Can you make your own Clausometer?

Is there sugar in syrup?

Remember in the movie Elf when Papa Elf showed Buddy how Santa's sleigh works? Well, yesterday I was thinking how my Christmas spirit was rising, and then I thought, "Hmm, I wonder if I could make a Clausometer..."

Fifteen minutes later I bought a $4.99 clock at Target, and it was on.

Inspired by my lack of a plan for how to pull this off, I opened the package and discovered that the back of the clock pops right off.

Now what? The arms! Pop the arms off!

See how it's all coming together (apart)?

And I acquired alphabet stickers. Lots of them. Because there are lots of Os on the face of the Clausometer. And cut a circle out of new, thick cardstock.

I sort of laid it all out to get an idea of where the holes for the lights were going to go. Oh, yeah, the lights. I had string of 10 incandescent battery operated lights just sitting there waiting for a purpose. I had to cannibalize another string of colored lights to get 6 orange and 2 red bulbs (the yellow ones are just clear bulbs).

I figured where the holes would go and drilled right through the clock, which is plastic, so the drill went right through. First I used a small drill bit, then I went back with a larger bit to make holes big enough for the light bulbs.

Then I slipped the cardstock circle out of the clock again to decorate it. I used my daughter's watercolors and a sharpie and then carefully stuck on all the stickers.

Then I put the newly decorated face into the clock right over the old face, flipped the clock over, and pushed the lights through the holes. I secured all the lights and wires with electrical tape. Then I put the glass and front cover back on.

I love that it's battery powered so there's no electrical cord hanging off of it. I've been carrying it around since yesterday trying to decide where to put it. The mantle?

 On the wall overlooking my desk?

In the kitchen? Where would you put it? I've been seeing lots of great Elf inspired quote posters on pinterest that would look so cute with it. Next year I think I'll remake the whole thing with a huge, fancy metal clock, and it'll go over the fireplace.

Hahaha, on a side note, my husband just caught me singing and said, "Look! The Clausometer is going up!"