Dictionary Magnets with Crafty Words

These fun and super easy magnets are made using flat marbles and dictionary pages. I used crafty words from the dictionary, but you could use any words you wanted. And the great thing about using dictionary pages is that they aren’t necessarily “girly” and would make great gifts for guys. Think of words that relate to his field of work so he can hang them on his filing cabinet or toolbox. Other ideas could be sports or hobby related words, see the end of this post for several suggestions!

A couple weeks ago I attended the CHA trade show in Anaheim, California. CHA (Craft & Hobby Association) is not open to the public, but rather to industry professionals, manufacturers, and the press. I’ll be sharing a recap of the show soon!

While I was there, I was in the DecoArt booth demonstrating how make these glass marble magnets to show attendees. This make & take was really fun, and the project is literally done in about 5 minutes. For many people that say down with me, it took them longer to choose what they wanted to put on the magnet than it did to actually make the magnet! I offered scrapbook paper, maps and the dictionary for people to use.

Photo courtesy of Jen Goode

It was a lot of fun, and best of all I was able to meet some online friends that I’ve been working with for a while. My good friend, Jen Goode of 100 Directions, took this picture of me in the booth doing the make & take. I’ll have more pictures of Jen and I in my CHA recap later.

Photos courtesy of Sharon Currier

On the last day I was able to meet Sharon Currier of Crafts & Coffee. Sharon works with Styrofoam brand and we’ve been chatting back and forth online for a couple of years. It was great to finally meet her! She stopped by the DecoArt booth while I was demonstrating.

So anyway… as I was doing the make & take, I was asking people for crafty words. So thank you to all the visitors who helped me come up with the words to use!

I had a lot of fun making these and talking to all that sat down at the table with me. I really wish I would have had time to take pictures of each of them with their finished magnets!

Now, let’s get started, I’ll show you how you can make these. At the end of this post, I’ll give you some suggestions for using the dictionary for these and I’m sure you’ll have plenty of ideas of your own as well.

NOTE: Several people asked if I had a circle punch, which I did not. So if you have one that will work for the size of your glass marbles, by all means feel free to use it.

Start out by identifying the word you want to use. Place your glass marble over the top of the word and trace it with a pen.

Cut the circle out, but cut inside the circle by about 1/8-inch. You want the paper to be small enough to fit on the back without any paper overlapping or sticking out the sides.

Use a sponge applicator to add a thin layer of decoupage medium to the front side of the paper (the side with your word).

Place the marble on top of the paper and press it down. You will have a short window of time where you can reposition the paper, so get it where you want it, then turn the marble upside down. Paint a thin layer of decoupage medium onto the back. Let that dry for a couple of minutes.

Add a “dollop” of decoupage medium to the back of your magnet.

Place the magnet on the back of the marble and press it in place. Let it dry for about thirty minutes and you can hang it!

Ideas for Guys and More

I actually did have a few men sit down at the table. One struck me and made me realize that this was actually a great gift for men. His name was Jacob and he and his wife graced my table for about 20 minutes or so. They were full of energy and wit and I just loved them. They own Sweet Stamp Shop and I encourage you to have a look at their great designs. Turns out, Jacob chose the word “accountant” for his magnet. That’s his profession. Made complete sense and I knew these were perfect for guys. Here are a few suggestions, for guys and otherwise, I’m sure you’ll have plenty of ideas of your own!

Ideas for Professions

CPA/Finance: accountant, money, finance, numbers, calculate, taxes, fiscal, balance
Mechanic: tools, wrench, pliers, car, automobile, engine, transmission, grease, oil
Carpenter: hammer, nail, lumber, drywall, build, construct, house, wall, craftsman
Lawyer: legal, court, judge, plea, law, defense, prosecute, justice, ethics
Doctor: stethoscope, health, cure, humanitarian, scalpel, surgery, medical
Pilot: airplane, flight, jet, airport, fly, sky, clouds, travel, destination

Ideas for Sports Fans

Football: stadium, pigskin, leather, football, jersey, helmet, lineman, quarterback
Basketball: court, dribble, basketball, traveling, basket, hoop, tall, jump
Baseball: bat, baseball, glove, base, pitcher, bleachers, field, spring, cap
Hockey: hockey, puck, stick, ice, goalie, rink, winter, goal, helmet, fight

Holiday Ideas

Valentine’s Day: valentine, heart, love, sweet, caring, like, chocolate, cupid
Mother’s Day: mom, love, maternal, mother, mommy, child, caring, parent, compassion
Father’s Day: dad, daddy, father, hero, mentor, provider, caring, parent

Print Project

5 from 3 votes

Dictionary Magnets with Crafty Words

Supplies

• Round flat glass marbles can be found in the floral department, aka vase filler
• Dictionary
• Americana Decou-page I used matte finish
• Scissors
• Pen
• 3/4- inch round magnets

Instructions

• Go through the dictionary and find a word you would like to use. Place your glass marble over the top of the word and trace it with a pen.
• Cut the circle out, but cut inside the circle by about 1/8-inch. You want the paper to be small enough to fit on the back without any paper overlapping or sticking out the sides.
• Use a sponge applicator to add a thin layer of decoupage medium to the front side of the paper (the side with your word).
• Place the marble on top of the paper and press it down. You will have a short window of time where you can reposition the paper, so get it where you want it, then turn the marble upside down. Paint a thin layer of decoupage medium onto the back. Let that dry for a couple of minutes.
• Add a "dollop" of decoupage medium to the back of your magnet. Place the magnet on the back of the marble and press it in place. Let it dry for about thirty minutes and you can hang it!

Expert Tips & FAQs

If you have a circle punch that will work for the size of your marble you can certainly use that instead of scissors.

I am a DecoArt Core Blogger. I was compensated for this post, but have always loved DecoArt products! Therefore, all opinions expressed here are 100% my own.