How to Make Picture Magnets With a Xyron
Personalize the look of your refrigerator magnets by creating a set featuring your kids' school pictures, photos from family vacations or favorite candid shots. Use a Xyron machine to simplify the creation process. The manual tool created by Xyron Inc. covers the back of photos, paper or fabric with adhesive with the turn of a handle. Back the photos with colorful paper to design eye-catching magnets.
Things You'll Need
- Scissors or paper trimmer
- Photos
- Cardstock or patterned paper
- Poster board or chipboard
- Glitter glue
- Rhinestones, buttons or paper flowers
- White glue
- Adhesive-backed magnetic tape
Instructions
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Use scissors or a paper trimmer to cut your photos to the desired size.
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Send a photo face up through the Xyron machine by feeding the picture between the rollers and slowly turning the crank. When the photo emerges on the other side of the rollers, use your index finger to push down on the cutting lever and drag it to the opposite end of the cutting track.
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Run your fingernail around the edge of the photo to prevent excess adhesive from clinging to the picture. Remove the clear top sheet. Carefully peel the photo from the backing and press it onto a piece of cardstock or patterned paper. Use scissors or a paper trimmer to cut around the photo, creating a 1/2-inch wide photo mat of the cardstock or patterned paper.
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Add a layer of adhesive to the back of the matted photo by running it face up through the Xyron machine. Run your fingernail around the photo mat, peel off the top sheet and peel the matted photo from the backing.
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Press the photo onto a piece of poster board or chipboard to create a photo magnet with added stability. Use scissors to cut around the edge of the cardstock or patterned paper so the poster board or chipboard doesn't show.
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Decorate the photo mat with dimensional embellishments like glitter glue, rhinestones, buttons or paper flowers affixed with white glue.
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Affix two strips of adhesive-backed magnetic tape sold at craft and office supply stores to the back of the decorated photo.
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Tips & Warnings
To quickly create photo magnets that are the same size and shape, use a 2-inch square paper punch sold at scrapbooking and craft stores to crop photos before running the images through a Xyron machine.
Create quick-and-easy photo magnets with magnetic business cards you receive from local businesses. Simply trace the magnet onto a photo with a grease pencil, cut the photo with sharp scissors and run the image through the Xyron machine. Peel off the cover sheet and peel the photo from the backing sheet and press it onto the flat magnet.
If you don't have a Xyron machine available, coat the back of the photos and embellishments with an adhesive sheet, sold at scrapbook, craft and rubber stamping stores. Peel off the top layer of the sheet, press the item onto the sticky surface, cut around it with sharp scissors and peel off the backing before adhering the item to the cardstock or magnetic backing.
