The Story Behind My Mora Clock Makeover
Hey friends! If you’ve ever scrolled through antique listings dreaming of a classic Mora Clock—those elegant Swedish timepieces with their rich detailing, warm finishes, and old-world charm—but closed the tab when you saw the prices, you’re not alone. Authentic antique Mora clocks can easily run into the hundreds or thousands, and finding one in good condition is a treasure hunt in itself.
But what if you could capture that same sophisticated, character-filled vibe for a fraction of the cost? That’s exactly what I did.
I started with a vintage-style Pier 1 Bombay Clock from the 1980s—a piece that already had great bones: a solid shape, ornate details, These clocks often feature warm wood tones or painted finishes that mimic old world elegance. I picked mine up for around $60 (thrifted/secondhand finds make this even cheaper).
Then, with some creativity, basic supplies, and a weekend of fun, I transformed it into a beautiful replica that looks and feels like a genuine antique Mora Clock. Total investment? Under $100.
I purchased this clock on Facebook Marketplace in Ball Ground, GA. I paid $60 for the possibly non-working clock, but I wanted a Mora clock and knew I could make it look like one with some painting techniques and a little decoupage. It had the right "bones." The clock had a basic quartz movement run by batteries and just needed a new movement, which is available on Amazon. Once I got it home, I realized it just needed new batteries. I honestly wasn't too worried about it working — I was more interested in the classic Mora look. The front opened up and had shelves for storage, which was a hidden bonus!
My goal was to create a realistic-looking Mora replica that looked like a Swedish barn find — chippy and old. To achieve this look, I had to add some layers.
I started by wiping it down well with a damp rag, then applied a base coat of grey chalk paint. I wanted the first layer to go on well so it could hold the next few layers that I had planned to make it look chippy and old.
I let the first coat dry well, then went over the trim with a French blue chalk paint and areas of the body with a charcoal chalk paint. The point of doing this is to layer different colors throughout the body so that when the next layer of plaster of Paris is applied, those colors will show through underneath and give a chippy, "old paint patina" look. Plaster of Paris is a tool I use whenever I want an old-world patina look.
When I add the other chalk paint colors, I get my hands in it — it's like finger painting! If you do this, it gets into the nooks and crannies and really starts to look like old paint. This is going on thick and kind of sloppy, and the reason is that as we layer, we build a story.
At the final stage, we will start knocking off some of these layers to get that "old paint showing through chips of white paint" look that appears truly old. Make sure you let your paint dry between layers and colors so it doesn't look muddy — you want some definition between colors. Just add random colors to random areas.
Next, we will apply some thin and thick layers of plaster of Paris. You may want to use gloves when doing this, as plaster can cause irritation on some people's skin. (Don't do as I do — lol!) Always follow the directions on the label.
I am not using gloves because I work fast and rinse my hands in between. I find that using your hands gives the best result, as you can control the thickness.
I coat the entire clock, making the plaster thicker in key areas where I want the paint to show through. Once the plaster dries, I go over the entire clock with a damp paper towel and sandpaper.
Areas painted in a different color will show underneath once the plaster dries, as thicker areas can be knocked off with sandpaper. You don't want a thick coat over everything — just enough to achieve that chippy look. Keep it a finger-painting consistency and apply it generously where you eventually want to knock it down.
I put my plaster in a paint tin to make it easy to spread.
You can go over some areas thinner if you wish but the thicker areas will give the chippy look.
After the plaster dries completely I give it a day to cure, then I paint the entire clock with a coat of white chalk paint. I let that completely dry.
Once the plaster is dry, I go over it with a wet paper towel to smooth out areas and thin it where I want it thinner, then I literally chip off areas that are thicker to reveal the paint underneath.
*If you wet chalk paint, you can thin it down and the underlying paint will show through. Between wiping to thin the chalk paint , and lightly sanding where you want the undercoat to show, it starts to take on that chippy look.
If you go over an area too much, just go back over it with paint until you achieve the look you're going for. I always say I like furniture that looks "worn and chippy" — but not like "it fell off the back of a truck and rolled down the highway!" 😄
this is an example of what it starts to chip off like with a little light sanding, this is just starting.
This was the beginning look but it was a little too chippy for me so I dry brushed some white chalk paint over it until I got the look I wanted.
It was still too chippy for my liking so I will go over it with a little dry brush- *A dry brush is a technique where you take a damp brush (damp with water ) and add the tiniest amount of chalk paint and then swipe the brush a few times on a dry paper towel to remove excess paint then you quickly brush your furniture, it gives a light dry coat that is just a wash, not too heavy. At this point I still have to change the face of the clock.
I went online and searched for antique clock faces, and found one that, once printed, would fit my clock face perfectly. I removed the glass face cover (held on by a few screws), painted the face plain white, and let it dry — being careful not to paint the hands of the clock. Then I cut the face in half so I could decoupage it one side at a time and match it up. This is super easy — you can always reference one of my decoupage tutorials if you need help. I use a product called Dead Flat Varnish, which you can purchase on Amazon. It dries clear and is water resistant. After decoupaging the clock face on, I found a decoupage paper with stags on it from an online company. I cut them out and decoupaged the stags across the center.
I also went online and looked up the style Logo and hand drew it in first with pencil then with a black pen. I took the face and gave it a slight dusting of a white wash to make it look old and worn and make the two designs blend.
I loved the outcome but felt it wasn't exactly where I wanted it to be. So I sat with a glass of wine in hand and stared at it for a while and thought- it needed decorative accents! My friend Heather just happened to have the perfect crown piece so i painted it white with slight french blue accents and hot glued it on!
I also ordered a Belly medallion to mimic the hole in the belly of the Mora clocks.I found a ornate wood design on Amazon. It was here in 2 days and i painted it white with the french blue accents as well -and on the belly where I was applying it I Traced the shape and painted the area black so when it was glued on it would look like it was covering a hole.
The end result was exactly what I wanted! I added some decorative tin strips i had laying around to the sides top and bottom ! that made it really feel unique!
I gave her a crown of flowers with a ribbon and I decoupaged a crown under the face on the cabinet for an extra royal flair.
The before and after in one photo with the help of AI!
I hope you enjoyed this Blog go to our you tube channel to see videos as i worked on it! and make sure to share photos of your creations with me!