Last weekend the grandchildren came over for a Crafting with Nanny play date. We sat down and decided to make these adorable Christmas refrigerator magnets from upcycled puzzle pieces! Don’t throw those old puzzles out, they can be used in all kinds of different craft projects like this one! These magnets were made by children ages 7 to 13 years of age.
We made 4 different designs: The Grinch, Snowman, Christmas Tree, and Rudolph the Red-Nose Reindeer. Too cute!
Puzzle Pieces Christmas Refrigerator Magnets
Cardboard Puzzle Pieces
Acrylic Craft Paints
Paint Brush, Water Dish, Paper Towels
Wooden Round Toothpicks
Industrial Strength Tiny Magnets
All-Purpose, Quick-Drying Craft Glue
Black Fine-Tip Sharpie Marker
Chocolate Brown Pipe Cleaner
Scissors
You’ll want to paint on the back side of each puzzle piece (the unprinted side). Base coat each piece in the required color: Grinch – Lime Green, Rudolph – Chocolate Brown, Snowman – White, Christmas Tree – Pine Green. We had to give each piece 2 coats with 20 minutes of drying time between coats.
Follow the photograph for colors and placement of the facial features. The majority of them were done with acrylic paint and a paint brush. A few were done with a black fine-tip Sharpie Marker (like the Grinch’s facial features). Let all of the paint thoroughly dry.
Rudolph’s antlers were made with 2 tiny piece of a chocolate brown pipe cleaner and glued onto the back. The trunk of the tree…same thing. Once they are dry use the glue to add an Industrial Strength Magnet onto the back of each one. Let dry for 4-6 hours.
Tips: You want to use extremely strong magnets so that they don’t slide down the refrigerator every time you open and close the door. If you want to protect the painted finish, you can lightly spray each one with a clear acrylic spray sealer or brush a thin layer of clear Modge Podge over the top. Kids are typically messy painters, have them wear a craft apron or old t-shirt while painting.
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This is such a cute idea on how to use puzzle pieces , especially if some are missing in a set. I think that all my grandchildrne would enjoy making these magnets.
What a fun way to spend a day with the grandkids. Thanks for the tip about using strong magnets.
Those make me smile! Very fun craft.
This is such a fun and clever idea. I am so loving the reindeer is so cute I love it. This is such a great craft idea.
Those magnets are adorable! This would be a super fun project to do with my grandchildren during the holidays!