Most of us have plenty of magnets lying around in our homes, whether they're on the fridge or stuck to various surfaces. While some of these magnets serve a decorative purpose, others end up cluttering our space until we eventually throw them away. But don't toss them just yet! Here are some creative and practical ideas to make use of those unwanted magnets, which will benefit both you and the kids.
1. Create a magnetized sponge for cleaning narrow dishes
2. Bracelet for holding nails during work
Doing small tasks around the house can be frustrating, especially when you're constantly searching for misplaced nails, screws, and other small parts. It seems like they always disappear just when you need them the most. But don't worry, there's a simple and convenient solution - a bracelet that helps you keep track of these items. This bracelet can also be used to hold pins and needles during sewing projects.
To make the bracelet, you'll need:
1. A rectangular magnet or a thin, flexible piece of metal
2. 10-20 small magnets
3. Fabric to coat the bracelet
4. Cloth to cover the inside,
5. Sscotch tape
6. A stapler
7. A thread with a needle or a sewing machine.
Here's how to make it:
1. Attach the small magnets to the large magnet, leaving some space between them to prevent them from sticking to each other.
2. To keep the small magnets from shifting, you can cover them with a thin piece of fabric and sew it securely from all four sides. However, be cautious not to use a fabric that is too thick as it may reduce their pulling power.
3. To determine the size of the bracelet needed, wrap the outer fabric around your hand and measure accordingly. Once measured, cut the outer fabric to the appropriate size and sew it around the magnets using a thread and needle or a sewing machine.
4. Attach one piece of Velcro to each end of the bracelet and secure it by stapling or sewing.
5. And there you have it, your bracelet is now ready! You can choose different colors for each member of the household or get creative like the example and design a ribbon-style bracelet
3. Attaching cups to the fridge
One of the most frequently washed kitchen utensils in our homes is glasses. Ensuring that our children drink enough is important to us. However, they tend to grab different cups from the cupboard each time, leaving cups scattered throughout the house. The following idea will help remind each child to use their own cup and allow you to identify who took a cup and failed to return it. This idea is especially useful for young children who shouldn't have access to cabinets or in cases where cabinets are placed too high for them.
To create these personalized cups, you will need:
Instructions:
Step 1: Attach two magnets to the back of each glass and let them dry.
Step 2: Once dry, ensure that the magnets are secure and attach the glasses to the refrigerator door.
4. Your rack is now good to go! Feel free to experiment with different shades for each rack.
To create a magnetic wall:
1. Apply the magnetic paint to the desired area of the wall, following the manufacturer's instructions on the number of coats and drying time.
2. Once the magnetic paint has dried, you are free to paint this section of the wall with a regular wall color if you desire a different look.
3. Utilize your magnets to easily attach photos and posters to the wall, creating a magnetic display.
6. Special magent pen
We've all experienced the struggle of using a magnetized pen on the fridge for note-taking. Instead, disassemble a pen and insert a small magnet inside. Close it up and stick it to the fridge for a more convenient writing experience.
7. Bag zipper
Don't let a broken zipper force you to part ways with your favorite bag. If you can't repair it, simply apply two small magnets with contact adhesive to each side of the bag. Let them dry, and your bag will be closed and usable again. This solution works for envelope bags, backpacks, and even bags without zippers.
8. Keep your place in a book with a magnetic bookmark
Bookworms are all too familiar with the frustration of losing their place in a book. Unfortunately, most bookmarks on the market fall short of our expectations. Traditional bookmarks have a tendency to vanish, especially when we toss our books in bags. Sticky paper bookmarks lose their stickiness over time and aren't exactly eco-friendly. And don't even get me started on the dreaded staple bookmarks that leave unsightly marks on the pages. But fear not! I have the solution for you. Introducing environmentally friendly bookmarks that can be reused again and again. Best of all, these bookmarks guarantee that when you pick up your book again, you'll be able to resume reading from exactly where you left off.
Here's how it works: for a flat square magnet, simply cover it with sticky colored paper or wrap it in a thin fabric and sew the ends. Then fold it in half and place it at the top of the page on which you want to mark your spot. For smaller magnets, follow the same process.
