DIY Mother's Day Magnets

Budgets.  They ruin the holidays.  All holidays.  Even Mother's Day....but do they have to?? No, they do not.  You can be a "DIY" queen like myself and learn to love the budget!

I always start these projects the same way; I play out a movie in my head where the butler opens the door for the "Moms" (after the valet has parked the Bentley we bought them, of course) and they come in to find a menagerie of upscale gifts, crafted just for them, using only the highest quality materials.  Then I check my account and get excited about what I can do with a whopping ten bucks!  With any luck, I can get glue and paper scraps all over the place and look like an even more unkempt, female version of Einstein by the time my husband gets home! P.S., I'm always lucky, so my husband has lots to look forward to.    

I would love to say I totally nailed  this project, but they didn't turn out as "shiny" as I thought they would.  They turned out even more awesome than "shiny" would have made them.  They turned out lacking symmetry, but making up for it with toddler slobber and  my burnt skin cell remains on them (hot glue gets me every time!).  Thus, they turned out "loved" and I would give nothing less to the two wonderful people who made our son and daughter possible.  Mom, of course. (Momma, technically, with my southern slang!).

Supplies:

1. Foam paper with adhesive backing ($1 at DG)
2. Magnets with adhesive backing ($2.97 at Meijer, Walmart should be comparable)
3. Photoshop Template for Polaroids (free, under Photoshop Instructions)
4. Mod Podge.
5. Card stock or photo paper.  (I used card stock, but they would look better on photo quality paper)
6. Time.
7. Patience.
8. Toddler. (for testing purposes)

Instructions for Photoshop users:

1. Click here and download free template. (PSD Format, A4 Paper) Template credit: Haniz Eyecandy  Blog.
2. Fill in each Polaroid with preferred picture/text.  I looked up quotes and heart dingbat fonts (free at Dafont ) and put them on the bottom of each Polaroid  You will obviously have to resize each photo to fit. 
3. Print. 
4. Cut.
5.  Using an Exacto knife (or scissors) cut the foam paper to the size of each Polaroid.  Remove adhesive backing and place picture on the foam paper. 
6.  Paint over each Polaroid with mod podge  (I coated twice, but once would work).  Allow to dry. 
7. Using scissors, cut magnet to desired size.  Remove adhesive backing and place on each foam photo card.  
8. Give to mom with burnt finger bandaged in neon pink band-aid.  (Otherwise, how else will she know that the wound is the trade off for the lack of symmetry!?) :)

Instructions for Word users:

1. Select photos.
2. Resize to 1in. x 1in. 
3. Print.
4. Cut out with white remaining around picture to look like a Polaroid. 
5. Follow instructions #5-#9 of the instructions to Photoshop users.

Additionally, you can use superglue to glue the magnets onto the foam paper.  I used hot glue the first go round and my little quality control manager ripped them right off and handed them right back to me.  I think super glue would do the trick.  

For extra love, Henrik kissed each and every magnet and then cried when I took them away to package them for mailing.   Literally, they were mailed with kisses and tears!  

Happy Mother's Day from JW Picture Studio!