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When Valentine’s Day is over, what do you do with all of those little cards?
Last year, I’m pretty sure I put them in a ziploc bag in the pantry cupboard, and Joe eventually threw them in the trash. I imagine that’s what happens to them in most homes.
I feel guilty about throwing them away. Somebody went out of their way to give them to us. Shouldn’t we keep them?
I know, it doesn’t make any sense.
This year, I decided to make them into magnets.
My idea began with Grace loving the Valentine cards she chose to give to her friends. We had more than twice the number we needed, so I set aside one of each design to make into magnets for her.
After Grace’s class party, I swiped the cards from her teachers. Then I asked which cards were her favorites. She chose a few more.
After Grace went to bed, I gathered my supplies:
- Self adhesive magnets in a sheet (They were supposed to be self adhesive, but they weren’t. I had to use adhesive, and I learned that tacky glue does not stick to the slightly glossy magnet backing.)
- The Valentine cards that Grace selected
Putting these magnets together was really simple.
- I laid the cards out like a puzzle to see how I could waste the least amount.
- I glued the cards down onto the magnet.
- I cut around the cards.
See the fairy magnet? That was one of Grace’s cards! It was intended to be a paper doll (from one of her teachers), but it works just as well as a magnetic doll. - I stuck the cards to the fridge while Grace was sleeping. She was really impressed by them in the morning when she found them.
I’m not sure what I’ll do next year. I may cover these. I may get more magnet sheets.
Happily submitted to Tater Tots & Jello, Just Something I Whipped Up, Motivate Me Monday, It’s So Very Creative, Make Your Monday, Makes My Monday, Make It For Monday, Made It Mondays, Metamorphosis Monday, Sumo’s Sweet Stuff, Making the World Cuter Mondays, Made By You Mondays, Get Your Craft On Mondays, DIY Day, Strut Your Stuff Valentines, Talented Tuesday, Toot Your Horn Tuesday, Show & Tell, Works for Me Wednesday, Thursday’s Treasures, Transformation Thursday, Creative Craft Thursday, Craftaholics Anonymous, Show Off Your Stuff, Get Your Craft On Thursdays, and Kid Friendly Friday
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{ 29 comments… read them below or add one }
Great idea! I'm going to have to steal it
What a great idea! I love repurposing. And my kids would be so happy to see them and remember who gave them the valentines!
Thanks so much for linking up to my party!!!
XOOX
Jen
GREAT idea! Dean loves getting card and gets a lot of them from grandparents and aunts. He also loves to take my magnets off the fridge! (He has a set of toy magnets–a little car wash with different vehicles.) I should do this with his cards–it would make clean-up and storage easier. Thanks for the tip!
Sure
Great idea! I'm sure Grace loved them it when she saw them …..what a good Mommy! Children love little surprises like that.
What a great idea! I’m usually the one that just throws them away. Maybe I’ll do this this year
You are so very creative. What a great idea!
What a creative way to keep the Valentine love alive!
Great idea…and thanks for linking up with Makes My Monday!
Thank you, Kristen
That's pretty neat. When I had my daycare we used to do a craft with the cards but I never thought to make magnets. Cool!!
What a fabulous idea. Thanks for sharing.
What was the craft? Magnets were the only thing I could think of.
what a great idea and so fun
I used to have them make a collage out of them – adding in candy wrappers and other Valentine's things. Glitter and glue, etc
Upstatemomof3
Our Life Upstate
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What fun! I have made many magnets this way, mostly out of single panels from comic strips. Your instructions don't mention sealing them. If you don't, they are not going to last until next year; within a few months of even careful handling, they'll peel away from the magnet and the colored surface will start to flake off the plain paper underneath. Clear nail polish makes a great sealant. Let the glue dry and cut out the magnets first, then coat them completely with nail polish going right over the edges, and let that dry overnight before handling. They'll still be a little bit flexible, enough to peel off the fridge easily. For best results, stick them on a flat metal surface while they're drying, to keep them from curling. I use an old cookie sheet whose non-stick coating was damaged so it can't be used for food anymore.
I never thought of sealing them, Becca. Thanks for the tip! I just got a big container of Mod Podge. I'll use that.
If you get a xyron sticker maker this becomes even easier. You just run it through your xyron with the magnet pack in it, and instant magnets.
And I love this idea.
oh and if you have enough of them leftover you could also make a memory game.
Great Idea! I had a hard time parting with mine when I was little too!
I do have a sticker maker (and a big xyron, too), but I never thought about using that. Great idea.
very cute way to save them! I bet you daughter loves it! : )
What a PERFECT idea. I would love to do this with some Christmas cards of my best friends and their kiddos. Perfect.
I am getting such great ideas from all you ladies. I am really into crafts…but since I grew my mini me I have not had as much time, no excuses, I need to get back to it!
I am your newest follower. Juliana from A Blonde Walks Into A Blog. COme and and follow back if you would like. I love meeting other bloggers!
Great idea! Hubby's Mom took all his cards from classmates growing up and attached them to construction paper and sewed the pages together to make books. Each grade had a two page spread. Cards that you needed to see both sides she made little pockets the width of the valentine, but a little shorter so it peaks out. She also made books for the all greeting cards family gave in it. It has inspired me to make books with Elijah's cards. Of course mine are a bit more detailed that the supplies his Mom had in the 70's! lol I have a binding machine that uses the plastic binding combs and use pieces of card stock covered in left over holiday wrapping paper. They are simple, but will be a nice memory he can treasure.
I can't say for sure I will actually save the cards from classmates until we get to that point though!
Thanks for sharing this idea! We will have to remember it for Elijah's favorites!
I have something special for you on my blog too btw!
http://www.pyleoflove.com/2010/02/bodacious-blo…
xoxox
That's a fabulous idea! I usually put the Christmas card photos in a scrapbook, but making them into magnets would be a nice way to look at them all year long. Thanks for the tip!
What an awesome idea, Erin! Thanks for sharing it with us.
My daughter would have loved is if we would have thought of something like this when she was littler. She would carry her V-day cards around for a while and was so proud of them. If only I would have thought to display them on the fridge….
Thanks for joining Get Your Craft on Thurs. at Life As Lori
Please join me next week for another great party!
What a cute idea! This would be great for Christmas and Birthdays as well!
Thank you so much for linking up with the Talented Tuesday link party at My Frugal Family, which is hosted every Tuesday. Please feel free to stop back in every week and post your newest projects!
Thank you for sharing your awesome project at Thursday’s Treasures last week! Come share your crafty projects in this week’s Thursday’s Treasures too!
http://treasuresfortots.blogspot.com/2010/02/th…
Thank you for sharing your awesome project at Thursday’s Treasures last week! Come share your crafty projects in this week’s Thursday’s Treasures too!
http://treasuresfortots.blogspot.com/2010/02/th…
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