Fridge Magnets

Fridge magnets are a cheap, cheerful gift idea even children can make them with a little help.

We showed two different types: a timber shape with photos glued on and sealed with gloss, and a stamped, embossed photo frame.

Heart fridge magnet

Materials

• Small wooden shapes, we used a heart (cost approximately 95cents each)
• Liquid Gloss (rrp $16.95) (a clear glass-like pour-on top coat)
• Disposable container for mixing
• Disposable mixing tool (eg paddle-pop stick)
• Acrylic craft paints (approximately $2.95 a bottle) and various small brushes
• Photos
• Coloured paper or card for background
• Craft glue
• Sealer (approximately $10.95 a bottle)
• Self-adhesive magnet strip ($2 per pack of 5)

Instructions

1) Paint the wooden shape in your chosen colour and allow to dry for 10-15 minutes. While this is drying cut out the background from the coloured card or paper to a size slightly smaller than the wooden shape.

2) Select your photos and trim to fit inside the coloured background. Using the craft glue attach the background card then the photos in layers onto the now dry painted shape.

3) Allow 20 minutes for the craft glue to dry then brush over a coat of acrylic sealer. You can speed up the drying process with a hair dryer (on low heat setting) held 20cm (8") from the project.

4) Lay down several sheets of newspaper - to protect your work bench - then put the heart shape onto a block or small box slightly raised from the benchtop. Mix up two parts of the Liquid Gloss with a disposable mixing tool, such as a plastic spoon or paddle pop stick, then pour onto the wooden cutout, using the stick to carefully spread the Liquid Gloss to the edges. (The newspaper will protect your work bench if it drips). Leave to dry overnight.

5) Peel off the magnetic strip from its backing paper and attach to the back of the heart shape. You're finished!

Embossed Magnetic Photo Frame

Materials

• Make-A-Magnet kit (rrp $9.95)
• Rubber stamps ($7.95-$21)
• Pigment stamping pad (from $4.95)
• Embossing powder (small $6.95)
• Heat gun (Tracy uses an Arlec 'Heat and Strip', rrp $89)
• Permanent colour markers

Instructions

1) Using the paper side of the frame, press out the centre oval piece. Using a decorative rubber stamp and pigment ink pad, stamp a pattern around the frame.

2) Sprinkle the embossing powder over the stamped area, then gently shake off any excess powder. Use a heat gun (as used for stripping paint) to melt and set the embossing powder to make a raised pattern. DO NOT put the frame under a griller as this could melt the plastic.

3) Finally, colour the pattern with permanent colour markers if desired. Excess embossing powder can be returned to the bottle and reused.

Stockists

Small plywood shapes, Liquid Gloss, acrylic craft paints, acrylic sealer, are all available from major department or craft stores including Myer, Grace Bros, Lincraft, Spotlight.

The magnetic strips are sold as strips or dots, usually in packs of five for about $2 per packet from Lincraft craft stores.

The "Make-A-Magnet" kit, stamps, ink pads and embossing powder are sold by Woodstock Rubber Stamps through Myer, Lincraft, Dimaru and other large craft stores, or by mail order from Woodstock Rubber Stamps, PO Box 172, Canterbury, VIC, 3126 or phone (03) 9830 4447.

Copyright CTC Productions 2006