Learn how to paint a grandfather clock at home with a few simple steps. Revamping an old piece of furniture is an easy way to blend old and new furniture and make your home feel a little cozier.
This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission at no extra cost to you. See my full disclosure here.
I remember when I told my husband I was being gifted a grandfather clock. He was not excited, but I assured him it would turn out great! He didn’t believe me because he imagined it being a bulky piece in our small, cozy home, but I had a vision. I knew that if I found the right spot for it, painting it white, and giving it a distressed look, the clock would fit right in with our home.
When my neighbor told me they were inheriting a grandfather clock, but decided not to keep it and asked if I wanted it, I immediately started brainstorming on what I could do. I knew it was all wood, but I had no idea what it looked like. I started searching grandfather clocks to get an idea of the variety of styles it could be. By doing that, I had a better idea of what I could be dealing with, and could picture the end result more.
Once I picked up the clock, I knew I did not want to have to sand it, given the detail on it. I had used chalk paint before, and knew that it was easy to distress. Also, since grandfather clocks are pretty much never touched, and don’t have a busy surface, I knew chalk paint would be a good fit for this piece.
MATERIALS NEEDED TO PAINT A GRANDFATHER CLOCK
(You can find supplies at your local hardware store, or follow the links to Amazon)
- Grandfather Clock
- Chalk Paint
- Paint Brush
- Painter’s Tape
- Sand Block
- Bandana/Mask
- Cloth/Rag
THE PROCESS OF PAINTING A GRANDFATHER CLOCK
There are definitely different ways you can go about painting a grandfather clock. I am going to run you through the steps I took for this particular project.
PREP
The first step to painting a grandfather clock is to prep it. With using chalk paint, it doesn’t need to be sanded. Basically, just wipe it down, clean the glass, and apply painters tape to the edges of the glass and hardware.
PAINT
Once prepped, start to paint using a decent paint brush. (You don’t want bristles breaking off and sticking to the wet paint.) I used a paint brush instead of a roller because there is not any large, flat areas on the grandfather clock I have. Also, I made sure to paint the inside, so it was all cohesive, and had an overall fresh look.
Let the first coat dry, and apply a second coat. After I applied the second coat, there were a few places that maybe could have been touched up more, but I felt like it gave it the distressed look I was going for. Having a distressed look helps take stress off of you, since you don’t need to make sure it looks perfect. Plus, like my husband always says when I feel like I mess something up, “It looks good. It gives it character.” I appreciate him for that.
DISTRESS
Once the coats are dry, it is time to sand and distress. (When dealing with any sanding, especially dry paint, you want to wear a mask, so that you don’t breath it in. Take any other precautions that are necessary.) I used a medium rough sand block and started with some of the edges. I always sand a few places, then, take a step back and see if I need to do more, and if so, where.
(There is a tip for sanding less if you prefer to do that. It includes applying petroleum jelly to the areas you want to peak through the paint before you distress. I talk about this more in my free ebook – 5 Steps to Chalk Paint, which you can find here.)
SEAL
The final step would normally be to seal the chalk paint. However, because the grandfather clock is not a high traffic furniture piece, I went ahead and skipped this step. I did wipe it down, though, to get any extra dust off. It has been done for over a year, and is holding up well.
BONUS
This is definitely not necessary, but I wanted to mention one additional step I did. I changed out the photo art behind the clock area. Mine was originally dark with a sun, moon, and horse carriage – not my house vibe. I wasn’t sure exactly what I wanted, but I grabbed a magazine and found a picture that was bright and had some greenery. I think it blends in well with the overall look, and I am happy with it.
OTHER IDEAS FOR YOUR GRANDFATHER CLOCK
Maybe white isn’t your thing. Maybe you want a neutral or even bold color. Chalk paint has come a long way, and there are a lot of different color options. Don’t be afraid to make your clock your statement piece. You don’t have to paint it white.
How to Paint a Grandfather Clock
Materials
- Grandfather Clock
- Painters Tape
- Chalk Paint
- Paint Brush
- Small Paint Brush (optional)
- Sandblock
- Petroleum (optional)
- Bandana/mask
- Cloth/rag
Instructions
- Lightly sand and wipe down clock to get any extra dust off
- Tape glass and hardware with painters tape
- Optional to add petroleum where you want to distress clock after painting
- Paint one coat paint on clock, let dry.
- Paint a second coat, let dry.
- Sand areas you would like to distress (or wipe off petroleum)
- Wipe down clock
Notes
Remember to take a step back when distressing your piece, so you can see where you want to sand next.
If you feel like your clock my get touched a lot, go ahead and add a finish coat of wax to it. One to two coats will be good.
PIN IT FOR LATER
How did you put the picture in from the magazine at the top where the sun and moon pic were? Did you cut it out and just tape it on top? Thanks.
Hi Amy! Essentially, yes. There was a gap between the gold metal and the original sun and moon, so I cut the photo of the magazine out, folded it, and stuck it between the gap.
I somewhat inherited a grandfather clock from my grandfather recently, and following your paint job was the perfect way for me to fix it up and make it my own. We had to put him into assistant living a couple of weeks ago and before we did, we got a dumpster rental and cleaned out all the old junk from his house. We each chose one thing from the house to take with us, and I chose the old grandfather clock. When I brought it home, it just felt kind of out of place. I didn’t want to do anything too drastic though so I really appreciate that your painting project allowed me to keep some of the original beauty of the old clock while still matching it to some of the more modern pieces in my home. Thank you so much!
That is so nice hear! 🙂 It is always nice to have sentimental pieces and making them still fit into the design of your home. So glad this was helpful!
I love this! I was just given my husbands grandfather clock. My family thinks I’m crazy. Like you, I have a vision. I’d love to know the brand and paint color you used.
Correction: My grandfather clock was my husbands grandmothers.
Lol Definitely hard for people to relate to what we vision in our heads sometimes 🙂 For this project, I used Rust-Oleum White Linen.