Hoop, There It Is! How to Turn an Embroidery Hoop into a Clock

Lauren Weems
Apr 18, 2013

If time is money, then it won’t take much to make these cheerful embroidery hoop clocks. This is a great project for a budding DIYer or, really, anyone who wants to make something that is beautiful yet fast, easy, and affordable. Be sure to add this one to your list of quick no-sew projects. Best of all, it’s another reason to rock out to our time-themed playlist. Time really is on your side.

Materials:
– 5 embroidery hoops

– 5 clock kits
– 5 pieces of fabric (about 1/2 yard per clock)

– scrap cardboard pieces

– 1 AA battery

– optional: decorative thumbtacks

Tools:
– ruler

– scissors

– pen

– exacto knife

– hot glue gun

– iron

For our set of clocks, we went with a bold combination of bright fabrics, all found in the outdoor fabrics section of our local JoAnn’s.

Loosen the screw at the top of your embroidery hoop to separate hoops. Lay the smaller hoop on your fabric and draw a circle about 2 inches larger than the hoop. Cut out the circle and then iron it to get out any wrinkles.

Place your fabric in between the two hoops, as if you’re about to embroider. Use scissors to trim off any excess fabric. Tighten the screw at the top to keep everything in place.

To create support for your clock kit, measure out two strips of cardboard that will fit into the back of the hoop creating an X-shape. Be sure that the cardboard is firmly wedged into your hoop. Use a ruler to mark the center, and then use an exacto knife to cut a hole through the cardboard (all the way through the fabric).

Now it’s time to add in your clock! Our steps work for the clock kit that we used, but each kit may be slightly different. Be sure to follow the instructions on whichever kit you use.

Use a pen to mark where your cardboard lines up on the inside of the hoop. Take the cardboard out of the hoop and press your clock kit through the center of the cardboard. Now place it through your fabric.

Line the cardboard back up with your marks and secure it in place with hot glue. Flip over, and push the fabric down around the center of clock so a little of the gold part is showing.

Follow the instructions on your clock kit to attach the hour hand and minute hand. In our case, we placed a washer over the center of the clock, then screwed on the dial fixing hex nut down on top of the washer. Add the hands, screw the minute nut in place, and top the whole thing off with the second hand.

If this all seems confusing, just follow the diagram on the back of the clock it; it’s very easy, we promise. Don’t forget to put in the battery!

Last thing to deal with is those pesky numbers! We didn’t like the look of the adhesive numbers that came with our clock kit so we substituted thumbtacks and marked where the 12, 3, 6, and 9 numbers would be. Simply press each thumbtack through and use needle nose pliers to secure on the other side.

We couldn’t decide which one we liked best so we decided to hang them all up! This is a great move for frequent travelers or folks who have friends and family living abroad.

Don’t all these clocks looks great together?

What kind of fabric will you use for your embroidery hoop clock? Will you make just one or a grouping like we did? Send photos of finished projects our way via Twitter, Facebook, or good old fashioned e-mail.

5 "Outdated" Winter Shoe Trends That Need To Go In 2025 & What To Wear Instead

Ah, a new year – the perfect time to reevaluate and refresh your routine, diet, home, and of course, your closet! I always try to take the time at the top of a new year to clean out the pieces that don’t serve me anymore, and the one thing I tend to comb through the most is my shoe collection. From sneakers to sandals and boots to clogs, I typically come across several outdated pairs that make me wonder why I even wore them in the first place!

In the vein of going all-in on a brand-new beginning for your shoe collection in 2025, you’re gonna want to know these 5 outdated winter shoe trends to start the year off right – and in style.

These are the top 5 outdated winter shoe trends for 2025, plus the best styles to wear instead.

Ugg

UGG Classic Tall Boots

1. Tall UGG boots

Tall UGG boots are so 2010. They can be clunky, annoyingly warm on the feet, and tend to make your body proportions look… funky.

Nordstrom

UGG Classic Ultra Mini Boots

Instead, opt for the UGGs all the cool girls are wearing well into winter 2025: the Classic Mini. These boots don’t rise nearly as high on your legs, lengthening and flattering your figure.

Nordstrom

UGG Classic Ultra Mini Platform Boots

UGG even sells a shorter style called the Ultra Mini, which you can also snag in a platform silhouette.

