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How to Make Marble Photo Magnets

Dec 20, 2011 03:18 AM

Christmas is no more than a week away and you've still got some holiday shopping to do. Need an easy, thoughtful and personalized gift idea? Phone Snap is here to show you how to bring those cell phone photos off-screen with these DIY marble photo magnets. It takes less than five minutes to make and will look great on anybody's fridge!

A collection of colorful decorative glass spheres with various artistic images displayed.

What You'll Need

Art supplies including scissors, adhesive glue stick, two circular objects, and a photo.

A pair of scissors
Flat round magnets (Mine are 3/4" in diameter)
Flat transparent marbles (You can find these at any craft store in the floral arrangement aisle. My local store didn't carry the 3/4" marbles I wanted so I had to settle for marbles that were approximately 1".)
Krazy Glue
A printout of any photo of your choice (I made mine about an inch and 1/2 in width and height.)
OPTIONAL: Cardstock (Index cards, junk mail, anything similar will do.)

Glue the Flat Side of the Marble onto the Top of Your Photo

Person applying glue to a small photograph on a dark surface with various tools nearby.

Crafting materials including scissors, adhesive, and a photo on a black surface.

A hand holding a transparent adhesive disc on a dark background.

Apply a small amount of glue onto your photo. Stick your photo onto the flat side of the marble. Apply more glue as needed to any of the parts that do not stick.

Cut the Excess Parts of the Photo Around the Marble

Cutting a circular photograph with scissors.

A person holding a clear orb while using scissors near it.

Clear crystal orb held in a hand.

Alternatively, if you find it easier to do so, you can trace around the marble onto the photo and cut it into a circle before gluing it to the marble. Using a craft hole punch may be an easier option as well. I personally found gluing then cutting to be the easiest.

Glue the Magnet to the Back of the Marble

Here is where the optional part comes in. You can take your piece of cardstock, cut it into a circle the same size as your marble, then glue it between the photo and the magnet. This step is supposed to prevent the magnet from being seen through the photo, but for me, the lack of cardstock was not an issue.

Hand applying adhesive to a small circular object on a dark surface.

Button battery held by a hand, with another battery and a reflective surface in the background.

Metal disc with an octagonal frame held by a hand.

Make sure to press everything down nicely so that the glue can spread and stick to the best of its ability.

Obviously, since my magnet and marble did not match up in size, there was a lot of extra space. Nonetheless, they still held up quite well.

So there you have it—personalized photo magnets in just a few easy steps! In several minutes, you'll have tons of magnets made and ready to give away. Package them in an Altoids mint tin or any other small tin box to make it extra special.

Colorful resin art pieces featuring various images and designs.

Artistic collage of circular glass pieces featuring various abstract images and portraits.

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