Tutorial Tuesday ~ Simple Glass Magnets

I redid my workspace recently, and realized I needed some magnets for my inspiration board. And of course since it was a crafty space, I decided I needed some crafty and cute magnets and why not figure out how to make them myself, so the color scheme would be exactly what I wanted.

This is a quick craft, taking maybe 15 minutes from start to finish, depending how many magnets you're making and what supplies you have onhand. Here's what you'll need:

- Scrapbook paper or similar
- Scissors (or a large hole punch)
- Adhesive
- Magnets
- Clear glass cabochons or flattened marbles

All supplies are easy to find at a craft store and probably even at local big box general merchandise stores. In this case I used adhesive made for glass and beads, but have also used Mod Podge and other clear adhesives -- so long as your adhesive dries somewhat quickly and completely clear, it should work. These are for my own personal use for gifting and using myself, but not up to selling standards. They should obviously be kept away from small children who are still likely to put things into their mouth, and magnets should be checked occasionally to make sure they're still firmly attached.

Step 1
I start out by going through my scrapbook papers and cutting out small circles or ovals of designs I'd like on my magnets. A hole punch for the size of cabochon you have would come in very handy, but I'm low tech and just cut things out by hand and guesstimate the size. After doing a few you get a feel for the sizing.

Step 2
Next it's time for assembly! I dab some adhesive onto the back/flat side of the cabochon and press the paper onto it (design side onto the adhesive so it show through the top of the glass). Squish it into place, make sure any air bubbles get smoothed away, and adjust to center as needed.

Step 3
Then dab a little adhesive onto the paper and place the magnet onto the back. Press to make sure it's on securely, then turn over and press again to make sure everything is sandwiched together firmly and positioned well.

Step 4
Give the adhesive a few hours to dry according to the package directions, and then if you have any areas where the paper sticks out a bit, you can shave those off (I just use my fingernails) or press them down around the edges if you'd like.

Viola! Cute as can be, matches my decor perfectly, and is a simple thing to put together for myself or a quick gift with a nice little metal tin to hold them.

Submitted by Lori, Alfabette Zoope

Jelly Bean Love

Although Easter has neither come nor gone yet, I am already dreading the moment when jellybeans have to be peeled from parquet, carpet, and tile. Also, I have to admit, the squelch they make as they are being trampled underfoot is ... well ... not my favourite sound.

So this year I'm preparing myself psychologically for the sight of leftover jellbeans running amok in my house - and being proactive.

"But whatever can you do with jellybeans?" I hear you ask.

Apparently quite a lot.

*nods*

You can ...

Have your little ones sort them by colour (guaranteed to keep them occupied for a while). Older ones (if so inclined) can then take that information and make a bar graph.

Put them in a pretty glass container, ask guests to guess the number of beans as they walk through your door, and then force .. um ... reward them with the jar as they leave.

 Have a jelly bean hunt!

Assign a point value to the different colours and then hide the beans. Rarer colours should have more value, and all beans should be placed next to an item of like colour. Cheapo I spy .. but a pretty effective one at parties.

(my house is currently too messy to support photo-taking of that kind)

Guess-and-Gobble 
Place a jelly bean on top of a napkin and cover it with a cup. Have the child guess the colour, and reward said child with the bean. Plenty of variations on this, so let your imagination run wild.

Make Jelly Bean Fudge

I'll pass on experimenting, but here's the recipe (from Ms. Billings)

• 2 cups white chocolate chips
• 1 (16 ounce) container vanilla frosting
• 2 cups jelly beans

Line a 9-inch square pan with foil and grease lightly.

Melt the chips according to the package directions or in a heavy saucepan over very low heat, stirring constantly until the chocolate is melted and smooth. 

Add the frosting and stir until the mixture is smooth.

Remove from the heat and let cool slightly.

Add the jelly beans and stir well to incorporate evenly. 

Spread the fudge mixture into the prepared pan and cool to room temperature. 

Cover tightly and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. 

Remove the foil /fudge from the pan and place on a cutting surface. 

Carefully remove the foil and cut the fudge into small pieces.

Make (or simply admire) jelly bean art.

I picked President Reagan because he, reputedly, always had a bowl of jelly beans on his desk when he was in office - but there is some gorgeous jelly bean art out there.

Play Bean Run! 
This will work for older kids (and inebriated adults) - and here's how it goes.

Two teams.

Bowls full of jelly beans at one end of the room (or garden) and empty bowls at the other end.

Everyone gets handed a plastic spoon.

The objective is to get as many beans transferred within a set period of time.

Inebriated adults seem to favour playing with their hands behind their back and the spoon in their mouth ... but we won't go there.

And finally ...

Celebrate National Jelly Bean Day  - by putting all of your leftover jellybeans into small bags and handing them out to all the people who didn't know it was NJD!

Mark your calendars: April 22nd!

The Easter Bunny Cometh ...

If you're anything like me, you'll have a bunch of children over at your house very soon. Whether it's an Easter Egg hunt or Easter luncheon, there will be plenty of of kids around who need to be entertained!

This year my seven year old wants to have a hands-on celebration, and he wants the theme to be, as he says, bunny rabbits.

So we did a bit of brainstorming and decided that we would invite everyone over early and let them fold their own napkins.

Since it's children we're talking about, we're opting for the paper kind.

These are simple enough that older children can make their own with a bit of guidance. 

So we start off with a basic paper napkin ...

and make a triangle out of it.

Pull up the bottom edges and fold upwards, and then fold it over again.

Pull the left corner up and across, and then repeat with the left corner.

Turn it over ...

enlist the help of a willing child ..

and decorate!

We purposely used items we had at home - but clearly you can be as upscale as you want.

Have fun!!