Once the home business bug hit me, I was off and running and trying to find more ways to bring in extra money. The idea of a photo clock crossed my mind but I had no idea how to make one. I knew they’d make great Mother’s Day and Father’s Day gifts or gifts for grandparents. My only problem was I had no idea how to make a photo clock.
I found a downloadable template of a clock face and knew I could use this to place numbers over a photo. Then I decided to go on a clock hunt. I found a wall clock, 9 inches in diameter, for only $2.99. Once home I found if you take a butter knife, you can easily pry off the clear clock face. Now pull the hands off and then you can easily place a 9 inch round photo inside the clock.
Online they sell sheets of paper with pre-punched, blank clock faces. Keep these sheets in tact so you can print directly on them using your color printer. Using photo software, this usually is already installed on your computer; you can then overlay the numbers on top of your photo, using the free template you’ve downloaded.
Size your image so it will completely fill in the clock face. Print a sample onto a plain sheet of paper and hold it up against the pre-punched clock face paper. Make sure your image is the correct size and centered. Remember that the hands on the clock will make an impact on the placement of your photo. You won’t want hands coming out from someone’s nose. Once you’ve got the placement right, then print directly onto your pre-punched paper.
Placing the printed clock face into the clock is simple. Just punch it out and pop out the pre-made hole in the center. It should fit in perfectly. Add the hands and snap the lid back into place. It’s that simple. These clocks need some promotion to make sales. Though I gave one to my niece for Christmas and after she hung it up, she was asked by her friends where they could get one. Though I sold quite a few, it wasn’t my best money maker. I did make at least $10 a clock but if you are a natural salesperson, you may do really well selling clocks. You can also put drawings, logos, and even enlarged business cards onto clock faces. The ideas are endless.
If you take a digital camera and color printer to the local craft store display. Have the clocks already taken apart, so you aren’t sitting there tugging at the cover with a butter knife! Advertising online or selling clocks on eBay is another route you should consider. Everyone has a clock. Once you get the hang of making personalized clocks, there are watches with easily removable faces too.