Crafting a Clay Magnet (And a Chance to Win a Charming Handcrafted Magnet for Yourself!)

Charming Little Handcrafted Magnets to Cozify Your Space

A lot of the fun of creating products is coming up with ideas and inspiration. I do a lot of online research and try to curate products that have a certain theme or style that I enjoy and think others will as well.

When I first started playing around with air dry clay, I looked at all sorts of cutters and came across some cute biscuit cutters. I love cartoon kawaii looking illustrations and loved that these particular cutters had a well-defined edge around the image - kind of like how a sticker looks! I bought a few sets and selected my favorites and made a few pieces. You can make ornaments, pins, keychains... But I just like a nice magnet. You can pop it on a fridge or anywhere metal and it just adds a little, simple and quirky piece to your space. I stuck a few on my washer and dryer and honestly thought they were the cutest dang things.

Although these magnets look simple, there's quite a few steps to get to the final piece.

1). Cutting the Clay

I use air dry clay because it's simple and no bake. I take a nice chunk of clay and roll it level using blocks and then use my cutter to cut the shape and add the imprint. I have to try to evenly add pressure. Too little and the image won't show. Too much and the edge of the print piee will leave a weird ledge. You have to get it juuust riiight. Then I use a little water to smooth it up a bit and let it sit to dry for a day or so. Sometimes I'll even press it between a book as it dries to keep it more flat. Sometimes peices will bend or warp a bit as they dry.

2) Sanding the Piece

Once my piece is dry, I sand the edges will and smooth out any imperfections to the best of my ability Being handmade, a slight imperfection here and there can add to the charm of a piece, but I don't want anything that really stands out. I use a variety of metal sanding tools and sandpapers, slightly carving areas I want more pronounced.

3) Prepping the Piece

At this point I get super excited about painting, but first I need to gesso the piece. You don't have to, but I find the paint sticks a bit better if I do a layer of gesso first. It also keeps the paint from absorbing into the clay as easily so you can get away with less coats of paint.

4) Painting the Piece

We're sanded and prepped with gesso, now we can have some fun! I love picking colors and experimenting with different paints. I really love that these designs have some "line art" like cartoon. I like to use dark colors for line art. I take a small detail brush and really coat down into the line. I will admit, as cute as these look when they are done, painting the stamped image can be tricky. It's almost impossible not to get paint outside the line, but that's why I do it first, so I can cover it up later when I paint the rest of the image. I really love a bit of a pastel look and usually add a bit of white to whatever color I'm painting with. Adding white also can make the color opaquer and provide better coverage. After the line art, I carefully paint the face of the image, then clean up the border edge with white paint. Lastly I add any details, if any. This process takes longer than you would expect as it can take a few coats to achieve the color and a little finessing to keep the image looking sharp. Once it's done, I let it dry again for a few hours or over night.

5) Sealing the Piece

Now I need to seal the piece. I've tried several sealers - UV Resin, Mod Podge, Spray Varnish, Triple Thick... Each has a different effect. I really like the look of UV Resin but haven't had the best of luck. Not sure if it's user error or just a bad bottle of resin. My favorite so far has been the Triple Thick. It goes on really thick and self-levels a bit like resin would. You have to be careful not to overwork it or it can get streaky and lumpy because it starts to dry pretty fast. It dries within 15 minutes but can take 24-48 hours to fully cure.

6) Adding the Magnet

The last and final step is adding the magnet. You can get magnets in a variety of sizes and style. I have little round ones with adhesive backs. I pull off the back and add a touch of ceramic glue before placing it on the back of the piece. I don't trust the adhesive to be strong enough and not dry out so I like to guarantee my magnet will stay in place with glue.

7) Display the Magnet!

Last but not least, it's time to show off the cute little magnet I lovingly handcrafted! My fridge is covered in magnets, but I stuck a few on my washer and dryer and thought they looked super cute there as well.

You can follow the same process with any type of cutter and make your own magnets! One day, I'd like to try some polymer clay. I have some on hand and have tried making things twice but wasn't really happy with how either project turned out. So for now, I'll stick with air dry clay! <3

Watch Full Tutorial on YouTube.

I hope you enjoyed this little glimpse into my magnet creation process! If you'd like a chance to win one for yourself, simply subscribe to my email list!* You'll receive newsletters with any updates for the month, along with exclusive product releases, workshop availability, and special sales and discounts.

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