Create your own glass magnets
Make creative glass magnets quickly and easily
Online since: 07/02/2022,
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Making glass magnets is fun and can even be addictive.
Because with this craft project, you can let your creativity run wild and try out different designs.
In addition, glass magnets with glitter are a great project for a crafting afternoon with your children.
Use your one-of-a-kind creations to decorate your magnetic board or design stunning birthday gifts or Christmas presents.
Here we show you how you can make decorative glass magnets yourself in just a few steps.
Table of Contents
Necessary crafting materials
To create your unique glass magnets, you will need the following materials:- Clear glass pebbles, also known as glass nuggets or glass stones.
- Neodymium disc magnets, e.g. type S-12-01-N or S-12-02-N
- Small scissors
- Strong glue, such as UHU MAX REPAIR
- Glass paint
- Different types of glitter
- Nail varnish in different colours
- Thin felt in different colours
- Craft tissue paper or scrapbook paper with pattern
- Motifs printed on paper
- Gift wrapping paper
Glass magnets with printed motifs
The glass magnets with printed motifs require a little preparation ahead of time. Search the internet for nifty motifs and patterns. The following motifs are suitable, for example: mandalas, plants, the universe, peacocks, hearts, smileys, flowers or symbols. If you are a fan of a movie franchise, TV series or particular games, you can also choose different motifs of those, for example: Star Wars, Zelda or Harry Potter. Of course, personal pictures of family and friends are also suitable for these DIY magnets.Please note: The bigger the picture, the less of it will be visible through the glass. Reduce the size of the motif so that as much as possible fits on the decorative glass pebble. To check whether a motif or pattern is suitable, place the glass nugget on the pattern. If you like what you see, use that particular section.
How to make these glass magnets:
- Print the motifs side-by-side on a piece of paper.
- Add glue to the bottom of the glass pebble.
- Next, press the pebble onto the pattern on the piece of paper and press on evenly. No traces of glue should remain visible.
- Repeat these steps for all motifs on the paper.
- Afterwards, let the glue dry for one to two hours.
- Once the glue is dry, roughly cut out the glass magnet. The final cut is best done with a pair of nail scissors. It will make it easier to get to the excess paper.
- Add a small amount of magnet adhesive to the back of the glass pebble and press the disc magnet onto it. If you are using self-adhesive magnets, firmly press the magnet onto the pebble for a few seconds.
- Let the finished glass magnet dry for at least six hours.
Glass magnets with felt, craft tissue paper, scrapbook paper or gift wrapping paper
Felt, tissue paper or wrapping paper are also great for making wonderful glass magnets. Select bright colours for the felt, and your finished glass magnet will be a vibrant, eye-catching feature on your refrigerator. If you decide to use wrapping paper, tissue paper or scrapbook paper, make sure the pattern is not too big either when making your selection.- Cut a sufficiently large piece out of the material.
- Add glue to the bottom of the glass nugget.
- Press the magnet onto the chosen spot on the paper. On felt, it is best to attach the nuggets in a space-saving arrangement, so you don’t waste too much of the felt material.
- Let the magnets dry for a few hours.
- Once the glass nuggets are firmly attached to the paper or felt, you can cut them out.
- Again, add a small amount of magnet adhesive to the back of the decorative pebble and press the disc magnet onto it. Here too, you could use self-adhesive magnets as an alternative.
- Let the glass magnet dry.
Our tip:
If you glued on very thin tissue paper or scrapbook paper, we recommend applying a coat of clear varnish to the back of the glass stone afterwards.
This will protect the surface from wearing out too quickly.
Glass magnets with glass paint or nail varnish
Aside from paper or felt, you also have the option of applying your artistic paint skills. But that’s not so easy on the small surface of these decorative glass stones, which is why we recommend using patterns that aren’t too detailed.- Pen-type glass paint is perfect for drawing contours or dividing the surface. First, paint the contours on the glass pebble.
- Fill in the spaces with glass paint or nail varnish. Use bright colours, since dark colour combinations are hard to distinguish on the finished magnet.
- Let the paint dry according to the manufacturer’s directions for up to a day.
- Next, seal your masterpiece with a coat of clear nail varnish.
- Once the back is dry, glue on the disc magnets.
- Let the glass magnet dry well.
Glass magnets with glitter
Glitter is a wonderful material for kids to create cute magnets. Glitter can be used to great effect because the magnification of the glass lets the finished magnets sparkle brightly. For this version, proceed as follows:- Put a little glitter into a bowl or onto a sheet of paper.
- Cover the bottom of the glass nugget evenly with glue.
- Dip the pebble in the glitter and slightly move the magnet back and forth so that more glitter particles can adhere.
- Allow sufficient drying time afterwards.
- Seal the glitter layer with a coat of clear nail varnish so that the glitter won’t rub off.
- Add a small amount of glue to the back of the pebble and press the magnet firmly onto it.
- Let the finished magnet dry.
Glass magnets as a trendy gift idea
These glass magnets are also great as a small present or gift for birthdays or Christmas! To prevent the magnets from attracting each other or, worst case, damaging each other, it is best to attach them to a piece of ferromagnetic sheet metal or other metal. It will also make the colours and patterns of the magnets pop. Another option is to carefully bring the magnets together and then pack them as a "cluster" in a nice little bag.Examples of our own creations here at supermagnete
We got quite addicted to making glass magnets, creating many magnets ourselves with these clear glass stones, and we would like to show them to you for inspiration:Which magnets and what type of glue are suitable for glass magnets?
When choosing disc magnets, make sure you don’t use magnets that are too strong. If the magnet adheres too much, it can rip off and damage the decoration or paint on the glass stone. We tested different magnets for you and recommend the disc magnets listed below. For larger glass pebbles with a diameter of 27 mm, we recommend the self-adhesive disc magnets type S-20-01-STIC.For glass magnets with felt, we advise against using self-adhesive magnets as they don’t adequately adhere to uneven or rough surfaces.
You can find more information about self-adhesive magnets in our FAQ Question and answers about self-adhesive magnets.
We use UHU MAX REPAIR as magnet glue for our magnet projects. We don’t recommend using hot glue as adhesive because its high temperature can demagnetise neodymium magnets. Superglue is also not suitable because it can damage the coating of neodymium magnets.
Note from the supermagnete team:
Discover many glass magnets with colourful designs in our assortment of glass magnets.
Discover many glass magnets with colourful designs in our assortment of glass magnets.
In our handicraft guide, you will find many more useful tips and tricks for making your own magnets.
Go to handicraft guide
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