I know I have done marble magnet posts before but I really haven’t had much else going on in the crafting department, so I thought I’d do a step-by-step post again as a “refresher course” if you will. I also came up with a new and different way of packaging them, which I thought may be an option for those wanting to make these for craft shows! π
First you have to decide what your content will be. I created 1″ customized images for a friend’s wedding, using Photoshop. You can really use anything to create your magnets – magazines, scrapbook paper, or create your own themed images.
Here are the main supplies I used. Magnets (Walmart), clear silicone (Lowe’s), clear plastic cabachons (allstarco.com) and a plastic tool thingy that I found in my utensil drawer. You can use anything to apply the silicone – a toothpick works just as well.
You can use different supplies, like clear glass marbles (from the Dollar Tree) instead of the plastic cabs, but I highly recommend that you use the silicone shown here. Others use Mod Podge, craft glue, etc., but I have had absolutely awesome results using this clear silicone. It is also very strong and will make your magnets last for years.
I also used a 1″ hole punch to make my images the exact correct size. You can cut them out if you’d like, but this is definitely a great tool if you’re planning on mass producing these things.
Put a pea-sized dab of silicone on your image…
And smush down the cab or marble, applying even pressure. Any excess silicone that spills out the sides can easily be wiped off with your finger or a paper towel. The image is instantly magnified.
I use the same silicone to apply the magnet. A little less than a pea-sized dab will do. It is very strong!
Next, for the packaging, I used a large tag-shaped punch and some heavy stock craft paper (both from A.C.Moore). The tag punches are very expensive, so I will always wait for a 50% off coupon before purchasing something like that. It is well worth the money though, because it’s a great tool.
Again, you could use a heavy scrapbook paper or whatever material you’d like. I printed out a poem on mine, which will be the back of the tag. Use the open side of the punch to line up your text/image before punching.
In the mean time, let your marble magnets dry thoroughly before packaging. I let mine sit overnight.
To get the magnets to lay flat on the tag, and not cling together, I used removable Glue Dots. Simply stick them to the backs of the magnets and stick them to the tag. This way you won’t have a nice package with a little ball of magnets that are all stuck together.
You could leave them as is, or bag them up. I used candy-making treat bags because they come in a variety of sizes and are very inexpensive.
Unfortunately I could not find the exact size I needed, so I had to improvise. I folded the excess bag over to the back and applied a small piece of clear scotch tape.
Then finish off with ribbon, jute, homespun fabric, or whatever you’d like. For these I did purple ribbon and a jute twine bow.
I got a chance to swing by the thrift store yesterday and boy am I glad I did! The key is to go often, because merchandise changes a lot in those places! I got some goodies that are already priced and ready to go in my booth. Cast iron candle holders, a counter top glass container, and some cute little country decorations. I also got some great brand-new rubber stamps, which will go in my Etsy store.
We all know how expensive stamps are, so this was a major score!
I also picked up some apple pie casserole dishes. They are not exactly my cup of tea, but these types of things sell very well around Fall time. People are thinking about Thanksgiving, comfort foods, etc., and always seem to be looking for casserole dishes.
Have a great day and hope to be back soon! Happy crafting! π
Aug 25, 2013 @ 08:54:50
Cute ideas! You always have cute ideas though!
Aug 27, 2013 @ 10:46:14
Thanks Lisa! π π π
Aug 25, 2013 @ 13:53:47
Awesome as always! I’ve made some of these but didn’t know about using the liquid silicone. I think that will make them a lot better! Do u use the removable glue dots to attach the magnets to the tags?
Aug 27, 2013 @ 10:45:55
Thanks! Yes, I highly recommend that silicone, it works awesome! Yes I used removable glue dots so the magnets wouldn’t get all balled up, as magnets sometimes do. It worked great!
Aug 25, 2013 @ 21:12:01
So much fun stuff-you always make me want to get the glue gun out!
Aug 27, 2013 @ 10:45:08
Thanks Barb! π Hope all is well in the North Country!
Aug 26, 2013 @ 16:16:07
Your magnets are ADORABLE! I’ve never heard of using the clear silicone! Were you able to use images printed from an inkjet, or did you have laser copies made?
Aug 27, 2013 @ 10:44:47
Thank you Desiree! π I have used inkjet in the past and they worked fine! These particular ones were printed on an Epson photographic printer. Hope this helps! Thanks for stoppin by my blog! π ~maggie
Aug 28, 2013 @ 02:16:22
I love your crafts. They are adorable. I will have to try some of them myself! I would love to open a booth at a craft show…Your an inspiration….
Sep 08, 2013 @ 19:27:37
You mentioned not having the correct sized bags. The card looks to be the size of Wilton pretzel bags…were they too small?
Oct 11, 2013 @ 08:27:59
Sorry for the way delayed response Carolyn…lol…yes the Wilton Pretzel bags were too small. The card itself fit perfectly but because they became thicker with the thickness of the marbles, it was just a tad bit too tight. If the marble magnets were slightly thinner/shallower, I think they would have worked perfectly!
Oct 09, 2013 @ 10:30:18
This is the first time I bumped into your blog but I loved your crafts!
Oct 24, 2013 @ 17:22:48
Just came across this blog accidentally! LOVE! How can I purposely be notified when you post something new?
Nov 03, 2013 @ 07:19:08
Thanks so much Margie! Just click the “subscribe” button on the right side and you’ll get an email with each new post. Thanks for following! π
Nov 02, 2013 @ 22:26:35
Hi…..I am trying to make these using from laser printing! I use the E-6000 glue and it smears the picture. would this silcone do the same??
Nov 03, 2013 @ 07:12:09
I definitely think silicone would work better, but I am not positive with the laser printing! Give it a shot! As long as your image is dry I think the silicone should work just fine! Let me know how it works!!! π