DIY Tile Magnets

I was looking for a way to display some of my girls artwork on the refrigerator without their projects taking over the whole front door of the fridge. And then I was in Lowe's (of all places!) and saw one of those 12 x 12" mosaic floor tiles--I found my solution! Using the small pieces of the floor tile gave me a great way for my little Picassos to display their artwork. Plus, you get so many small tiles in one piece I decided to make photo tiles to give to the grandparents as Valentine's gifts, too! Best of all, it cost me next to nothing to get about 20 tile magnets!

Here's what you need to make both, the art and photo, tile magnets:

• Mod Podge (I used satin finish)
• Glue gun
• 12 x 12" mosaic floor tile (under $3)
• Magnets (purchased at Michael's with my 40% coupon)
• Started out with porcelain markers, but ended up using Sharpies (do not use washable or regular markers-you won't get solid color and it will smudge easily)
• Color printer

To begin, twist apart the small tiles. Cut off any excess glue with a scissor or exacto knife.

FOR THE ART TILES: Let your little ones draw on each tile. Renee and Siena had a hard time using the porcelain markers (you have to press on the markers to get the ink out) so we ended up using Sharpies, which is a less expensive option, and you still get pretty good color on the tile. After I made sure the ink was dry, I sprayed a very quick coat of Krylon's Clear Glaze over them to "seal" the drawings.

FOR THE PHOTO TILES: Choose a favorite picture. If you have Photoshop, you can play with the image a bit. To get the grainy diffused look I used, open your image in Photoshop. At the top menu, go to FILTER, then DISTORT, then choose DIFFUSE GLOW. Once you've printed the photo, cut it down and with Mod Podge, glue it to the tile. Let it dry. Once dry, turn the tile over and trim the edges with an exacto knife. Then, Mod Podge the front to "seal" the front and edges of the photo. It will dry clear.

Set them all aside to dry. These are just a few of the ones we made. As you can see, we even used the small square tiles to create simple "I (heart) U" tiles.

Finally, using your glue gun, affix the magnets to the backs of the tiles. Once dry, hang them on your fridge, or give them as gifts. The tiles offer a bigger surface than other craft items usually used, like decorative marbles. Have fun!

Participating in these link parties

Take a Look Tuesday

Show & Tell #143

Craft Catwalk