On to the crafting!! I decided to take part in the pay-it-forward (random act of kindness) thing that was running rampant on my Facebook news feed around the first of the year. I have always loved giving gifts and I love making things... So, it was a no brainer that I'd go along with everyone else doing it. This week's project is a gift for one of my friends that signed up, they're super simple custom magnets. Shhhh! Don't tell her! ;)
Materials you'll need;
Glass gems - I bought mine bulk, but you can get them at Michael's, they have two sizes 1/2" and 1 1/4" diameter
Modge podge
Craft knife or scissors
Pen or pencil
Hot glue gun
Neodymium magnets (super strong rare earth magnets)
Images - Things that are special to the person the magnets are for
Optional: 1" hole punch
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| Step 1 Collect all of your materials. Even if you're not sure if you'll need something , grab it just in case. It's far easier to have something on hand and not need it than to have to get up several times to go get things. You'll need to sort through the glass gems and find ones that will work for you. I found that some had a weird ripply texture on the back and others have fractures inside the gem. The fractures aren't always bad. In the completed project picture (Step 6) three of those had small fractures in them and they turned out great! |
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| Step 1.5 Images can come from almost anywhere. I gathered up two catalogs that were sent to me in the mail, some magazines, a couple Christmas cards, and a promotional advertisement. In the past I've also printed images I found online and used photos. The goal is to find images that are special to the person the magnets are for. I suggest choosing more images than you'll need because some images just don't end up working out. They're either the wrong size or simply don't look good under the glass gem. |
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| Step 2 Find a gem that you like with the particular image you've chosen. Use your pen or pencil to trace around the gem. When I first started making these I was careful to try and get it as close as possible to the size of the base of the gem. I later discovered that it was WAY more trouble than it was worth. As you can see here, I make my circle slightly larger than my gem. After you've traced your gem, cut out the image using either your craft knife or scissors. This is where you may opt to use the 1" hole punch, but not that it will be a bit too small for the larger glass gems. |
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| Step 3 Add some modge podge to the back of your gem and place the image onto it. Press firmly, but not too hard that you tear the paper, and smooth it so it's flush against the back of the gem. This will push the excess modge podge out the sides, that's perfectly fine. While the modge podge is wet you can adjust the image and center it how you please. |
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| Step 4 Once the modge podge on the front has dried completely, carefully trim the excess off of your image. You don't need the edges to be 100% pretty or smooth, remember this is the back side of the magnet. I add an additional coat of modge podge on the back side after I trim to seal in the back and help protect them from moisture. This is optional. |
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| Step 5 Once the back has dried add a small spot of hot glue to the back, centered. Then place the magnet on and press it down firmly. You can use another type of glue to secure the magnet, but I have found that regular white glue and craft glue will not hold. E6000 and hot glue are the only others ones I have tried, both with great success. |
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| Step 6 Enjoy your work!! As I mentioned above, three of these gems had fractures in them (Lion King, pink flower, and cross) and the magnets still look beautiful. |
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| Step 6.1 These are four I made for myself, just to give you a few more examples and ideas. |
I'll attempt to break down the costs for you, but this is an estimate. The reason I can't be more accurate is because I knew I was going to make quite a few of these for people and bought in bulk. :D
Glass gems (small) - Target, $4.99 for approximately 100 (~$0.05 ea)
Glass gems (large) - Michael's, $6.99 for approximately 25 (~$0.28 ea)
Neodymium magnets - The Container Store $12.99 for 24 (~$0.54 ea)
Modge Podge - I already had this item
Craft knife - I already owned this item
Pen - I already owned this item
Hot glue gun - I already owned this item
Images - This shouldn't cost you any additional money, go through magazines, junk mail, etc.
Total cost (per custom magnet) is about $0.59 for small ones and $0.82 for large ones. If you can find a good deal on the magnets and large gems (I ordered mine on Amazon.com) then that will significantly lower your costs.
Have a great week & happy crafting!
Claire
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