Happy Mother's Day!

I love a good re-use project!  When I saw this Make Your Own Magnets class on the SewCrafty calendar, I thought, "Now that would be a great kid-made gift!" and convinced a friend to join me for some crafting reconnaissance.

They're so super-simple that you don't really need a class to learn how to do these.

I found the flat-bottomed glass marbles in the wedding centerpiece section at Hobby Lobby and took advantage of a coupon, the teacher discount, and a scrapbooking supplies sale at JoAnn's to pick up the glue and a pack of scrapbook paper.  A brief search of the bowels of our craft cabinet yielded magnet strips.

Anticipating that this project would be a multi-step process, we (and by that I mean Mrs. D, Mistress of All Things Magical and Miraculous) supplied each child with a bag in which to corral project parts. 

The children selected coordinating papers and, using the templates I created, traced (on the back of the paper!) and cut paper covers and liners for the Altoids tins. 

Next, the children traced the marble (again keeping pencil marks on the back of the paper), cut out a decorative paper back for the marble magnet,

and glued the patterned side of the paper to the flat back of the glass marble, followed by a magnet.

Teachers:

If you plan to do this with an entire class of students, you'll need to start collecting Altoids tins early.  I know, I know.  I'm not very good at the planning-ahead thing either, but I was motivated by the cuteness--and the re-use factor.  In the fall, I sent notes home to the children's families and put a sign in the teacher bathroom, with an appeal for empty Altoids tins.  I also distributed signs to my mother (for work and choir) and to a friend who works at the science museum.  The tins trickled in, and by spring we managed to amass enough for Mother's Day.