UGGs are undoubtedly winter-ready since they’re lined with shearling on the inside to keep your toes warm. If you’re worried about snow or ice getting to them, you can get an UGG boot guard or spray your pair down in waterproof and stain-proof protectant.

Amazon

Circus NY Nellie Mary Janes

2. Platform shoes

I hate to say it, but platform shoes seem to be on their way out for 2025. And I get it – platform shoes like Mary Janes and loafers can be impractical, especially if you have to commute in treacherous winter conditions like snow.

Urban Outfitters

Urban Outfitters Matilda Mary Jane Ballet Flats

Instead, the fashion world is blowing up with lower-profile shoe designs, meaning they don’t have as much height to them.

Nordstrom

Sam Edelman Denise Penny Loafer

Opt for low-lying ballet flats, loafers, and Mary Janes to keep your shoe game subtle, yet stylish in 2025.

Nordstrom

AGL The Chunky Biker Lug Sole Leather Boots

3. Round-toe boots

We’re going to be seeing less and less round-toe boots (and round-toe shoes in general) this coming year. They were definitely popular at a point in time, but a lot of fashion fiends nowadays are wearing the more eye-catching, and even more sultry shoe designs that include square or pointed toes.

Free People

Jeffrey Campbell Lights Out Moto Boots

Try out these square-toe boots to instantly elevate your outfits in 2025.

Nordstrom

Dolce Vita Shadie Waterproof Pointed Toe Chelsea Boots

Pointed-toe boots are also undeniably chic.

Nordstrom

Moon Boot Classic Low 2 Water Repellent Nylon Boots

4. Moon boots

It could just be me living near a ton of mountain towns, but Moon boots are a winter shoe trend I’m simply tired of seeing. They stick out like a sore thumb when it comes to snow boots, plus even though they have a hefty price tag, they don’t necessarily stand out from other similar snow boots, other than the fact that they have a big logo stamped across them for curb appeal.

Moon boots have gotta go. Try other warm (and less obnoxious) snow boot styles, like the ones below.

Nordstrom

Sorel Tivoli V Faux Fur Lined Waterproof Boots

These cozy, lined boots are way less bulky but still provide great traction and protection against snowy weather.

Nordstrom

Hunter Amble Booties

These insulated booties ensure you stay comfy, warm, and dry this season – all while looking stylish!

DSW

Fila Disruptor II Sneakers

5. Chunky sneakers

I fear chunky sneakers – like the ever-popular Fila Disruptors – are simply out of style. They’ve been done over and over again, and instead, the fashion girls are showing off in something entirely brand-new.

In case you didn’t know, sleek platform sneakers – most notably the Adidas Gazelles or Handball Spezials – are so in. They’re practically the “It” girl shoes that keep on giving.

Shop my fave styles below.

Adidas

Adidas Gazelle Bold Shoes

The stacked soles on these shoes are everything.

Free People

Ash Mae Buckle Hi Top Sneakers

This familiar shoe style is elevated even more with an edgy buckle design.

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Brit + Co may at times use affiliate links to promote products sold by others, but always offers genuine editorial recommendations.

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Lady Gaga Goes Makeup-Free For 57M Instagram Followers With Adorable Selfie

If there's one thing I love to see, it's celebrities going makeup-free. And I'll celebrate it every single time! In addition to Drew Barrymore taking her makeup off on live TV (and throwing her extensions on the ground) and Millie Bobby Brown showing off her acne in selfies, Lady Gaga loves to go makeup-free. Remember when she performed at the Oscars with no makeup and ripped jeans?! Well the actress and singer just posted another adorable selfie without a stitch of makeup.

Here's what Lady Gaga had to say about "Die With A Smile" alongside her no-makeup selfie.

Lady Gaga is "so grateful" the song is #1.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Lady Gaga (@ladygaga)

To celebrate "Die With A Smile" (her song with Bruno Mars) hitting number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, Lady Gaga posted a photo of her laying in the grass with a huge grin on her face — and without any makeup.

"Thank you to all of the monsters and hooligans for helping make 'Die With A Smile' #1 on the Billboard Hot 100! We love you and are so grateful," she says in the post. "Having multiple songs of mine hit #1 across three decades feels surreal, and I am overwhelmed by the love and support you have shown me from the beginning. I have so much more in store for you and can’t wait to share it."

