Make it Marble

It seems like everyone is talking about marble these days. It makes me wonder—when was it ever out of style?

Whether used boldly or subtly, the classic appeal of marble adds a clean and timeless touch to any space. With marble accents popping up everywhere, I found myself wanting to incorporate some into my own home.I came across a stunning marble clock and thought it would be the perfect addition to my wall—an elegant yet eye-catching piece.

Now, I should mention a couple of things. First, I get really anxious about hanging heavy items on my solid plaster walls. Normally, I approach home projects with confidence: I research how to do things, execute them, and move on. But when it comes to hanging something substantial like a mirror or a solid marble clock, I can’t help but picture it crashing down in the middle of the night.

Secondly, I’m not keen on spending three to five hundred dollars on a clock. Yes, that’s the price range most of these clocks fall into.

Every now and then—okay, maybe all the time—I find myself admiring something beautiful in a store window and jokingly exclaiming, “I could make that!” The humor usually comes from the fact that the item in question is often custom-made using a patented process that I know nothing about or is made from solid marble. Cue the disappointment.

Then I stumbled upon adhesive marble vinyl. I know what you’re thinking—“Adhesive” and “vinyl” don’t sound like materials you’d want on your walls. But hear me out!

There are surprisingly high-quality adhesive marble options available online. While some look cheap and fake, others have truly nailed the look-alike challenge.

So, that pricey solid marble clock? “I’ll just make one myself!”

Materials Needed

Adhesive marble vinyl (here’s where I found mine)
Clock face (available at most craft stores with pre-drilled center holes)
Clock movement kit (make sure it’s compatible with your clock face thickness—I’ve made mistakes so you don’t have to!)
1 AA battery (if needed for your clock kit; mine required one)
X-acto knife

Instructions

Trace Your Clock Face: Start by tracing the outline of your clock face onto the vinyl. Don’t forget to include the center hole!
Prepare the Clock Face: Ensure your clock face is clean and smooth—any speck of dust will show under the vinyl. On the bright side, this vinyl can be removed and reapplied if needed (and yes, typing “vinyl” too often does make it look odd).
Cut Out the Vinyl: Use an X-acto knife or scissors to cut out your vinyl circle, making sure to carefully cut out the center hole with the knife. Apply it to your clock face while smoothing out any air bubbles.
Finish the Sides: For the edges of my clock, I cut long strips from my extra vinyl and applied them around the sides, trimming any excess afterward.
Assemble Your Clock: Follow the simple instructions included with your clock kit. Fortunately, my kit had a built-in hanging feature on the back, so I didn’t need any additional hardware!

Final Touches

And there you have it! I was thrilled with how easily this project came together and how convincingly it mimics real marble.This DIY option is far less expensive and much lighter than solid marble, so I can see myself incorporating more marble-inspired pieces in my home. Good thing it’s currently trending!