DIY Magnetic Photo Frames

I got this idea from a friend, Meghan, whom I met through Megan during our days at ISU. She is VERY crafty and always posts cute things that she makes on her FB and, sometimes, on her blog. (You can access her blog off of mine...it's called: The Tall and Short of It and find her links here.) and here and here

Anyway, I saw her idea of these really CUTE DIY magnetic photo frames and knew I could try to make these too...and that I would make them for Brynn and Baylen's daycare teachers. Here are some things I learned and tips I have for those of you who might think about trying to make one. (they were REALLY EASY TO MAKE)

1. Use scrapbook paper size 12x12. Do not trim it until you have folded it over on the back so it's all covered and looks nice.

1a. Make sure the paper is not see-through and is heavy enough, but not too thin...if you buy at Jo-Ann's or Michael's in the paper aisle and pull it right out of the trays, that seems to work just fine.

1b. cover the corners and edges with some white paper BEFORE you cover with your 12x12 scrapbook paper. I just cut up several strips off a few scrap pieces and then folded them in half and covered all edges and corners.

2. Poke the holes for your brads before you glue everything down and poke them through at several different stages when covering w/ the paper and then before taping everything down. So the first time you poke them through would be when you're covering the edges/sides and corners with the white paper.

3. I used my ATG 700 scrapbooking gun by Scotch to adhere the paper to the metal and it worked out great! Double sided tape also works well.

4. I did purchase magnets that were pre-made at Staples and they were strong enough to hold photos onto the frame once covered w/ paper. They looked cute with all of the papers I picked out. They also sell quite a few different designs of these types of magnets and it would save you some time if you don't want to make the magnets yourself. These were about $4.99 for 6 pairs or 12 magnets.

5. I did also purchase some round magnets from Ace Hardware and they were called ULTRA STRONG magnets and HOLY SHIT yes they are definitely ultra strong...ridiculously so. I caution you not to put them anywhere NEAR another magnet or metal when working with them. seriously. They were about $3.99 or $4.99 for a set of 6 magnets.

5a. I bought flat, clear marbles in floral section of JoAnn's to make my own magnets. You trace the marble on paper and cut out. I had to trim mine down a bit more. Also, I used silicon glue. Glue the paper circle onto bottom of marble and let the glue dry for a good 20 min. before you glue the magnet on. Let the magnet set in glue for 20-30 min. to make sure it's good and dry.

6. The big photos are smaller than 4x6, but bigger than wallet size and the really tiny pics are smaller than wallet size. I used the customize tool on my Mac through iPhoto.

7. I bought silicon glue at Ace for like 3 bucks.