Friends and fans flooded the comments with everyone from Noah Cyrus saying, "you’re so gorgeous," to a fan account adding, "Thank you for your art! So proud of you and Bruno. You deserve this!"

And she loved recording it with Bruno Mars!

The song was released on August 16, and in a statement to Page Six, Lady Gaga praised Bruno Mars as a collaborator. “Bruno and I have a lot of mutual respect for each other and were talking about collaborating,” she says. “I was finishing up my own album in Malibu, and one night after a long day he asked me to come to his studio to hear something he was working on...It was around midnight when I got there, and I was blown away when I heard what he had started making.”

After revealing they "stayed up all night” to finish both writing and recording it, Lady Gaga continues, “Bruno’s talent is beyond explanation. His musicianship and vision is next level. There’s no one like him." There's no one like you either Gaga!

Has "Die With A Smile" been on repeat for you? Let us know your favorite Lady Gaga song on Instagram!

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The Most-Anticipated TV Shows Coming In 2025

Many people look for the new year to bring new opportunities and, in some cases, a fresh start altogether. But for me? As a longtime entertainment reporter, there is one thing I can’t help but get excited about when another year rolls around: the upcoming movie releases and, of course, the most anticipated television shows. While I'm looking forward to see what happens to Eleven and the rest of the Hawkins crew in Stranger Things 5 on Netflix, there are a bunch of new TV shows that have been at the top of my watch list from the moment they were first announced, including Suits: LA and It: Welcome to Derry.

Here are the 2025 television shows that should be on your radar (if they aren’t already!).

Severance Season 2 — On Apple TV+ January, 17 2025

Apple TV+

After Mark Scout, Helly, and Irving learn the truth about the “severance” experiment and manage to break free from its clutches in the Severance season 1 finale, the three coworkers (along with the rest of the Lumon Industries employees) are forced to return to work in the second installment of the series. Now that Mark and some of his peers know what the company was really doing to the Lumon staff, one could only wonder: What are Lumon Industries's hidden objectives? (And what’s with all the GOATS?!)

Severance season 2 premieres on Apple TV+ on January 17, 2024 and stars Adam Scott, Britt Lower, John Turturro, Dichen Lachman, Dichen Lachman and Patricia Arquette.

The White Lotus Season 3 — On HBO and Max February 16, 2025

Mario Perez/HBO

Pack your bags, White Lotus fans, because our favorite hotel residents are catching a first-class flight to…Thailand! While there are a bunch of new guests checking into a luxury hotel, there’s one returning guest who needs no introduction. Natasha Rothwell, who made her debut at Belinda Lindsey in The White Lotus season 1, is the only returning cast making a brief cameo in season 3. Four Seasons Resort Koh Samui, here we come!

The White Lotus season 3 is coming in February and will star Leslie Bibb, Jason Isaacs, Michelle Monaghan, Carrie Coon, Parker Posey, Patrick Schwarzenegger and Blackpink’s Lisa Manobal.

The Last of Us Season 2 — On HBO and Max in April 2025

Liane Hentscher/HBO

I can’t be the only one still thinking about that bombshell season one finale of HBO’s The Last of Us! And apparently, I’m not the only one who’s eager to see the continuation of Joel and Ellie’s story in season 2. Fans of the video game adaptation have been keeping their eyes peeled for a new update about season 2. And one teaser later, we might have just gotten the news we’ve been looking for. Following the 2024 Emmy Awards, Chairman and CEO of HBO and Max Content Casey Bloys toldDeadline that The Last of Us season 2 will premiere around “generally first half of the year [2025], I expect them to be in the Emmy window.”

The Last of Us season 2 will star Pedro Pascal, Bella Ramsey, Gabriel Luna, Rutina Wesley, Kaitlyn Dever, Isabela Merced, Young Mazino, Spencer Lord, Danny Ramirez, Catherine O'Hara, Jeffrey Wright, Tati Gabrielle and Ariela Barer.

The Summer I Turned Pretty Season 3 — On Prime Video in 2025

Erika Doss/Prime Video

It's almost time to return to Cousins Beach, and I have missed all the hydrangeas, fair rides, and ocean sunrises. We haven't heard for sure whether season 3 will be the end of the road for this series, but if it follows even a few chapters in the third book in The Summer I Turned Pretty series, We'll Always Have Summer, then we will absolutely be getting some drama.

