Making DIY polymer clay fridge magnets is a fun hobby that both adults and children enjoy. As you come up with magnet ideas and bring them to life with your hands, you'll wonder why you didn't try this sooner! Plus, you'll end up with unique magnets to add to your fridge or gift to friends and family.
Not sure what design to choose for your magnets? Explore the magnet ideas in this article to get inspired! There's also an in-depth guide on how to make clay magnets at home.
Beginner-Friendly Clay Magnet Ideas
If you're new to the wonderful world of polymer clay or are crafting with young ones, these ideas are for you. They're super cute and relatively simple to make:
- Sunflower: This simple little sunflower project comes together in a few steps. All you need is some yellow and brown clay and a tool to make lines and dots.
- Panda: Another easy magnet idea is this smiling panda bear. It uses black and white clay and has a flat back for a magnet.
- Monsters: If your kids are into monsters, make these monster flair pins with them. Instead of adding a pin-backing at the end, glue on a magnet.
Intermediate Clay Magnet Ideas
Intermediate crafters who are more familiar with polymer clay and ready for a challenge can take on these projects:
- Sushi: If you love sushi and things with little faces, turn these sushi friends charms into magnets. The instructions in the guide teach you how to make a cute little salmon nigiri, onigiri and wasabi!
- Turtle: This project shows how to make a kawaii green sea turtle with blue spots on its shell. You can add a magnet to its belly to stick it to your fridge! If you want a little more challenge, craft this smiling turtle with flowers on its back.
- Bow: How adorable would a polymer clay bow look on your fridge? While this project is for a necklace, it's easy to convert the finished clay bow into a magnet.
Advanced Clay Magnet Ideas
To make more intricate DIY polymer clay magnets, try one of the following ideas:
- Charcuterie board: Make an entire mini charcuterie board magnet, complete with miniature crackers, cheese, olives and pepperoni. Each element uses a different technique, allowing you to test your skills or learn something new.
- Spaghetti: Are you a pasta lover? Discover how to create this mini plate of spaghetti and meatballs and turn it into a magnet!
- Cheesecake: Of course, you can also make sweet dessert magnets. This detailed miniature cheesecake with berries has a flat bottom that's the perfect spot for a magnet addition.
How to Make Magnets Out of Polymer Clay
Whether you're a seasoned crafter or a newbie, making a polymer clay magnet is easy. Even kids can join in on the fun! Use the supplies list and instructions below to get started.
Supplies
Before diving into your DIY magnet project, gather the following supplies:
- Polymer clay: Purchase some Sculpey polymer clay to use for your magnets. Sculpey Soufflé™ or Sculpey Premo™ polymer clay is perfect for crafters who want detail in their creations. If you're a beginner, you may prefer the softer Original Sculpey® or Sculpey III® clays. Kids can use Sculpey Bake Shop®, which is specifically for little hands.
- Tools: You can make your magnets with just your hands, but it's a bit easier to sculpt intricate shapes with the right tools. If you don't have any, the Sculpey Tools™ Essential Tool Kit is a great place to start. You can also use other clay tools like cutters, molds, rollers or a Sculpey Tools™ Clay Conditioning Machine.
- Surfaces: Protect the surface you're working on by covering it with a Sculpey Oven-Safe Work Mat. Other options include metal baking sheets, oven-proof glass, ceramic tiles, index cards, aluminum foil or parchment paper.
- Oven: You'll need an oven to bake your polymer clay creation. A home oven or a toaster oven will work.
- Thermometer: To get the best baking results for your polymer clay magnet, use a thermometer in the oven during baking. This will help you ensure the temperature is correct.
- Glaze: If you want your magnet to look shiny, apply a polymer clay glaze — like the Sculpey® Gloss Glaze — after baking.
- Magnets: Buy little magnets for the backs of your clay pieces. If you don't want to use glue to attach them, choose a self-adhesive magnet with a sticky backing.
- Glue: To get magnets to stick to the clay, use any strong super glue, epoxy glue or hot glue.
Instructions
With all your supplies ready, it's time to start crafting! Follow these instructions to make your own polymer clay magnet:
- Wash your hands to get rid of any dirt or dust that may stick to the clay.
- Condition your clay to make it ready to use by kneading it in your hands or passing it through a clay conditioning machine.
- Shape the clay into the desired form using your fingers and tools. Wash or wipe your hands with a wet wipe before switching to another clay color to avoid color transfer.
- If there is any dirt or fingerprints on your finished piece, you can use some acetone or oil — either mineral or baby oil — to gently rub them off.
- Bake your clay creation according to the package's instructions. The baking information for each clay type is also on our FAQ page. Remember to use a thermometer to monitor the temperature!
- Once your creation is out of the oven, leave it to cool completely. It'll be hot for a while.
- While your piece is perfect as is, adding varnish or glaze can enhance the colors and make it more durable. Use a brush to gently apply an even coat of glaze to the whole piece.
- When you're happy, you can put a magnet on your polymer clay piece. Apply glue to the back of the magnet or remove the adhesive cover, then push it into the back of the hardened polymer clay.
- Let the glue dry for 24 hours before moving the magnet around.
- You can use the magnet on your fridge or any metal surface once it's dry!
Buy Polymer Clay Magnet Supplies From Sculpey
At Sculpey, we have all the clay supplies you need to make custom polymer clay magnets. We offer multiple types of polymer clay, each in a range of colors and effects. The clay is soft but becomes super strong and durable once you bake it in an oven. We also have various tools that are designed specifically for working with clay.
Get to crafting custom magnets by placing an order on our website! Not sure which clay to buy? Use our handy comparison chart to find the right one for you. You can also browse our projects section, which is full of ideas and step-by-step tutorials.
