Paper Scraps

I am forever looking for ways you use up my paper scraps. I felt as though I did a pretty good job when I made magnets out of left over paper as small Christmas gifts last year. I am posting a large photo of the finished project so that you can see it better. However, the picture makes them look more like paperweights than magnets. As a scale reference, each magnet ended up being a little smaller than 1" round.

My first bit of advice when making a magnet set would be to use a paper collection rather than random pieces of paper. That way, all the magnets will be different, but they will all coordinate with each other.

To make the magnets, I used a 3/4" circle punch to cut out my designs. I then bought a HUGE bag of floral stones at a craft store. I think I will be making magnets for the rest of my life! I then adhered the paper to the stones using Diamond Glaze and let the pieces dry. The glass stones themselves are not perfect circles, so I cut off any paper that was sticking out from behind the stones. I finished by adhering 3/4" magnets to the back with Diamond Glaze. I know I am a Diamond Glaze junkie, but it is really great for this project. It dries clear, and there is no way those magnets are going to fall apart! Another bit of advice... the 1/2" magnets I tested looked better behind the stones than my 3/4" magnets, but they just weren't strong enough to hold the stone AND whatever the magnet was supposed to hold. So, I went with the 3/4".

Once you have your magnets, you can present them any way you want. Altoid tins work well because the magnets stay in place inside. I was lucky enough to find stand-alone magnetic boards at the dollar store. To make them look prettier, I glued mulberry paper on top so you couldn't see the grey metal of the board. Mulberry works well because it is decorative, but it is also thin and won't interfere with the magnets sticking to the board.

Have a great day!