Make a Clock out of Old Game Pieces
If your kids are already grown up and don’t use their games, or you’ve held onto the ones from your childhood, then read this article on how to make a clock out of old game pieces! Reusing them is a really great way to hold onto the memory of your favorite games, at the same time as they fill a decorative and functional purpose.
Dominoes, Jenga, Chinese checkers, chess, crosswords, and all kinds of other games are great options. You can also use the boards themselves when you’re making your clock, you don’t have to limit yourself to the pieces. This will make for an even more fun, colorful decoration.
Wall clocks are a wonderfully practical form of home decor. If you want to make your own out of board game pieces, we recommend you hang it up in your kids’ or teenagers’ rooms. Or, if you just love board games, this kind of clock could be perfect for your living room.
Keep reading to see our two ideas on how to make a clock with old board game pieces!
Make a clock out of domino pieces
Dominoes is a classic tabletop game that has lived on through multiple generations and is especially loved by little kids. It has fascinating rectangular pieces with dots and a line down the middle. There are anywhere between 1-12 dots on each piece, which makes them perfect for a clock.
To make a clock out of old dominoes, you’ll need the following things:
- Dominoes
- A base (whatever material you want)
- A clock mechanism
- Acrylic paint (whatever color you want)
- A thick paintbrush
- Glue
- A pencil
- A ruler
Paint the clock base
Once you’ve chosen a base for your clock (which can be whatever shape and material you like), you can use the acrylic paint to give it your own design. We like the idea of making a contrast by painting it the inverse of your dominoes. For example, if your dominoes are white, you can paint the surface black or vice versa.
Paint the entire surface and let it dry. Then you can install the clock mechanism. If you already have a clock with one of these, you can take it out and put it into your new one. This will make the whole process much faster.
Trace a spot for all the dominoes
Measure the surface and use your pencil to trace out equally spaced spots for all the dominoes. Once you’ve finished, you can start putting down the pieces. This is where the dots come in. Make sure to use the piece with one dot for 1 o’clock, the piece with two dots for 2 o’clock, etc.
Glue the dominoes on
Once you’ve decided where you’re going to put them all, put a little bit of glue on the bottoms of each domino and stick them right over the spot you’ve traced. Press down firmly with your fingers for a few seconds to make sure it sticks well. Let it dry for a few hours and voilà, you’ve got your beautiful domino clock!
Make a clock out of old pieces from the game Jenga
Jenga is a tabletop game that has become extremely popular with young people. What you do is use rectangular wooden blocks to build a tower as tall as you can. If you’ve lost some of the pieces or don’t play anymore, you can use the old pieces from this game to make an amazing clock for your house.
Here’s what you’ll need:
- Jenga pieces
- Acrylic paint (whatever color you like)
- A permanent marker
- A wooden base (whatever shape you like)
- Glue
- A clock mechanism
Paint the wooden base
One of our favorite options here is to choose a wooden base because it goes really well with the wooden Jenga pieces. Even if you paint it a simple color like white, the pieces will stand out really nicely.
If you want to keep the color of the wood, you can just give it a coating of matte varnish. That will give the clock a more rustic feel.
Trace out a spot for each piece
Just like with the dominoes, once your surface is dry you’ll need to trace a precise spot for each Jenga piece.
Write the hour on each piece
Use the permanent marker (ideally fine point) to write the hours down on each piece. Once you’ve finished that (in whatever font or style you want), you can glue the pieces to the base. You’ll love your amazing new clock, and it will go great in your living room, kitchen, or game room.
These are just two ideas, but you can use these game pieces (or any others) to make the clock however you like. Mix textures and colors, and fill your walls with these gorgeous, handmade decorations!