How to Make a Magnetic Desk Toy

Thursday, December 20, 2018 -
how to video tutorial make build glass wood desktop magnet iron filing toy last minute holiday gift idea easy

 *This post is sponsored by DAP Products and The Home Depot. I have been compensated for my time and provided with product or payment in exchange. All opinions are my own. This post contains affiliate links. 

Christmas is 4 days away. Are you ready? I thought I was, but then when I made a list of everything I need to take care of, I was dead wrong. I'm slightly freaking out. I have a feeling I'm not alone though. I will be avoiding the Target parking lot like the plague this weekend.

This week, I did manage to knock out some teacher's gifts (probably because they only took about 10 minutes to make). I used an inexpensive glass ornament and iron filings to make a fun little desktop magnet game. Bonus: I was able to use some leftover walnut scraps from my DIY Candy Dispenser.

Materials List:


Check out the video for the full build, and keep scrolling for a few more tips about the process.





I started with a 2-1/2" x 2-1/2" x 3/4" block of wood. I used walnut, but you could use anything you'd like. Basically, it's a square piece of 1 x 3. 

Since the ornament I used is round, I grabbed a small-ish drinking glass to hold it upright while I filed it with iron filings. 


I went with my standby RapidFuse all-purpose adhesive to hold the ornament to the wood block and the magnet to the dowel.  Rapid fuse bonds to almost any surface, including the slick glass and shiny magnet.


Like I mentioned before, time is valuable this time of year. I didn't have time to sit around waiting for glue to dry. The thing I love the most about RapidFuse is the fact that it sets in 30 seconds and is fully cured in 30 minutes.


Guys! I inadvertently discovered the greatest painting hack ever! Remember DAP BlueStik Reusable Putty? That gummy blue stuff your 4th grade teacher would use to stick papers to the chalkboard?


When it came time to spray lacquer onto the wood, including the tiny dowel pieces, the BlueStik came in very handy. I needed a way to hold the ity-bity pieces into a scrap block so they wouldn't roll away. Especially once I added the magnets, the dowels wanted to roll and pull into each other. I took a small little dab of the BlueStik putty on the bottom side of each dowel, and placed it on the scrap block. It held perfectly, and was easily removable (with no residue) once the finish was dry.


This project was so easy! It's a great beginner project that can be made with limited tools.


I've been wanting to play with neodymium (or "rare Earth") magnets for a long time. I mean, look at the cool shapes the iron filings can make. This one looks almost like a tiny upside-down Christmas tree.


I love how these little glass magnetic desk toys turned out, and there is still enough time to make your own! Want to save this idea for later? Feel free to pin the image below.

How to make a magnetic glass and wood desk toy for just a few dollars fast Great last minute gift idea


If you like this project, you'll love these ideas: 

      



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