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!

Beautiful Vases and Candle Holders from Dollar Store Glass

I love beautiful, sparkling glass vases during the holidays.  However, the price in some of the fancy stores can be astronomical.  You can achieve the same effect with dollar store glassware!

My favorite place to find glassware is Dollar Tree.  The components of these homemade vases and candle holders are usually in different parts of the store.  Some may be in floral and crafts.  Some may be with the candles, and still more may be in the cooking/drinking glass section. 

You will need something like candleholders for the bases and fluted or flared vases or glasses for the tops.  You will also need a strong glue like E6000 or Gorilla Glue.  I prefer E6000 for glassware, but Gorilla Glue will work, too. Do not use Super Glue, as it tends to not bond well with the glass and can be sensitive to heat/cold temperature changes.

Candleholders can be glued end to end to provide height.  Keep in mind, when you are designing your glassware, that the taller the item, the wider the base will need to be for balance and support. 

Make sure your glass is clean and free of any stickers or adhesives before starting.  I place the larger piece top down onto my work surface.  Find the center of the largest piece of glass as a visual marker.  You can use a tiny dot from a Sharpie to mark the center.  Then place glue along the edge of the smaller piece you're going to glue to the larger piece.  Place it on the piece, center it (I just eyeball it), and then allow the glue to harden.  For me, it's easier to have the pieces on a bit of a low workbench so that I can look straight down at the item.  

E6000 is supposed to be dry in around 4 hours.  I always like to let my items cure for around 24 hours before using them just to be sure, since we're in a humid climate.  

That's it!  Turn your pieces upright and use as a decoration!  For the glassware shown in the photos, I used two fluted edge tumblers, one nut dish, and 4 candle holders.  For the tallest piece, I glued two candle holders end-to-end, with the smallest ends matching, then glued it to the tumbler.  For the remaining two pieces, I just used one candle holder to glue to the glass.  The snowy looking stuff in the picture with the candle is epsom salts!  Just pour in, center the candle, and you can add other decorations.  My poor candle was a little dusty from being hauled around the house to get good photos.

You can also paint these with Krylon glass paint for a different look, which I will show in a later post.  I have a new batch of glassware with different shapes that I'll be using for decorations this holiday season and will show those in a later post. 

Use your imagination, as the possibilities are endless!