Refrigerator Magnet : Clay craft for kids

I like to collect refrigerator magnets from various places I visit and got inspired to make one myself.Kids love to play with clay and this is an easy and fun craft idea using clay. Attaching a magnetic backing makes it easy to display their craft work.

I used the following supplies :
- Air dry clay ( you can use any clay..i prefer air dry as you need not bake it)
- Acrylic roller pin to roll the clay ( Any thick marker will work too)
- Rubber stamp for the design
- Acrylic paint
- Magnetic sheet with adhesive back
- Wax paper or parchment paper



Make a clay ball of approx 2-3 inches diameter. Put it on wax paper and roll it into a sheet 1/4 inch ( approx) thick. Gently press the rubber stamp on the clay sheet. Do not press the stamp too hard as clay is very soft.Lift the stamp gently.

You can make the magnet in any shape you want. I used a glass tumbler to get the circular shape. Cookie cutters can also be used to get the shape you wish to make. Infact if you have cookie cutters in shape of animals you don't have to use rubber stamp either. Just cutout the animal shape using the cookie cutter and let kids have fun painting their favorite animal. Here is a pic with all the steps. Click on the image for larger size.


Let the clay dry for 24 hrs. Paint the design with your choice of colors and let it dry. You can use any water based paint. Cut out the magnetic sheet in the shape of your magnet.Remove the adhesive backing and attach the clay piece. The magnet is ready to be displayed.

If you are not able to get a magnetic sheet , you can also punch a hole in the clay piece ( before it dries) and attach a ribbon through it. That way it can be used as an ornament for Christmas tree or hung on a wall. Happy crafting :)!