Back To School Clock for the Classroom

This Back to School Clock looks great in a classroom. Make it as a teacher gift or for your own classroom. It can be customized to your school colors. I have made quite a few clock faces with Design Space.

I have made quite a few clock faces with Design Space. I change them with the season. To see the videos on how to design your own clock see this tutorial. It will also teach you the basic skills needed to use Design Space. It is also at my YouTube Channel.

What you will Need:

A basic clock from Walmart
A screwdriver (to take the clock apart)
A ruler
glue
Cardstock
Download File

Preparing The Back to School Clock

I bought the clock at Walmart for less than $4. You need to remove the screws from the back and take the clock apart. Remove the hands and set them aside but be careful. Remember what order they came off so that you can put them back on the same way. They bend easily.

Measure the diameter of the clock. That is the distance from one side to the other across the center peg. Subtract a little (0.1 inch or so) to make sure it fits and this is how big to make your clock face. The Walmart clock measured 7.25 inches and I cut the face at 7.2 inches.

Paper Selection For the Back To School Clock

I made my clock in red and grey because that was my school colors when I was in school back when we used stone and chisels. Make it in your school colors for a special touch. Any weight paper will work and patterns work well for one piece or the other. Not both.

Cutting the Back To School Clock

Cut the card base and the cricut will do the writing. I used a a black pen. The font in this card is an Access font called DTC Fluffy Socks (because I love the name). You can use any pen in your cricut with this simple trick. See it here.

Some of the parts are thin so be careful removing them from the mat. Also the center of the book is separate so be sure to keep it.

Assembling the Back To School Clock

This is so easy! Put the cut out piece over the solid piece and glue together. Glue on the center of the book. Make sure you glue down all the edges of the paper. The hands will catch on anything that sticks up too far. Put the face on the clock and reassemble it. Be sure you put the hands on in the same order they came off or your clock will not run properly.

Some notes on A Variation I Tried

I tried to assemble this clock with foam tape to give it some dimension. It didn’t work because the face was too tall and the hands got caught on the top layer. If your hands on your clock are taller it may work but be sure to check it.

Fun Facts About Clocks

The oldest working clock in the world is the Salisbury Cathedral Clock in Salisbury, England. This mechanical clock dates all the way back to 1386.
The first American alarm clock was invented in Concord, New Hampshire in 1787 by Levi Hutchins.
The National Institute of Standards and Technology in Colorado created an atomic clock so accurate they claim will neither gain nor lose a second in 20 million years.
Due to changes in local gravity, a pendulum clock that is accurate at sea level will lose nearly 16 seconds per day if moved to an altitude of 4,000 feet or more.