The Tin Man's Heart

$10 - $15 (based on 2017 prices)

Makes one clock

This was a commission piece for a friend’s show. He was doing a modernized rendition of The Wizard of Oz and wanted a flashy heart for the Tin Man to wear. The prop took only a few hours to complete and looked great under the stage lights (the glitter mixed into the red paint added extra glimmer).

• One heart-shaped cardboard box
• One 2 oz. bottle of acrylic paint in flat red*
• One 2 oz. bottle of acrylic paint in flat yellow*
• One sheet of yellow cardstock with a clock image printed on it
• One 4 oz. bottle of all-purpose tacky glue*
• Two large paperclips
• Five plastic gears
• One yard of red ribbon
  

1. On a newspaper-lined surface in a well-ventilated area, give the inside and outside of the box two even coats of red paint. To enhance the prop’s visual appeal, I decided to mix glitter into the paint. You, of course, are free to apply as many coats as you feel necessary and not add the glitter.

2. Once the paint has dried, trace the box’s outline onto the cardstock image, cut it out, and glue it inside the box. You can have the clock cover the entire surface or, like I did, occupy only a specific corner.

3. With a fine-tipped brush and yellow paint, create a filigree pattern along the inner walls of the box. Try not to over think your design (a random arrangement of scrollwork looks best).

4. Glue plastic gears onto the image to simulate clockwork. If you want a more elaborate appearance, vary their heights and sizes.

5. Cut out the clock’s hands from the cardstock, use needle nose pliers to straighten the paperclips (you could also use steel wire for this step), and glue the wire to the backs of the hands. To elevate the hands, I bent the ends into a v shape.

6. Glue the hands above the clockwork gears. You may have to bend the wires further to adjust their positions.

7. Glue the yard-long strand of ribbon to the back of the box and use a plastic gear to cover the seam. If someone plans to wear the prop, you may need to adjust the size of the ribbon to fit around the wearer’s head.

8. You can enhance the prop with additional details, including adhesive gems or strands of multi-colored beads.

*You will not use the entire bottle’s content for this project.