Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Making Magnets



I just finished making a big batch of these lovely magnets to give to a few people on my Christmas list. I really like the way they came out. I actually feel compelled to make about 30 more because I love the way the entire group looks on my fridge (so much prettier than plastic letters and numbers!) I have seen these magnets at bazaars and decided to give it a whirl. They are functional and can be given to just about anyone on your list (who can't use a pretty magnet?). They are inexpensive to make, you need only fabric scraps, glass bubbles, magnets, Mod Podge and a glue gun. They are small and easy to travel with or to mail, and they are so pretty! Does that make them the perfect gift to make? I think so.



So how do you make these?




  • Gather your supplies--Mod Podge, large(about 1")glass bubbles, fabric scraps, paint brush, magnets, glue gun. You can find all of these supplies at a craft store. The glass bubbles are in the floral section.


  • Cover your workspace. I don't have an art studio (sigh) so I am constantly creating mobile work spaces. I used a cookie sheet covered in wax paper for this so that I could grab it when I had a few minutes to work, and put it out of the way when I needed my kitchen to be clutter free.


  • Make sure your bubbles are clean and dry. I noticed that many of them had imperfections on the backside that would interfere with the design. So I weeded those out or used them with a fabric that complemented the scar.


  • Lay the bubble on a fabric scrap and trace. Cut it out so that it is touch smaller than the line you traced (just inside the line).


  • Paint the flat side of the bubble with Mod Podge and press the fabric circle onto it, pressing firmly and making sure there are no air bubbles. Coat the back with another coat of Mod Podge, being sure to seal the edges.


  • Allow it to dry, then trim any edges that are not neat, then apply another coat of Mod Podge to the backside.


  • When it is dry, use a glue gun to secure a magnet, pull off any glue gun strings, wipe it clean and you have a very pretty magnet!

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