I Need Minions > DIY Refrigerator Magnets & Bookmarks

This post was supposed to be for all you Moms and Grandmas who have a cache of great recipes, and sharing the bounty.... but I have been sidetracked by something that happened yesterday.  

What happened yesterday - GRANDKIDS, and the wonderfulness (is that a word?) of having them!  

I was supposed to pick up my oldest grandson at the dentist and drop him off at basketball camp.  Here's my facebook post:  Wait for Grandson at Dentist and drop off at basketball camp - 25 miles, 1 hour and 20 minutes.  Grandson turning around and running back to give me a hug, saying "Grandma, I love you" - PRICELESS!!!!  If you've been to the dentist or doctor you know they are never on time.  So after waiting 45 minutes (in the wrong parking lot, that's another story) he was finally finished, I drove him to the church (turned into wrong church), walked him into gym foyer and checked him in.  He was running into gym, when he turned around and said, "Oh, Grandma," ran back to me, hugged me and said "I love you."  I'm tearing up now just thinking about it.  Grandkids are great!  

Okay, that's my post - no not really but it made me think about gifts grandkids or kids can make for moms or grandmas because we are all sentimental (dare I say it) fools.  

Check out this magnet that's been on my refrigerator for years.  It's a little "Velveteen Rabbit" around the edges.  Mr. 2Wicked made this eons ago and yup, it's still on my refrigerator!  It's a great way to recycle all those magnets you get from businesses (sometimes they are attached to your phone book), save the dates, some charities, etc. and fairly simple to make.  

• Pick picture or artwork and decide whether to laminate or not.  I use my nifty Xyron to laminate top but I have also used clear Contact paper - which works great.  Xyron also makes a laminate/magnet cartridge.
• Rough cut around picture or artwork.
• Glue artwork or picture to magnet.  
• Cut around artwork or picture and YOU'RE DONE!  Note:  The cheaper the magnet the thinner it will be and the easier to cut.

Doesn't get much easier than that - except doing this:  
Don't want to go to all that trouble - how about buying some of those 4X6 acrylic frames with the magnets on the back and putting photos in them.  My mom has her refrigerator covered with them, it's a photo essay into our lives - pics of my kids when they were six and nine next to pics of my grandkids at six and nine.  Every year someone gives her a couple of new pics for her refrigerator.  

Is your mom a reader?  That's a reader of books, not kindle (I'm old school) - how about making some photos into bookmarks?  Just made this bookmark -

 from this photo -----------------
and it took about 5 minutes,  too bad taking the picture and getting it on blog took 25 minutes! 





Print photo. I like to use glossy photo paper because I like the stiffness and gloss of the paper.

• Rough cut out photo.
• Laminate.
• Cut out photo and you have this very, very cute bookmark.  This photo would also make a cute refrigerator magnet.

I also have this up on my message board.  I don't like clutter, but this has been up for quite a while because it makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.  I wrote on the back: "Aiden 4/11."  





How about making a magnet from a signed and dated statement from your kids to their Grandma so they can feel all warm and fuzzy too!

Secret Note to Grandmas:  Have your grandkids over and help them make some personalized gifts for Mom!

Get out your paper, glue, scissors and start crafting!
-Laurie (AKA "Sentimental Grandma")