sunday kids' craft - picture frame magnets

I'm in the process of transforming my fridge.  No, not the inside which could use an entirely different kind of transformation - like a good tossing out and scrubbing session.  I don't even want to think about what's in there and how long it's been in there.  I'm focusing on the outside because the clutter of random magnets and constant coloring pages is driving this gal nuts.  This project probably should have taken me minutes - throw away random magnets and weed down the 20 or so coloring pages (I'm not exaggerating!) to four tops - but instead it's taken me two months.  And I'm still not done!  Talk about procrastination!

You might remember my can lid magnets from the beginning of June and the share-the-love magnet clips that my kids and I did a few weeks ago. 

Well, to declutter and to make our random magnet collection more eye-catching, we did another magnet transformation for our kids' craft this week.  This one pairs pictures we had on our fridge and an old Quiznos magnet and turns the pair into beautiful picture frame magnets that can now keep up a coloring page or two.   

What you need:
-craft foam
-do-a-dot markers (a genius' gift to crafting with kids)
-a craft knife/sharp blade
-hot glue or super glue
-a pretty picture
-a pencil

What you do:
1)  Put your picture in the center of the craft foam and trace around lightly with a pencil.  Don't cut out the center, but tell child that whatever is inside the rectangle will be cut out and used for a magnet and whatever is outside the rectangle will be the magnet picture frame.

2)  Let child paint patterns with do-a-dots or markers.  The foam soaks in the the paint a bit to make a lovely soft muted effect.  Let dry.  (You can see that my daughter didn't want to paint inside the rectangle.  I tried over and over again explaining that the inside would become a magnet too, but just couldn't convince her to paint inside the rectangle.  Too funny!)

3)  Adult only - use craft knife to cut center rectangle out.

4)  Glue or tape picture to the opposite side of frame so that the pic shows through the rectangle like a picture frame.

5)  Cut up old magnet into at least three pieces.  Glue two onto the back of the foam picture frame and one onto the back of the rectangle.

6)  Done! 

I'm going to use the one with the picture of my oldest daughter's face to hang her school papers on the fridge when school starts.  (Aaack . . . I can't believe I have a child old enough to be in kindergarten.  Wasn't she just a cute cuddly baby?)

I think these would also make a great grandparent gift or teacher gift!  I'm putting it on the list!

Craft on!

I may link this to some of these great parties!