DIY painted white cuckoo clock
I guess to most non-Germans, brown wooden cuckoo clocks represent an example of what should be in a typical German home along with carved wood furniture and beer mugs. White cuckoo clocks, not so much, right?
As a German citizen and growing up in Germany I hated cuckoo clocks. They reminded me of old people’s traditional style or (yes, I said it) American tourists.
So a couple of years ago, my parents thought it would be very funny to send me a cuckoo clock to the US and guilt me into hanging it up. I was less than thrilled to display my brown carved clock in the living room. Especially since I hate being guilted and forced into any design decisions. But since I really miss my family and I have to admit that it reminds me of Germany, I hung it up. My kids loved it and so did my cats. One day I returned home to find the clock lying on the floor. One of my cats had jumped at the cuckoo bird at the 2 o’clock chirp (I know that because it was stopped at 2). I figured it was broken…but haha no such luck.
DIY painted white cuckoo clock
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Then I started researching cuckoo clocks and some more modern cuckoo clock design options.
Here are some that I came across:
The German artist Stefan Strumbel and his colorful, graffiti influenced cuckoo clocks. I think they are very cool but too expensive and most are a little too crazy for my house.
And certainly Pascal Tarabay’s white cuckoo clock:
Don’t be scared, I didn’t paint this beautiful high quality wooden cuckoo clock that my parents bought fo me.
I told my father that I was itching to spray paint the clock white. He lost it. He told me that I had no clue how expensive that clock was and that he would be really mad at me if I would ruin it with paint.
Materials needed to paint a white cuckoo clock
- old cuckoo clock
- TSP cleaner
- painter’s tape
- spray primer
- white spray paint (I used semi-gloss)
- ziplock bag
- small brush
- painter’s tarp
How to paint the white cuckoo clock
But the seed was planted in my design brain and I couldn’t stop thinking about it. I all of a sudden was obsessed with finding a cheap cuckoo clock that I could paint. I finally found one small vintage mechanical clock ($40) made in Germany and one very large electrical clock ($25) on craigslist. The electrical one had a light sensor on it and, get this, was made in Korea. I ended up painting both of them white.
I took them both apart. Lay out the top leaves, swinging pendulum and pinecones on your clean tarp. Then I cleaned them very good with TSP cleaner since you can’t really sand the intricate pieces. But that’s ok nobody really touches the clock so that is ok.
Let the cuckoo clocks dry completely after cleaning.
Then I taped/covered all the areas that I didn’t want to paint. This was the most time consuming part but also the most important part. You can see below how the clock dial and swinging door are covered with tape and primed.
I love using Kilz spray primer but you have to make sure you shake it really well for a long period of time.
Lay everything out on a painters tarp or large plastic bag. I covered the chains with the ziplock bag.
The old clock case had a strange yellow glue on it that kept showing when I tried water based primer, so the oil-based spray primer really helped with covering the yellow tint. I primed two layers to cover it all and actually had to use a brush in some areas. The brush worked very well to get into the carvings.
When the primer dried I spray painted both cuckoo clocks with white semi-gloss spray paint. Finally I spray painted the other clock parts with the same white semi-gloss spray paint.
The large electrical clock had some plastic parts to it which I spray painted with plastic spray paint.
When the parts were dry, I put them all back together and made sure that the clocks still worked.
Finished white cuckoo clocks
Some of the photos are oddly sized since this was originally a pretty old blog post.
I am IN LOVE with the white cuckoo clocks.
The gigantic white cuckooing and dancing clock is now hanging in my living room instead. Yes, it has little angels dancing in a circle. Strange? I know but I don’t care. It makes me smile every time I look at it.
Oh and by the way, I transformed that black and white Ikea cabinet with some peel and stick grasscloth wallpaper and love it so much better now. It’s the perfect update for our living room.
The wooden clock looks awesome in our son’s room, don’t you think so? It also has a switch to turn it off completely so it won’t bother him.
My mom loved them so much that she wanted one too. Last year, the small clock went on a trip back to Germany, the place it was made in and resides in my parents’ sweet home. That makes me smile. My father and brother still think it’s stupid! And I totally know that this isn’t everybody’s cup of tea, but it certainly has become mine.
I like having some silly things around the house that are conversation pieces.
After all I have been called the crazy German and not in a good way. But you know what? I take it as a compliment even if it wasn’t meant that way. It is what it is, that’s exactly what I am.
{UPDATE: HERE and HERE are some more painted cuckoo clocks}
Another cool “German” project of mine is where I replicated my great-grandmother’s portrait. I love having old things of my family now and if I can’t bring them with me from my childhood home then I’ll try to make them!
Guten Tag fellow webbers and thanks for stopping by!
love the cuckoo clocks!!
What a great idea to paint them white, they look so much lighter and fresher now and lost the granny feel to them. Feel the same way about those clocks as you do and thought your solution was really clever. Greetings from Germany. 🙂
Thank you oder sollte ich lieber vielen Dank sagen?
