Crafts – Fridge Magnets – activity & blog hop
The weather has turned and it’s been pretty miserable so we’ve been spending much more time indoors over the past week or two. Unfortunately though this means that with a baby and a toddler, things can start to become a little volatile so we’ve been keeping busy which last week included making our very own fridge magnets!!
Super quick and easy to do, these are relatively mess free so great for any parents that have an aversion to messy play!!
WHAT YOU NEED
You do need a few bits for this which include:
- Shrinkles paper.
- Colouring pens or pencils
- Self adhesive magnet pads
HOW TO DO IT
There are two sides of the Shrinkles: a rough and a smooth side and this is literally as easy as letting them colour and draw on the rough side. This is great stuff and is available from Amazon. A litte expensive at £9.99, this is for 50 sheets so one pack will go a long way.
You need to be careful as depending on what pens you use, the surface can easily smudge. Sharpies are perfect but we opted for crayola washable pens as…..well, Darcie is 2 years old so you get the idea! Other than that though you can let them go mad! As my little ones are young I wrote a little text which they then helped me decorate.
What you end up with is a beautifully decorated A5 sheet ready for baking. If you want to trim the shape at all then this is the time to do it using a normal pair of scissors. Maybe you want them square or to have wavy edges. As ours were being made into fridge magnets we left these as rectangles.
And when I say baking that’s exactly what I mean. Pre-heat an oven to 160 degrees and line a baking tray with foil. Don’t be tempted to pop them in early as you need to make sure the oven it up to temperature. Once ready, pop your decorated Shrinkles into the oven and wait. Nothing will happen for a few seconds but then you will see them start to curl and shrink down. They’ll make some strange shapes and then settle down to their original rectangular shape, albeit a smaller version of it. You’ll know they’re done when they flatten down. The whole process takes about 30 seconds so make sure you’re watching.
What you’re left with are Shrinkles that have strunk right down and are ready to be made into whatever you want. For us, that was fridge magnets so all that was left was to attach the self adhesive magnet pads which you can find easily on eBay for around £1.50 for 10. Then there you have it – personalised fridge magnets!!
THE VERDICT
Darcie enjoyed this activity that much that she immediately demanded we make more. She expecially loved that all her drawing came out as “baby ones” so we immediately went about making some more for her Grandma who has been a little bit poorly recently.
Although no quite as easy as pulling together something from an existing craft box, I really think these are worth a little up front investment for some Shrinkles and some magnet pads to add to your craft stash. Each magnet has a cost of around 35p and therefore are a really fabulous option for some personalised stocking fillers at Christmas or birthdays (espeically from grandchildren to their grandparents), Fathers Day / Mothers Day / Grandparents Day or a lovely alternative to a get well soon card!
Looking for some more rainy day activities?
Then check out theses other great options!
DISCLOSURE: Please note this post may include some affiliate links. This has no effect on you but means that should you purchase an item under an affiliate program, I may earn a small commission.
These are absolutely gorgeous! And as you say a great investment to the craft box. The whole family would love something like this!
Oh my goodness, these are amazing, I’ve never heard of Shrinkles before! I’m off to buy some of that stuff now and give it a bash for Father’s Day!!
This looks like a really fun activity. Great for a rainy day!
These are so lovely and look like so much fun to make! #HumpDayLinky