When I saw these on Pinterest, I just HAD to make them. And I wanted to make some really quickly, not wanting to deal with painting the edges with a white marker.
I gave some to my parents, my in-laws and I made some for a few friends. My mom and dad actually argued over who would get to take what photos to their office. I had to make a second set for them!
These make wonderful gifts for Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, birthdays, Christmas, or just because. They are perfect for that person in your life who’s really hard to shop for too!
Are you someone who rarely prints out your digital images? Make some of these! These can be a great way to display Instagram images too, since they are so small, the lower resolution of cell phone photos won’t be as noticeable.
I absolutely love giving these as gifts!
What you’ll need:
white mat board (Hobby Lobby and some art supply stores sell full 32×40 sheets of mat board, which can get you A LOT of mini polaroid magnets! Or craft and framing stores often sell scrap mat board at a discount. A lot of colored mat board is white on the back and in the core, so it’s totally usable for this. Just have the colored side face the back. If your local framing shop doesn’t have it for sale, just ask. When I worked in picture framing, I often gave away scrap pieces of mat board. Even if it’s a little scuffed, it can work!)
craft knife or box cutter/utility knife with a fresh blade
metal straight edge/ruler (I prefer a metal ruler with a cork bottom, it slips less)
self-healing cutting mat (not required, but helpful)
spray adhesive (my fav is 3M’s Super 77)
adhesive-backed magnet material (I buy the ones sized for business cards from office supply stores)
scissors
photo paper
a computer with either Adobe Photoshop, Photoshop Elements, Illustrator or Gimp.
a printer
Step 1:
Select what photos you’d like to use (this was the hardest part for me!) and paste them onto a template. When I was looking at a few different links on Pinterest, I saw a couple of different downloadable templates. After trying them out, I decided to create my own.
I created a file for Adobe Photoshop that has 36 polaroid magnets laid out on an 8.5″ x 11″ page. It can be used with Photoshop, Photoshop Elements, or a free photo editing program called Gimp. I also created a file for Adobe Illustrator. You can download whichever template will work with the software you have.
In Photoshop or Photoshop Elements:
Download THIS template.
Open the template file and the images you want to use. You don’t have to make 36 different photos, feel free to make duplicates.
Drag and drop the images onto the template.
In the Layers palette, move one image at a time into the clipping mask (in between the Mask and the numbered image).
Once your image is in the right spot, it will be masked behind the numbers that are already on the page.
Simply delete the numbered images that I placed there, and your image will show up, masked.
Select your image in the Layers palette and then select the Move tool, you can move and scale the image to fit inside the mask however you’d like.
In Gimp:
Download THIS template.
Open the template file and the pictures you want to use.
Copy a photo.
Click on number on template file, right-click and Paste (command-click for Mac users).
In the Layers palette, right-click on floating selection/scale image.
Move the photo over the number you were working on.
In Adobe Illustrator:
Download THIS template.
Open the Illustrator file and place your images directly onto the file (you can just drag & drop). Then arrange a photo over each of the black boxes.
Select all of the images and go to Object/Arrange/Send to Back.
Using the Selection Tool, scale each image to just larger than the black boxes.
Create a clipping mask for each image so you can mask off any part of the image that sticks out past the black box.
Select one image and the black box that is above it (you have to do this one at a time).
Go to Object/Clipping Mask/Make.
Repeat for the other images that need masking.
If your photo doesn’t need to be masked, then simply delete the black box before printing.
Use the Direct Selection Tool and select one photo to adjust the scale and alignment of each image to your liking.
Step 2:
Print out the photos onto photo paper. My favorite photo paper for this is HP Advanced Glossy Photo Paper, and I like that I can buy a big box of it from Amazon. 
Step 3:
In a well ventilated space, preferably outside, spray the back of your photo paper with spray adhesive, holding the can about six to eight inches away from the paper. If the can is too close, you can end up with clumps. Wait about 30 seconds and then place the photo paper onto the mat board, smoothing out any bumps with the palm of your hand. Give the adhesive a few minutes to cure before you begin trimming. I usually spend this time washing the spray adhesive off my hands.
I mean it when it comes to using this stuff outside or in an open garage or something. It is essentially rubber cement in an aerosol form. If you are pregnant, I would either do it outside or ask someone else to do the spraying. If inhaled, it can be some nasty stuff.
Step 4:
This part will likely take the longest amount of time. Cut out each photo using your utility or craft knife and straight edge. Scissors can’t really handle the thick mat board. I use my self-healing cutting mat as a base because it helps to avoid slipping and I don’t have to worry about cutting into a table or my hardwood floor. For the times when I haven’t had my mat with me, I have just cut on my carpet. If you are doing this outside, I’d recommend putting down a piece of cardboard to cut on. If you end up hitting concrete, your blade will dull pretty quickly.
I highly recommend using a brand new blade. If you don’t have a ton of experience cutting mat board like this, take your time. I rarely make it through the mat board in just one stroke, it usually takes two to three strokes. As my hands get tired, it takes more strokes. It is very easy to try and go too fast and end up with the knife cutting through a photo. Believe me, I have done it!
If you end up with some ragged edges, or a little bit of fraying, you can use a clean emery board to smooth the edges.
Step 5:
Take your business card-sized magnets and cut them down with a pair of scissors. I like to make the magnet slightly smaller than the photo. You’ll be able to get approximately six per magnet, depending on the size of your photos. Peel off the backing and stick one onto the back of each of your magnets.
Craft stores sell adhesive magnet “tape” that comes in a regular tape dispenser. I haven’t had the opportunity to see if it’s less expensive than the business card magnets, but it will totally work for this.
Step 6:
Stick on your fridge and enjoy! Then go make some more and share them with friends and family.
Related Posts
DIY Tile Coasters
Halloween DIY: Laura’s Charlie Brown Gang
DIY Magnetic Chalkboards
DIY Photo Bookmark
Halloween DIY: Ashley’s Potato Farm
DIY Chalkboard Sign
The post DIY Mini Polaroid Photo Magnets appeared first on Mama Say What?!.