Upcycled Cuckoo Clock Made From a Cereal Box

This upcycled cuckoo clock post contains affiliate links.

You know I love to repurpose and this time I repurposed something that usually goes straight to my recycling bin: old cereal boxes!  This week my bin was a little lighter and my family room is sporting a little more whimsy with an upcycled cuckoo clock made from a cereal box!  Check out the tutorial and be sure to read all the way to the bottom where I’ve shared links to other cereal box Cricut crafts made by other bloggers this week!

I have a real thing for cuckoo clocks and I look for them every time I’m at the thrift store but I’ve never been able to find one.  And I admit, I want one that’s a bit quirky looking, kind of like these colorful jigsaw versions.  I decided it might be fun to try making one … and since I was using mostly items that I found around my house, it was really cost effective {which means I can change it out when a new thought strikes}.

To make this DIY cuckoo clock, I used two cardboard cereal boxes, a clock making kit {with 1/4 inch shaft}, yarn, and paint.  And, my Cricut Maker, of course!

I used a house image I found in Cricut Design Space and altered it slightly.  I added a circle for the bird to pop out of, and made a small hole in the door so the clock shaft could poke through. 

I also cut out a cute little bird image.

I spray painted the various parts with a coat of colorful spray paint {I used colors that match the colors in my decor} and let the pieces dry then assembled it all together with hot glue.

I attached the little bird to a piece of wooden skewer and hot glued that on to the back of the clock with the bird sticking out the front.  Unlike a regular cuckoo clock, this bird won’t move but it still looks really cute.

Then I attached the clock making kit according to the package instructions {if you haven’t used a clock making kit before, it’s as simple as placing the various pieces on the shaft and screwing a tiny cap on the end}.

I love the little weights that hang from old cuckoo clocks so I added my own whimsical version with red yarn tassels.

To make a quick and easy tassel, wrap yarn around four fingers about twenty-five times …

… pull a string through the top {this is how it’ll hang from the clock} …

… tie another piece of yarn around the strands, just below the top …

… cut the bottom loop open …

… and trim as needed.  I hot glued them to the clock at different heights to resemble real clock weights.

And that’s all there is to it!

The clock kit has a hanger attached so the clock can easily be hung anywhere …

… and mine is adding a colorful and whimsical touch …

… to an already colorful room in our home!

Ready to see what the other bloggers have created with cereal boxes?  Click the pictures below to see the full tutorials.