The Summer I Turned Pretty season 3 premieres in 2025 and stars Lola Tung, Christopher Briney, Gavin Casalegno, Sean Kaufman, Rain Spencer, Jackie Chung, and Rachel Blanchard.

It: Welcome to Derry — On Max in 2025

Warner Bros. Entertainment

Bill, Richie, Beverly and the rest of the Losers Club members might have been able to defeat Pennywise in It: Chapter Two, but that doesn’t mean we've seen the last of Derry, Maine. Serving as a prequel series to the It movie franchise directed by Andres Muschietti, Welcome to Derry will delve into Pennywise’s origin story and how the child-preying clown arrived in Derry. But that’s not even the best part: Bill Skarsgård, who starred in It and It: Chapter Two, will reprise his role as the killer clown in the upcoming HBO series, which will be released in 2025. So until then, no accepting red balloons from creepy clowns, okay?

It: Welcome to Derry will star Jovan Adepo, Chris Chalk, Taylour Paige, James Remar, Stephen Rider, Madeleine Stowe, Alixandra Fuchs, Kimberly Guerrero, Joshua Odjick and Morningstar Angeline.

Stranger Things Season 5 — On Netflix in 2025

Netflix

I’ve been a fan of Stranger Things since it premiered on Netflix back in 2016, and come next year, longtime fans like myself will finally get to see how the story ends. Last time we saw Eleven, Mike, Will and the rest of the Hellfire Club crew, they were facing an impending apocalypse after Vecna’s devious plan came to full fruition. So, will the group of friends defeat Vecna and save their home? Guess we’ll just have to wait and see because Stranger Things 5 likely won’t premiere until late 2025. Now, all we need is that release date, Netflix…

Stranger Things 5 is coming to Netflix soon and stars Millie Bobby Brown, Noah Schnapp, Finn Wolfhard, Caleb McLaughlin, Gaten Matarazzo, Natalia Dyer, Charlie Heaton, Sadie Sink, Maya Hawke, Joe Keery, David Harbour, Winona Ryder, Amybeth McNulty, and Priah Ferguson.

Suits: L.A. — On NBC in 2025

David Astorga/NBC

Court is back in session! Only this time, our favorite lawyers from the OG Pearson Hardman firm are not on the case. Thanks to Netflix, the original Suits (which starred the Duchess of Sussex Meghan Markle) experienced a renaissance of sorts upon its arrival to the streaming service in June 2023. And as a result, NBCUniversal ordered a spinoff series earlier this year. But instead of the bustling streets of New York City, a new group of lawyers are setting up shop in the Golden State in Suits L.A.

The new spinoff will center around an entertainment and criminal lawler named Ted Black, who launches his own law firm in California after moving from the East Coast. Originally, Suits L.A was slated to be a part of NBCUniversal’s 2024-2025 lineup. However, according to Deadline, there was a slight change in the production location, making a Fall 2025 release more likely. So, who’s up for a Suits marathon?

Suits L.A. is speculated to premiere sometime in 2025 and is set to star Ted Black, Josh McDermitt, Rachelle Goulding, Victoria Justice, Troy Wingush, Bryan Greenberg, Lex Scott Davis, John Amos, Kevin Weistman and Alice Lee.

Wednesday Season 2 — On Netflix in 2025

Netflix

Looks like Jenna Ortega won’t be giving us another macabre number anytime soon because Wednesday season 2 won’t arrive on Netflix until 2025. In a new interview with Vanity Fair, Ortega teases the upcoming installment will be much “darker” this time around. “I think the feel that we’re going for is a little bit more horror-inspired,” the Beetlejuice Beetlejuicestar adds. “Not to say that suddenly we’re the goriest show of all time. I mean, there’s six-year-olds watching.”

“This season is going to be bigger and more twisted than you can ever imagine," Catherine Zeta-Jones says in the new Wednesday season 2 first look.

“If we showed you any more, your eyes would bleed,” Ortega says. “And I'm not that generous.”

What TV show are you most excited to see in 2025? Personally, I can’t wait for Sweet Magnolias season 4 to drop! (Margarita, anyone?) Make sure to follow us on TikTok and Facebook for more TV exclusives and latest news updates!

This post has been updated.

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