So go ahead, enjoy your reading without the hassle of losing your place ever again!
9. Display wall for care products
To create a display wall for your care products, you can follow these simple steps. First, gather small toiletries and magnets in the same quantity as your care products. Use super glue to attach the magnets to the toiletries. Next, get a picture frame without glass and decorate it with colors of your choice. If desired, you can spray or paint the frame in your preferred colors and allow it to dry. Finally, attach magnetic paper to the back of the frame. Now, you can easily display your care products on the wall, just like in makeup stores, and save yourself from the hassle of searching for them.
2. Attach the magnetic page to the inside of the frame. If the frame is larger than the page, secure multiple pages together. If desired, you can also spray or paint the pages to change their colors.
3. Hang the frame in the bathroom on the wall.
4. Affix a magnet to the back of each care product, allowing it to dry before hanging them on the new display board!
10. Convenient garbage bag holder
If you're tired of struggling with garbage bags getting stuck inside the bin, causing a mess when trying to remove them, try this simple trick today:
For a regular tin:
1. Take four small magnets and use contact adhesive to attach two of them on each side of the tin.
2. Place a clean bag inside the bin and position the other two magnets on top of the ones you glued. The magnets will attract each other, keeping the bag securely in place.
For a metal tin: simply place all the magnets on top of the bag from the outside, and they will magnetize themselves to the tin.
11. A Convenient Storage Solution for Pins and Tacks
If you've ever attempted to organize your pins or tacks by placing them on top of magnets, you may have encountered the frustrating issue of them getting magnetized and sticking together. This can lead to painful accidents when trying to separate them from the magnet. However, there is a simple solution to this problem. Just attach magnets to the bottom of your container in separate piles, and place each pile above the corresponding magnet. This way, the magnets will securely hold the pins or tacks in place without sticking to them. Not only will this keep your workspace tidy, but it will also create an aesthetically pleasing tool without the visible appearance of the magnets.
12. Organizing Computer Cables Made Easy
Many of us are familiar with patents and techniques for organizing cables that we don't use. But what about the cables we actually need within reach? Instead of searching for them under the table every time, try using a pen spring. Simply loop the spring around the cable and place a small magnet nearby, either on a metal post or any other surface. The magnet will attract the spring, keeping your cables organized and easily accessible whenever you need them.
13. Effortless curtain holders
Create instant curtain holders that work with any type of curtain by attaching magnets to both ends of a fabric strip and securing them to the curtain. Alternatively, you can attach the magnets to existing curtain holders that are no longer effective or stick one magnet to the wall and the other to the plastic curtain in your bathroom to prevent water from splashing onto the floor after each shower.
14. Fun activities for kids
And what about the kids? Magnets can also be used to create fun and exciting games for children of all ages.
Magnetic art
This activity allows children to explore their creativity with colors without making a mess or getting paint everywhere in the house.
To set up the magnetic art activity, you will need:
- A shoe box or similar cardboard
- Various colorful paints
- A magnet
- An extra fastener or magnet
Here's how to do it:
1. Apply small dots of paint on the inside of the box and place the fastener or magnet on top of each dot.
2. Let the children move the magnet underneath the box. The fastener will attach to the magnet, allowing the kids to draw with it without getting their hands dirty!
Magnetic maze
Take the classic maze game to the next level with a magnetic twist.
To create the magnetic maze, you will need:
- Paper
- Pens and markers for coloring
- Two round magnets
- A movable eye decoration for the magnet (optional)
- Super glue
Here's how to do it:
1. Draw a maze on the paper and include entry and exit points.
2. Attach the magnets to the movable eye decoration using super glue.
3. Let the children navigate the magnet through the maze
Step 2: Attach the sliding eye to one of the magnets using contact adhesive, and allow it to dry.
Step 3: Position the magnet with the eye above the page, and place the other magnet below it.
Step 4: Children can enjoy playing in the maze by moving the magnet to try and escape!
