Puzzle Pieces Christmas Refrigerator Magnets

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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