeze but with some twisting it slipped through and sat about a centimetre off the LP.
6. The hands I had came with the movement so they looped right over the top. I tested the hands to make sure they moved freely without knocking each other or touching the record face and had to bend some of them to give them room.
7. Once the hands are secured you can add your battery and watch it tick! Check that everything works by watching a complete cycle.
7. There were no hooks on my movement but there is space to add one or you can stick some heavy duty removable tape to the back and hang it that way.
Additional Notes:
The LPs do attract dust but they are easy enough to clean. If you want a smaller clock try an old 45 or CD.
Want more smart tutorials for getting things done around the home?
See more How To posts
We're looking for great examples of your own household intelligence too!
Submit your own tutorials or ideas here!
(Images: Sarah Starkey)
Must-See Small Cool Homes: Week Two
Beth's Romantic & Retro Residence
Good Food to Share 
The Big Book of Small, Cool Spaces 
Apartment Therapy Presents 
The Eight-Step Home Cure 
Shaw's Original Fir...
How to Bake a Potato: Three Easy Methods
How To Cook Tender, Chewy Wheat Berries on the Stovetop
Clock movements in craft stores are usually expensive compared to the price of old clocks in thrift stores.
Depending on the clock movement you find, you may need to secure it to the record with super glue. If the clock movement won't fit through the hole in the record, it's easy to enlarge the hole with an Xacto knife.
You can see some of the record clocks I've made at the following link: http://modmischief.blogspot.com/search/label/clocks
Lots on flickr too. and book clocks.
I did this project today with a group of 50 high school girls! They loved it, the used paint to decorate the records and make their clocks more unique.
Also! You could buy one already made, except with cool stenciled designs, from NOLA artist Mags: http://www.etsy.com/shop/artbymags