Home Made Designer Magnets - Fun and Cute

The girls have been having a good time making these magnets over the past few weeks. 

Princess number five and her good friend started making these a few weeks ago and then it took off.

They first made some with silver and gold paper using Sharpie markers to write on them like the "Smile" magnet shown. Then, they come to our house and searched the punches and found some creative ideas and then made a bunch with different colored paper and punches glued on. 

It went from there to using printed animal paper with Princess number 3 in the mix to make some for her magnet board for school to match her Africa themed room. 

Today, it worked it's way to our out of state friends who is headed to college and she bought a magnet white board today and I suggested they make some magnets for it. She is into Marvel Comics so she designed her own using paper and Sharpie markers. I think her Spiderman one is great. How much fun for them to have something they can show off that they made and designed and is also useful. 

I bought some stickers, small alphabet letters and thought they could use those to make them as gifts. 

They are super easy to make which is a bonus!

You get some glass "rocks" from a craft store, the dollar store or WalMart. (Or, if you are blessed like me, you get them at a second hand store for $.50, new in the bag the week she started making them!) They look like glass pebbles. You need "Mod Podge" as well as a brush, super glue (we prefer "Gorilla Glue,") and magnets. These items can be bought at WalMart as well as craft stores. (Unless, you have a sister that gives you two bottle of "Mod Podge" she bought on clearance so they were free!)

Take the item you want to stick on the magnet and "Mod Podge" it to the flat side of the glass pebble underside. "Mod Podge" the top of the item you want to stick on the magnet. Put them right sides together. It will be white but will dry clear. Next, spread "Mod Podge" on the bottom of the paper you just glued to the glass stone. Then, put a drop of Gorilla Glue in the center of the magnet and glue it to the bottom of the glass stone/ decorated and glued bottom. 


Just a few warnings. If you are using stickers, place them on a paper and then cut the paper to the right size to frame the glass pebble by tracing the pebble onto the paper. If the paper is larger than the stone, it will make the paper peel easier so try to make the paper just a bit smaller than the glass. 


Also, if you don't allow the magnets to dry and touch them to something, the magnet will stay on the item and the stone and paper will peel away ripping the decoration. 

ALLOW TO DRY WITH THE STONE ON THE TOP AND THE MAGNET DOWN SO THE WEIGHT OF THE STONE PRESSES THE STONE ON THE MAGNET MAKING A GREAT BOND. Once they have dried completely for at least several hours, (I think overnight is best) then, you can use them. 

Another warning - Keep phone's, ipods, computers etc away from this craft. The magnets mess up the electronics ruining them. A magnet blackened my phone screen ruining it permanently.

Last warning. If you are going to move them somewhere while they are still wet, don't get them close together or they may attract and then you have to be careful trying to pull them apart. 

Have fun making these.