Avocado Clock

The Avocado Clock is a design perfect for adding a bit of charm to any cozy space. Originally intended for my family’s dining room, I soon realized it could also brighten up a desktop or bedroom. What began as a simple class prompt became a fun project I found myself working on whenever I could, and I’m proud of how it turned out. Avocados have become one of my favorite foods—thanks to dishes like guacamole and avocado toast—and that love inspired me to create a clock based on them.

Materials Used

Prototype:

1. Cardboard
2. Paint
3. Clock

Main Components (Laser-cut):

1. Avocado body
2. Avocado seed
3. Mini knives

Paint:

1. Various shades of green, brown, and gray
2. Paint pens: white, gold, gray

Structural Materials:

1. Wood
2. Cardboard
3. Wooden craft sticks (used on the back to keep the clock upright)
4. Half of a plastic globe

Clock Parts:

1. Clock hands and mechanism
2. Battery

General Tools:

1. Pencil (for tracing)
2. Scissors
3. Ruler
4. Hot glue
5. Super glue
6. Box cutter

The photos above show the main materials I used throughout the project.

First, I made a prototype because I had no idea what it would look like or how the sizing would turn out. This step was important to me because it allowed me to turn my ideas on paper into a real model in the most effective way. Using cardboard was the easiest way to do that.

For the clock itself, I was fortunate to have access to a laser cutter. Using Lightburn, I imported a tracing of an avocado and centered a small hole where the clock hands would attach. I then duplicated the tracing—with the hole included—two more times, creating three total layers. I wanted the clock to have dimension and thickness, so I made two outer layers from wood with a layer of cardboard sandwiched between them.

Next, I created a circle for the seed. After adjusting it to the ideal size in Lightburn, I set the correct cut, speed, and power settings for both the wood and cardboard. Once everything was cut, I glued the three layers together. Painting the avocado and the seed was a very satisfying part of the project. After the paint dried, I aligned the pieces and glued them in place.

I wanted to create cute mini knives to use as the clock hands. I imported a tracing of a simple knife, duplicated it, and resized it to match the dimensions of the seed. Afterward, I colored the knives with paint pens. I trimmed the ends off the pre-ordered clock hands and glued on the painted knives, but they turned out just a bit too big, which interfered with one of my later ideas. Because of that, I had to restart and reduce their size.

This became a meaningful lesson for me throughout the ups and downs of the project: it’s okay to step back, take a breath, and start over. Even if it feels frustrating in the moment, you can work through it and end up with something even better. The pictures above show how it turned out in the end.

Reiteration is a crucial step in the design process, which is why I didn’t stop at Step 3. We were given two challenges to improve our clocks, and I thought—Why not try both?

The first challenge was to make the clock three-dimensional. Although my layered “sandwich” design added thickness, I wanted even more dimension. I wanted to add a clear semi-sphere that mimicked the roundness of a real avocado seed. I achieved this by using half of a plastic Christmas ornament. Christmas was still a month and a half away, but since it’s my favorite holiday, I already had an idea of the half-globe pieces that snap together. I also added a bit of glitter to the seed to give it personality.

The second challenge was to make the clock stand. While we had the option to attach a handle so it could hang on a wall, I thought of something more like a picture-frame stand. I used two wooden craft sticks—cut diagonally on both ends with a machine—and painted them gray/silver. After gluing them to the back of the clock, it stood perfectly.

It was such a fun project to do, and as my first Instructable, I'm so excited to keep creating more! Thank you to everyone who helped me along the way, and to the Instructables team for giving young thinkers this opportunity!