Making Refrigerator Magnets for Fun & Function

by Gary Piscopo

Refrigerator magnets are perhaps one of the most popular projects for people of all ages. With a wide variety of refrigerator magnets involving many difficulty levels, making magnets can range from very easy to quite difficult. We have chosen an easy version for this project that can be completed by children of most ages with a wide range of results. What is important for the success of this project is to select quality glass gems and interesting backings.

Materials Needed:

• Magazine or other source material

• Adhesive (we recommend using Weldbond)

• McGill Giant Punch Circle (1-1/4” diameter) - or you can use scissors to cut the circular backing

• Large Glass Gems (we used 1.5” clear molded for this project)

• Magnets (we used the high strength magnets for this project)

• Scissors

• Scrap paper and paper towels

Choosing Glass Gems

The glass gems you select should have very few, if any, bubbles. There are two types of glass gems available on the market: molded and free-form. The molded are created by pouring the molten glass into a round mold; whereas, the free-form glass gems are created by pouring molten glass onto a flat surface. We prefer the molded for this project because they are perfectly round and match the punch-out we'll be using. The free-form gems are good for making magnets that are painted on the back, or printed on the front.

Choosing the Backing

This is where your creativity pays off. We used an image from a magazine for our backing in this project. You can use old books, maps, patterned paper (including wrapping paper), newspaper, junk mail, cereal boxes or anything with an interesting image/pattern. This part of the project is loads of fun!

Step 1: Wash your glass gems using warm soapy water. Be sure to rinse thoroughly and allow them to dry. This will remove any residue and allow for the best adhesion of the glue to the glass.

Step 2: Using a scrap piece of paper, punch a hole with a 1.25” hole punch. By placing the hole over images in magazines, cereal boxes, newspapers, books or other sources, you can get a good idea of what the image will look like when used on your refrigerator magnets.

Step 3: After you have selected an image, use your scissors to trim the excess paper from the image so it fits more easily into your sample, punched hole. Don't cut it too small. You'll use the hole punch in the next step to finish the image to size. If you chose to use scissors for your cutout you may want to also use a circular object (a pill bottle or something of similar size) to outline your image first. Then you can trim around the outline with more accuracy.

Step 4: Align the image in your hole punch and make your cut. TIP: It is easier to align the image if you use the hole punch upside down so you can actually see the final cut. You should now have a nice round cutout of your image.

Step 5: Add a bit of glue to the back of the glass gem. Don’t worry about using a too much as you will remove the excess when applying the image.

Step 6: Spread the glue over the entire back of the glass gem. Apply the image face down.

Step 7: Using a clean paper towel, press the image firmly onto the glass. Use the paper towel to remove the excess glue. You want to remove as much glue as possible. The more you remove, the stronger the bond will be.


Step 8: Apply a small dab of glue to the center of the back of the glass gem.

Step 9: Press the magnet firmly into place over the glue. Remember to press firmly enough to remove the excess glue. Once the excess glue is removed, the magnet should not move freely, but should hold steady while pressing on the back.

Congratulations! You have created a neat little craft project that serves both functionality and décor. Time to go decorate your refrigerator!