Magnets for Mom (or Anybody!)

Mother's Day is right around the corner. So you know what that means. Us Moms wrack our brains for crafty, useful ideas that little hands can do to give to the OTHER Moms in our kids' lives. (If we're lucky, Dad will help them do something for us, right?!) This week my octupi and I crafted these nifty magnets. They were super easy and, I think, you can never have too many magnets. After all, you need SOMETHING to with which to hang all the other artwork the kids give you!

 

What You Need:

• wooden plaques. I found a package of 6 business card sized ones in the wood crating aisle at Michael's.
• primer (we do so much room-painting in this house I have a can in the basement almost always)
• magnets. Self-adhesive ones are even better. Use hot glue if they aren't self-adhesive.
• acrylic craft paints. Yes, it's messy, make sure you have smocks and paper lining your work surface.
• water in a jar for rinsing
• paper towels for drying rinsed brushes
• paper plate for paints.
• water-based polyurethane.
• brushes for painting and brushes for sealing.

What You Do:

1. A day ahead, prime the wood plaques on one side.
2.  Next day, get your work surface ready for mischief by covering it with newspaper or brown paper. Drip some paint onto a paper plate palette.  Get out your jar of water, paper towels, brushes. Lay out your primed plaques.
3.  Call in the beasts to paint. Let the artworks dry overnight (or for another day if you have a paint blobber like I do.)
4.  Brush on two coats of poly, leaving them to dry in between coats.
5.  When dry, stick magnets on the back. 
6. Give away on Mother's Day. Or on ANY day. And maybe even keep one or two.

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