DIY Abstract Art Clock and Serving Tray

All reviews and opinions expressed in this post are unbiased and based on my personal view.

I was able to chat with David Bromstad recently about his limited-edition labels for Coffee-mate’s French Vanilla and Hazelnut bottles. There are four designs — two for each flavor — and they will only be available at Target. I loved his approach to the designs, and being known for his painting skills and use of color, I was inspired by David and “the art of a fresh start” to do a little painting of my own. I customized a tray, and wanted to take on another project too. I suggested a clock last week and you were into the idea, so I went for it!

The tray was cute, but you guys. The clock? LOVE IT. Eleanor has already laid claim on it, so it’s going to be moving to her room, and August wants one too (in red). Here it is paired up for now though with it the tray that preceded it. I even snipped a few flowers from the yard for the table, remembering David’s fondness for his mom’s garden.

Want to make a clock or tray (or both) of your own? Here’s what you’ll need:

• a clock that can be taken apart

• art brushes

• a serving tray

• painter’s tape

• acrylic craft paints
  I used 24K gold, coral, shell, ladybug red, egg, deep sea, and robin’s egg

Painting a Serving Tray

I started by taping off the sides of the serving tray with painter’s tape so that they would stay white. I used small (4-6″) strips of tape because it’s easier to work with than long pieces, and I let them overlap a little each time for complete coverage.

I was aiming for an abstract look, concentrating on fields and splashes of color. (Eh? Inspired by David. Get it?) Magic animated gif painting process time!

I peeled the tape off carefully and let the tray sit overnight to be sure that the paint was completely dry.

The paint peeking out from the bottom of the tray is such a happy detail! Little things like that are always a nice grace note in the morning.

An Abstract Art Wall Clock

Painting the clock was similar, but with a few differences to note. I chose the paint the sides and the face, so there was no need to tape anything off. I also wanted to add a bit of gold this time. I had picked up a bottle of gold paint to use on the tray, but I changed my mind. The raised numbers on the clock presented themselves as the perfect spot for it!

I unscrewed the clock and took everything apart so I could paint the face. I let the colors mix together more here than I did with the tray. I also used a round brush instead of a wide filbert, so that changed the look too.

The first few layers don’t look terribly promising, but the magic comes as you keep going. I had a hard time deciding when to stop because I kept wanting to tweak it here and there, but I had to call it and walk away so I wouldn’t overwork it or muddy the colors.

I let the paint dry completely before coming back to paint those numbers gold. The metallic paint was semi-translucent, and I think it took about five coats for it to turn opaque. The numbers catch the light in the best way though, so taking the time to apply layer after layer of gold was worth it!

After the paint on the numbers dried, I reassembled the clock and hung it. Not a bad way to check the time, right? Eleanor’s a smart kid, stealing that clock for herself.