It is time again for this month’s International Blogger Club Challenge (IBC).  This month the topic was “Sands of Time”, we had to create something incorporating this theme into our project. I chose to upcycle an old sand timer that has been sitting in my cupboard for years.

I had an idea in my head that I wanted to build a wooden platform around the Sand timer and add a theme.  My first thought was an Egyptian God theme which seemed to suit “Sands of Time” (In my head anyway).   Thanks to my trusty Cricut vinyl cutter I was able to pull it off.

I must warn you because I make up my projects as I go along I tend to change my mind mid-build.  My first idea was to have the sand timer wedged into the stand and you just flipped the stand to get the sand moving.  This caused and issue once I added the images because once the timer was flipped the images were upside down. So if some of the images look a little “off ” that is the reason.  More information about IBC at the bottom of this post.

How to upcycle a Sand Timer

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Cut your wood

Staying with my website theme of using recycled materials.  I had some leftover pallet wood from a wall-mounted bar I recently made, which I used for this project.  You will obviously also need a Sand timer.

To clean up with pallet wood I cheated and put it through my wood planer to clean up the surface.   Next, I trimmed the rough edges and sanded the wood smooth using an orbital sander.

Cut the wood to the size of your sand timer. The wood for the top and the bottom is cut bigger than the sides so that you have a hangover on either side. You can cut the sides to half the width of the top and bottom.

Build the frame

Drill pilot holes first to prevent the wood from splitting and then screw the sides to the top and bottom like the picture below.  The holes you can see in the image below was for my first design.  The holes would hold the timer snug to prevent it from falling out.  You can do it this way if you are not going to add images to the sides.

Next, cut two new pieces of wood a few centimetres bigger than the top and bottom. This will form a second layer for cosmetic effect.

If you have a router machine and want to give the edges a nicer look like mine you can do that now.

You can now screw the new piece into the bottom, and countersink the screws so it will sit flush on a table. The top will be added at the end.

Installing the sand timer

For the new design, the sand timer had to be able to swing around inside the stand. Thanks to COVID- 19 lockdowns I had to use what I had at home. This would not be my first choice but it was what I used. lol  I just polymorph beads, which is mouldable plastic. You add some beads to a cup of boiling water and this will melt the beads and make them clear.

You mould the plastic into the shape you want and once it cools it will turn rock hard. Next, you will need to cut 2 short pieces of metal which will hold the sand timer. If the polymorph sets and you want to add more you can use a heat gun to heat it up and then you can remould it.

Fit the sand timer into the frame

To make sure you have the metal supports even on both sides you can do this.  Put both pieces of wood together and find the centre and drill the holes through both pieces at the same time.

The hole needs to be drilled deeper so you have some play to get the sand timer back inside the frame.

Decorate the frame

You can find decals to put on your sand timer or if you have a Cricut you can make them.  On the internet, you can google free images and whatever theme you want.  Once I had all my Egyptian god images I added them to the design space in Cricut software. If you do have a Cricut vinyl cutter and looking for new projects ideas click HERE.

Once you have all your images you can cut them out onto black vinyl. And transfer them onto your wood.

Because the sides were too small to add images I decorated the instead. You can use a reed stick and roll some newspaper around them to look like a pillar.

Painting the stand

Once all the decals have been added you can now paint everything using black gesso. Next, you can put the stand back together. To attach the top piece you can add wood glue and clamp the wood until the glue is dry.   This way you will not have a screw hole to fill like my first attempt.

To make the graphics pop out you will need to use some gold metallic wax paste.

Dip the tip of your finger into the and rub it over the surface of the whole stand. Don’t cover all the black paint or it will spoil the effect.  To make the images stand out even more you can add a second coat of wax to the decals only. The wax will need about 12 hours to set before sealing it with clear acrylic spray. Make sure you cover the sand timer before spraying to prevent any overspray.

If you like this idea but don’t think you want to build your own we have got you covered.  Here are some to chose from.

About IBC (International Bloggers Club)

If you follow my blog you will know I am part of IBC (International Bloggers Club) which is a group of talented bloggers from around the world. We have members from Spain, South Africa, Australia, the United States, and Canada. Each month we come together and create a project in a common theme.

If you missed last month’s Rock N Roll theme here is the link to my Elvis tribute guitar.  The contributions from my fellow bloggers are listed below, please feel free to jump over and share your thoughts.

1. Me| Unique creations By Anita
2. Interior frugalista |How to turn photos into watercolour prints
3. Birdz of a feather | DIY Sand Candle
4. A Crafty Mix|DIY Sands of Time Hourglass

More pallet wood projects

I had some leftover pallet wood so I made these small projects to use it up.  Bird feeder

How to make a simple wall shelf

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