Fun with Magnet Sheets: 3 Fun Printer Crafts

I remember the first time that I saw magnetic poetry. I was at the Denver Public library, and they had a small display of the little word tiles. Standing there, sliding words into poetic form, I could easily have stayed there for hours.

I don't know what it is about magnets, but I continue to love them. Combine their cool abilities with the fact that you can print on magnetic sheets, and you have a total Lolaness-Obsession.

Here are 3 fun crafts that you can make using nothing but your computer and a few magnetic sheets. Check for them at the Avery website or at your local craft store.

Magnetic Poetry

This is probably the easiest magnet craft around. All that you need to get going is your printer, the magnet sheets, and a word processor like Microsoft Word.

1. Compile a List - Use the dictionary or thesaurus to seek out words you don't commonly use. You could start with an abstract theme to work around (Peace, Love, Life, Faith) and start brainstorming words from there, or just start randomly grabbing words out of poems you've found.

2. Type it Up - Type your list of words up in your word processor. If your processor supports tables, it is easier to keep all the words lined up for easy cutting. Make the table about 10 columns wide and as many rows long as a single page will hold, and start putting your words in. Otherwise, just start typing your words out like sentences. Place several spaces between words, and use common words more than once (is, love, she, he, they, will, by, etc.)

3. Print & Cut - Once your page is full of words, you're ready to print. Place your magnet sheet in your inkjet printer and go for it - you shouldn't have to change printer settings at all. To cut, use an exacto knife and cutting mat or a pair of scissors (it's just harder to cut straight with scissors).

To use, try slapping them randomly on your fridge or use a cookie pan. Easy-peasy!

Magnetic Paper Dolls

I'll admit it ... I love paper dolls at least as much as my daughter. Not that I'm about to admit that she has an envelope overflowing with all the dollies and clothes simply because mommy can't get enough of them ... I'll let her think it's all about her.

Magnetic paper dolls are even more fun, because you don't have to worry about tabs and dolly's head coming off when you accidentally tear her. All that you need is your printer, magnet sheets, and a paper doll or two to print.

1. Find a Doll - Do a quick search for "free paper dolls" and you're likely to come up with hundreds of results. Any paper doll will work - just look for one that looks clean (no blurry lines, or you'll be disappointed with the outcome) and has plenty of clothes to play with. One of my favorites is here because the clothes are all outlines that give you a chance to play with crayons or markers. For the sheer number of options, though, you can't miss this website.

2. Print & Cut - Load your magnet sheet and print away. You might want to cut out the magnetic dolls for your child, simply because the magnet sheets aren't as cheap as paper.

A shallow baking pan works great for these dolls, especially the ones you buy with a slide-on lid. This way, your child can store everything in one magnetic spot.

Magnetic Picture Frames

During a visit with my grandmother today, I was reminded how horrible I am about remembering to buy picture frames. My daughter will be entering 2nd grade this year, and she's still bugging me to buy a frame for her kindergarten graduation photo. To make matters worse, she was sitting there listening and had to inform me that "Grandma keeps all her pictures on the fridge."

Great. Well, that's easy to remedy - magnet sheets to the rescue!

1. Find Your Frames - Search engines are beautiful. If you enter "free printable frames" in the search box, you're inundated with a variety of amazing photo frames ready for your printing pleasure. Some of the most beautiful can be found at hp but Mom's Break has some fantastic links, too.

2. Print & Cut - Print your frames on the magnet sheets just as you would normal paper. You'll definitely want a craft or exacto knife for the cutting, though - it's unbelievably difficult to cut out the centers with scissors.

To use, just place your photo behind the frame and display it on your fridge ... or anywhere else magnetic. Be sure to save the centers that you cut out, too - if they're large enough, you can feed them through your printer again and use them for more magnetic poetry or a small selection of paper dolls!