Refrigerator Magnets or Necklace - Simple Gifts

So you're looking for something fun to make that's easy, unique, and can be personalized.  How about refrigerator magnets from glass pebbles?!  The glass pebbles can be purchased at Dollar Tree for $1.00 per bag for 14 oz., which is a lot of pebbles.  You might even have a few of these left over from prior craft projects, such as the hardware store jewelry from a prior post, and this is a great way to use up the remaining pebbles.

These can be personalized with funny sayings, photos, scrapbook paper, or definitions from an old dictionary.  Above is a collection of magnets featuring Mae West, two from a scrapbook paper collection, one photo of my son sitting in my father's lap, and one from the peace sign collection.  

Glue a magnet to the back for refrigerator magnets, or glue a bail to the back of a finished piece and string it on a chain to wear as a necklace pendant.  

SUPPLIES: 

• Glass pebbles
• Photos, scrapbook paper, typed sayings, or photos from a magazine.
• Clear Tacky Glue craft glue such as this:  Duncan 239396 Aleenes Quick Dry in. Tacky in. Glue-4 Ounce (Google Affiliate Ad)
• Mod Podge
• Paintbrush or sponge applicator 
• Packing tape (to seal items that are not color fast)
• Glue-on magnets (You can use old magnets from business cards and calendars, but they must be a strong magnet, otherwise they will not hold the weight of the glass pebble.)

Pick out the photos or pictures you want to use.  Check how they look by placing the glass pebble over the photo.  The glass tends to act as a lens and magnify the picture a bit.  

 The flower on this chair is very pretty and makes a great focal point!

 Ooooohhhh, who lives in a pineapple under the sea?

The pattern on this shirt is very pretty and would make a wonderful collage of fall themed magnets or a pretty pendant! 

Once you have determined which photos look best, cut out a small portion of the item, leaving enough so that a bit sticks out on the side of the glass. 

Turn your glass pebbles over and coat them with a small bit of the clear tacky glue.  

If you are using photos or other printable items that have ink that would smear or bleed, now is the time to seal those between two pieces of packing tape. These are small photos of family members I printed on my printer and needed to seal so that the ink wouldn't bleed. 

Once the pebble is coated with glue, press it glue side down onto the face of the photo or item.  Press hard so that the glue spreads out and adheres to the entire photo.  Make sure you press firmly enough that there are no bubbles in the glue.  

Once adhered appropriately, flip these over, glass side down, and allow to dry for several hours.  Once completely dry, use scissors to trim away the excess paper.  Using a sponge applicator or paintbrush, apply a couple of thin coats of Mod Podge over the backs of the pebbles, allowing each coat to dry thoroughly.  Several thin coats are better than one large coat of Mod Podge.  Otherwise, strange things happen to the paper once it's very wet. Once dry, glue a magnet to the back.

To turn one of these into a pendant, skip the magnet and instead spray the back of the piece with clear spray paint to provide a waterproof finish.  Unfortunately, Mod Podge is water soluble, so if you sweat and it's next to your skin, the Mod Podge will dissolve.  So a coat or two of clear spray paint will seal this.  Once completely dry, adhere a glue-on bail to the back of the pendant, allow it to set, and string on a pretty chain!

See the photo above of the magazine page with the woman holding the dog.  The pendant above is made from the pattern on the chair in the photo!