Cute & Custom Magnets

For the past several months, I have been calling an office cubicle home for 40 hours a week. It's a nice little cube, not too small and several nice storage features. If I could pick one thing to complain about, it would be that the walls of the cube are made of metal which makes it very difficult to decorate. Magnetic picture frames are nice, but what do I do when I want to hang up a memo or a treasured piece of toddler art? Scotch tape only holds for so long...

I looked around online for magnets and if you are looking for something with decorative appeal expect to pay for it! I found some attractive magnets from iPop on amazon.com - for ~$3 PER MAGNET!!! You can also find several crafters on Etsy.com selling handmade magnets with a similar appeal for around $1 a piece. After reading through the descriptions at this site, I decided that I could make these myself and get the graphics I liked at a better price. It turns out these are really fun to make as well.

Supplies:
Several disc magnets
Flat bottom clear marbles
Strong, clear drying glue
Scrapbook paper

1) 2) 3)

Instructions:
Select your favorite printed paper. Keep in mind that the print should be small enough to display behind your marble. The paper and ink should be strong enough to resist bleeding when you apply the glue. Position the marble on the paper where you like it, and trace the outline. Cut inside these lines (the paper does not need to reach past the edges of the flat surface of the marble). Place a drop of glue on the paper and drop the marble on top (you don't want to smear the glue around if there is any concern that the ink may bleed). Press the paper firmly against the marble. Cover the back of the paper with glue and press the magnet onto the back. Smooth the edges of the paper against the marble. Press the marble and magnet together for 30-60 seconds (or longer depending on the glue you have selected). Wipe the clear surface with a damp towel to remove any excess glue. Once the glue has cured, use and enjoy or give as a gift to a friend. These would be great given as a gift to a coworker, for a housewarming, or as favors at a baby shower.

In the photos:
1) Excess scrapbook paper (previously purchased on clearance at Michael's)
2) A print-out of my son's first paining (you may notice some blurred ink)
3) Excess scrapbook paper (small butterflies were punched separately)