Functional and pretty

Madigan made… marble magnets.

I’m certainly not the first person to make or blog about marble magnets. Not Martha has an excellent review of the topic.

I remember reading that article several years ago when I made my first magnetic gems. At that time, I needed a small (read: inexpensive) gift to give out around the holidays.

They were quick, easy and quite fun to make. And who doesn’t like to hear about projects like that, right?

So, I thought I’d tell you about my recent rediscovery of marble magnets. (and I also secretly wanted another reason to play with my DIY light box.)

When I was going through my crafts the other day, I came across the marble supplies. Turns out, I still had a few leftover packages of magnets from that Christmas season. When I gave the gifts, I wrapped up the magnets in clear candy bags with matching paper and washers to keep ’em face up. See how cute the little packages looked?

I also found bunches of leftover flat bottom marbles. What do with all of them?

The magnets were so easy to make, I thought I’d make another little matching set for work. It is always nice to have both functional and pretty things around you, especially when you are working.

So, I selected a pretty page of Amy Butler paper and got started. I had two different size magnets for the two different size marbles. (1/2 in and 1 inch magnets)

First, I cut out my circles. One tip I have is to try and cut the circles as close to magnet size as possible. They resulting look is much cleaner without any overhang. I had a 1/2 inch punch for the small size, but I traced and hand-cut out the 1 inch circles. (I’ve got to get myself some other punches or a fancy paper cutting machine. My paper crafting supplies are sooo 2004 and a bit anorexic.)

After that, the steps for the large and small magnets were the same. I put a dollop of glue on each magnet and set the circle of paper on top. Then, I added another dollop on top of the paper. (I used Gem-Tac glue. It is generally odorless and dries clear. Worked fine for me.)

I took a marble and pressed the flat side down onto the glue. The glue spread out to cover the paper. I tried to be careful, but I occasionally used too much glue (see the oozing in the background of the top left exhibit?).