Upcycling old porcelain dishes

Creative ideas for magnetic decorations made of porcelain

Submitted by: R. Rahimi, Zürich, Switzerland

Online since: 22/06/2026

I love the idea of creating something new and beautiful from old, discarded objects and materials. That’s how I came up with the idea of combining the classic look of vintage porcelain with the practicality of magnets. By using neodymium magnets, these upcycled decorations can be attached to metal surfaces. As part of this project, I would like to show you several variations.

Table of Contents

The neodymium magnet is pressed onto the bottom of a cup after the glue has been applied.

Gluing magnets to porcelain

After buying some lovely porcelain tableware at a second-hand shop, I thoroughly washed the cups and plates by hand with washing-up liquid and left them to dry completely. The bonding surface must be absolutely dry as well as free of grease and dust to ensure optimal adhesion.

I then glued the neodymium magnets to the bottom or side using UHU MAX REPAIR magnet adhesive, making sure the magnets couldn’t slip out of place. Next, I left the adhesive to set for a full day.

Important tip: If a cup or plate had a recess in the bottom, I made sure the magnets were attached so that they were flush with the recess or sat slightly higher. Otherwise, the magnets will not adhere properly to ferromagnetic surfaces if there is no direct contact with the mounting surface.

After gluing, the cups and plates are laid out to cure with sufficient space between them.

Use rubber-coated magnets for outdoor applications
When crafting magnetic decorations for outdoor spaces, use rubber-coated magnet systems. The rubber coating, to some extent, shields the magnet from moisture and splashes while also protecting balcony railings and other metal surfaces from scratches. Non-waterproof neodymium magnets can develop rust, which reduces their adhesive force.

Note from the supermagnete team:
Ferrite magnets are also suitable for outdoor use, but we do not recommend them for this application. The adhesive force of ferrite magnets is too weak and cannot withstand vibrations. Please also note that wind and other external factors can compromise the adhesive force of the magnets.

If you wish to reposition rubberised magnet systems, do not remove them by sliding them across the surface, as this may damage the rubber coating. Instead, remove the magnet by tilting it.

A sparrow lands on a plate of birdseed on the balcony railing. Next to it is a bird feeder, made from a cup.

Creating an elegant bird feeder

Decorative tableware, such as tea or coffee cups with saucers, or smaller plates, is ideal for use as a bird feeder on the balcony. They look elegant, are easy to clean and, thanks to the magnets, adhere to metal balcony railings.

When selecting the cups, I made sure that the birds could land easily on the rim. To this end, I chose cups with a slightly rounded rim.

First, glue a magnet to the bottom of the saucer. I used rubberised magnet systems, type ITNG-43. Apply a pea-sized dot of glue to the threaded hole on the metal side of the magnet (about half of the glue should protrude from the top). Then press the magnet system onto the underside of the saucer.

Use the magnet adhesive to also glue the cup into the bottom depression of the saucer. After gluing, leave the bird feeder to set for a day so that the adhesive can bond properly with the surfaces. Once the adhesive has cured, it is practically invisible.

Now your feathered friends can enjoy fresh water in the summer and some seeds during the winter.

Note from the supermagnete team:
Glue does not bond well with the rubber layer. Therefore, apply a generous amount of adhesive to the metal surface around the thread and then press the magnet firmly against the base of the plate. This ensures that the adhesive spreads out and bonds to both the metal surface and the rubber.

Aside from the bird feeder for the balcony railing, I also created other magnetic decorations from porcelain through upcycling. There are almost no limits to your creativity. I would like to show you a few examples:

Crafting unique flower pots

I found a wonderful, plain mocha cup with a matching saucer at the second-hand shop. It was perfect for my upcycling projects and had been waiting for a new purpose at my place ever since. I used magnet glue to attach the porcelain cup, laid on its side, to the saucer and left the bond to dry for a day. As the adhesive becomes transparent once dry, you can apply a generous dollop.

I then glued an S-20-06-N neodymium magnet to the back of the saucer. This magnet has a displacement force of 1,5 kg, allowing me to securely attach the magnetic mini flowerpot to my metal shelving unit.

Hanging options to catch the eye

A chocolate bar hangs from a memo holder. Created from an old porcelain saucer.

Saucer with letter clamp
My idea was to create a magnetic memo holder from vintage porcelain. For this upcycling project, I glued a magnet to the back of a saucer and a letter clamp in the centre. This allows the rim of the saucer to stand out beautifully, while the clip enables me to attach photos, cards, or small gifts.

Of course, you can also use small plates for this. However, make sure the porcelain isn’t too heavy, or choose a magnet with sufficient displacement force.

A decorative magnet holds various notes and business cards on the magnetic memo holder.

Saucer with decorative magnet
Instead of a letter clip, you can also use stronger decorative magnets or office magnets. If the magnet on the back of the porcelain is strong enough, the magnets will adhere to the neodymium magnet through the material. For this variation, I used a type S-15-05-N neodymium magnet with a displacement force of 900 g and a magnetic pin as the counterpart. The office magnet could then be used to attach various business cards to the porcelain.

Important: When attaching the magnet to the back of the saucer, make sure the magnet poles are oriented correctly. The pole on the glued-on side of the magnet must not repel the decorative magnet.

A key hangs from the handle of a cup. The cup is attached to the metal surface with magnets.

Mocha cup as key holder
The handle of a mocha cup is perfect for hanging things from. Thanks to the S-15-05-N neodymium magnet on the bottom, the cup sticks to ferromagnetic surfaces. I attached a bent piece of wire to the handle. Alternatively, you could use a hanger from a Christmas bauble. Our cellar key now hangs from the small wire hook. And just like that, my custom magnetic porcelain key holder was complete.

The advantage: By using different cup styles or colours, you can assign a specific cup to each key.

Note from the supermagnete team:
When selecting a magnet, pay attention to its displacement force if you intend to mount the decoration on a wall. The magnet must be strong enough to hold the porcelain, along with its contents or the objects attached to it.

Articles used

UHU

UHU MAX REPAIR
Magnet glue, waterproof, without solvents, shelf life of 24 months, 20 g tube
To glue on super magnets

1 pc. 7,95 EUR ea.* (397,50EUR/kg)

available: 4 385 pcs.

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Max. load on the wall 320 g, bulletin board magnets in the shape of a pawn in a game, Ø 12,5 mm, set of 10
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