A few years back I started making these cartoon fridge magnets and they were a big hit! It takes very little materials and is so much more interesting than staring at your Dentist's business card  every time you reach in the fridge. This fun, hands-on project can be enjoyed for years to come. Why not make a whole set for Grandma with all her grandchildren turned into cartoon characters! Makes a great birthday or Grandparent's day present.

 

Materials Needed:

A Child's lustrated Book (one you are willing to cut up)

Peel & Stick Magnets (either the business card size or the larger magnet sheets you can buy in craft stores)

Either a real photo or computer printed head shot about the size of a quarter.

Modge Podge

 

The first step is to find an interesting "body" in your children's book. I look for illustrations that are doing something; jumping, holding something up, etc. I found some chef illustrations that were perfect for my chef husband. Next, cut around body part of the picture, leaving the head part off. Then, cut the head part of your photo off, leaving some of the neck. Line up the head with the body on the peel and stick BEFORE pulling the peel off to make sure it will fit. Once your comfortable it fits, pull the wax paper off and stick the head and body to the sticky magnet side. Next, cut around entire head and body. The last thing is to use a glossy finish such as Modge Podge to protect the magnets. Kids love to move "mommy the cartoon" around the fridge much more than the "call 911" magnet, so these need to hold up. I usually give them 2-3 coats for further durability. Voila, you have animated your family!

   Family Cartoon Clock
 Materials Needed:

Same as above just add a plastic clock!

 

First pop the face of the clock off. This can usually be done by inserting a sharp knife down the sides of face and gently prying up. Carefully pull the hands off (they pull out of a small center hole). Next take the paper "face" out and turn it over to the blank side. If it doesn’t have a blank side on the back, you can make one using the clock's face for your template. For my clock I first painted the background with a cloud like, water color look. Then, I painted the numbers using the back as my guide for where to position them. I decided that I wanted the family to be from the same characters of a book. The name of the book escapes me right now, but it is a story about a frog. Anyway, I cut all the characters along with the family "heads" and glued them onto the face. I gave it a coat of Modge Podge and reassembled the clock. Voila, a clock that will be treasured for years!

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