Domestic Goddesque

Home life. Home style. Home cooking. Home Exchanging.

by 21 Comments

How to make a paper plate pocket watch: a Thomas Cook Kids Club Competition entry

I hate it when someone throws down the gauntlet at me. I am a person who is incapable of saying “No!” Fortunately, the advantage of the challenge Maggy at RedTed set me is that I get to spend time with my children. We get to spend time together making stuff. And in return for the making of fun stuff with my Girls, there is a chance that we may win a big stash of goodies thanks to Thomas Cook.

Thus I found myself downloading one of the stories on the Thomas Cook Kids Club website one evening and searching the veritable mountain of crafting things I now possess for some paper plates and sticky bits and pieces. Despite the subsequent avalanche (should that be craft-a-lanche?) the bits and I survived unblemished until the next morning.

It being the school holidays, I am, as instructed by Teacher, trying to reinforce some of the lessons PD has been learning this term. Specifically, we are working on numbers and letters. What better way to encourage numeracy than by making a (very large) pocket watch, like the Boatman’s in Ghost Island?

All you need is some paper plates- ours were white but I bet gold ones would be super if you have them. Cut the centre from one plate, leaving the other intact.

How to make a paper plate pocket watch

Around the centre of the intact plate (this is your watch ‘face’) you need to write, print, stencil or stick the numbers 1-12, as they appear on a clock. Punch a hole in the centre of the plate.

Using  card (you could use the discarded inner of the other plate) cut two arrows that will form your watch hands. We coloured them red and blue to help with teaching the time. Punch a hole in the flat ends of them both. Thread a paper fastener through both holes in the hands and the watch face and secure at the back.

Paper plate clock face

Now you need to attach the watch face to the cover using sticky tape on both sides for strength.

That’s pretty much it: embellish as you see fit.

Make a paper plate watch

For added realism we painted the entire thing gold, and I decided to put a second plate on the back of the clock face to cover the fastener and strengthen the clock for repeated use.

Keep an eye on the time, because you don’t want to get stuck on the Island, do you?

Teaching time: Paper plate pocket watch

you should just be able to make out the palm tree stickers underneath the gold paint. There is an island scene on the rear of the clock too, which has been covered in paint to appear like embossing.....

There’s still time for you to enter this fabulous competition: just download one of the brilliant stories by Debbie  on Thomas Cook Kids Club website, partake in some nifty crafting and link your blog post to the Red Ted Art page.

 

Happily linked: Today’s Creative

Comments

  4. Amanda says

    Absolutely adorable idea!

    I run Fun Family Crafts, a library of craft tutorials geared at kids of all ages. I would love it if you’d stop by and submit this to be featured! (I link to you, I don’t post your tutorial on the site) Feel free to submit as many kid friendly craft tutorials as you like! http://funfamilycrafts.com/

    Reply

Go on! You know you want to tell me what you think!