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Very Merry Magnets
Print
The holiday card onslaught likely already has begun at your house. Every day, new arrivals join the growing pile of holiday well wishes. My kids love to open holiday cards and check out the photos of friends and families. However, it is always a challenge to display holiday cards-and my kids end up wanting to move the cards around to get a closer look anyway.
These holiday-themed bottle cap magnets are a perfect solution. Work with your little elves to create these magnets in anticipation of holiday card season. When the mail starts pouring in, the kids can use the magnets to arrange the cards on the refrigerator or other magnetic surface.
A few important notes about the supplies before you begin collecting the materials for this project. Twist-off caps work best because they don't bend when removed. Use old magazines, wrapping paper scraps or holiday stickers to find images for the magnets. The images must be very small to work for this project. After your little crafters glue the images to the inside of the bottle caps, an adult needs to pour clear resin into the caps to seal the photos and give them a hard, glossy finish. This is an adults-only job. Children should not handle the resin.
Materials
- Scissors
- Holiday images (from wrapping paper, gift tags, stickers, etc.)
- Bottle caps (preferably twist off)
- Clear casting resin (available from art supply stores such as Blick Art Supply)
- Craft glue or hot glue gun
- Small magnets
Directions
- Begin by collecting bottle caps and a variety of small holiday images.
- Using craft glue or a hot glue gun, attach one picture to the inside of each bottle cap. Let dry completely.
- Cover a work surface to protect it from spills and lay caps on top.
- Following manufacturer's instructions for clear casting resin, fill each bottle cap to the rim and let dry. The resin will take at least 24 hours to set.
- Attach magnets to the backs of the bottle caps with glue. Use your magnet creations to secure holiday cards to the refrigerator or other magnetic surface.