My parents brought me back a cuckoo clock from our family reunion in Germany (I’ve never been, but apparently some “close” relatives of mine own the Dautermann winery??). Anyway, I hung it in our last home, but it just really doesn’t work for our new one. But now, oh the possibilities you’ve given me!! Are there any special tips or tricks you can give me so I don’t ruin it completely? It’s almost identical to the little one you painted. Pinning this!! Thanks so much for the post! I see a painted cuckoo in my future… if, like you, my Dad won’t kill me for it!!
Hi and thanks, one tip I can give you is that you should make sure the paint doesn’t clog the hinges one the doors. Sometimes mine got stuck and I had to sand them a little and they worked better. Another thing is to make sure you tape off the clock parts (mechanics). It would ruin the clock for sure if you’d get paint on it. Otherwise just paint away. It’s so much fun.
I just started another one but this time the primer cracked and I have to start over again 🙁
I think the white looks phenomenal. I found your blog when searching “painted german cuckoo clock” on google. I have a very similar german cuckoo clock that I had growing up as a child. It’s been in a ziploc bag in storage for years and I would really love to paint it white also, but am terrified my mom will never forgive! I may have to do it anyway….
Thank you!
Love the big white cuckoo with dancing angels! I’ve searched high and low and can’t find it even not in white – do you know it’s maker? Vielen Dank!
Hi Cynthia and thanks! Unfortunately I don’t know who made the cuckoo clock. It only says “made in Korea” (out of all places) on the back.
I am in love with this clock! I had a white decal of a coo coo clock in my last home and now I want the real deal in white. Kudos to you!
Thank you Amy.
I am working backwards – I already have a white cuckoo clock given to us as a house warming gift many years ago. I was ready to hang it up in my kitchen, after resting in storage, but unfortunately it doesn’t work. It probably has a cheap movement and I wasn’t sure it was worth fixing, but now I am thinking I may change the movement. How difficult is it to install? (I am pretty handy!) I like what you did with yours.
Thanks! And it’s not difficult, just give it a try. You weren’t using it before, so if it doesn’t work out…It won’t be a big loss. But you can have it fixed by a professional as well.
I don’t know what the Stefan Strumbel clocks cost. I was wondering myself.
Absolutly lovely!
Thanks 🙂
These are great! How did you paint the numbers and the circular disk?
Thanks! I didn’t paint the numbers and dial.
https://cuckoo4design.com/2012/07/lillys-cuckoo-clock-is-done_20.html
The above link is another clock where I painted the dial and used number stickers to replace the original numbers.
You have just insprired me to pull out that paint can again!! Growing up next to a family of German decent, I was always in awe of their cockoo clock. As an adult, I express this fascination to my dad, the ultimate antiquer/packrack. Over then next few years he had given me 2 cockoo clocks! I really think he forgot he gave me the first one! They have remained in a box for years and I don’t know why I don’t have them hanging! I think I am going to pull them out and come up with a color to paint one of them for my home!! Great idea to paint the clock and give it a modern twist instead of an old people look!!
Thanks,
~ Darlene
Thanks Darlene, I didn’t feel bad painting them either because they aren’t antiques. They are my favorite pieces in the house.
Hi Julia,
I stumbled across your site today. Thought you may like to check out the cuckoo clock that features in one of my posts.
http://theroomilluminated.com/2013/01/24/amy-and-scotts-lounge-room-2/
Lovely work by the way!
Kate
Hi Kate, I did and love it.
LOVE this! My mom bought a cuckoo clock on our first Germany trip and then I almost bought one last year and am kicking myself for not buying one now. I just thought a lot of them looked a bit “stuff” but seeing it painted makes me rethink. Now I need to fly to Germany and get one.
LOL, thanks Melissa!
Been looking everywhere for a white cuckoo clock with traditional styles. All the ones I found were super cheap looking in real life. Finding this post has inspired me- gonna take the plunge and paint one instead. Thanks!
Good luck with your project James!
thanks for share........
I absolutely adore these cuckoo clocks! The designs for the more colorful ones are exceptional and I wish I could have one in my home! I’m very big in the unusual, colorful and unique and these match my style perfectly! Is there any way to get any custom made ones, preferably with dripping tentacles, neon colored dear heads with multiple eyes and wings?
Hi Rosalia, those clocks are from a German artist named Stefan Strumbel.
Love your cuckoo clock redesign! My parents had a cuckoo clock when I was a kid, and I loved it! Always kind of wanted one for my kids! Visiting from Haven Mavens 14 — looking forward to meeting you at Haven! 🙂
love it! think I need to do this! It will be a great keepsake when I return to the states.
Love your innovative painted cuckoo clocks, fantastich!!!!!
Thank you
Julia, your clock looks stunning! I read your post and brought it to my husband right away. We have an old cuckoo clock from his great grandfather but I can’t stand how downer of a feel it brings because it looks so ancient so it’s just been sitting in our basement. When I saw this on Friday we decided yesterday to paint it and although it doesn’t look as great as yours, we love it! Was a bit of a bummer because it wasn’t working at first but we found another blog with a diy cuckoo clock repair guide that worked for us. Thanks for the inspiration!
Oh I can always use a good site for repairs and glad you like your cuckoo clock now