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The holiday season is all about sharing recent photos and greetings with family and friends. This year, instead of just sending a card that will eventually end up in the recycling bin, why not create a family memory that will stick around long past the holidays?
A seasonal salutation in the form of a magnet is a great way to ensure your greetings find a place of prominence on the household refrigerator. The best part is that these magnets can be made just as easily as cards, since you can run the magnet through your printer. Follow our instructions to create memorable holiday magnets of favorite family photos or events — it might even become an annual tradition!
Determine the magnet layout
You may want to create a photo magnet and attach it to a holiday card, as we did. This way, you can write your greetings and keep the magnet free of text. First, determine the size of magnets you'll be sending. Magnet paper usually comes in 8½- by 11-inch sheets — some are already perforated for easy cutting.
Supplies
• Magnet paper (available at your local office supply store)
• Utility knife or scissors
• Photo-mounting corners or two-way photo tape (available at office supply stores)
• Fun family photo
• Colorful markers
• Photo card stock
Step 1: Size your photo
Scan the picture you'll be using or open a digital photo on your computer in a photo editing program like Adobe Photoshop Elements or Microsoft Digital Image Pro. Resize the photo to 2¾ by 3½ inches — this will enable you to fit six photos on an 8½- by 11-inch sheet of magnet paper.
NOTE: Before you edit your digital photographs, it’s a good idea to make a copy of the original image and use that copy for your crafts. This will ensure that your original image is preserved.
Step 2: Lay out your images
Open a new 8½- by 11-inch document in your photo editing program. Copy and lay out your newly resized image six times onto the page.
Step 3: Print your magnetic greeting
You're now ready to print your magnets. Try a test sheet on plain paper first to make sure all photos are aligned. Insert the magnet paper into your printer and print one sheet at a time.
If you want to add a holiday greeting to the inside of your card using a greeting card software program or other software, do this printing first before you fasten your printed magnet to the front of the card.
Step 4: Add your magnetic photo to the card
Use a sharp utility knife to cut out each image. Affix the magnetic photo to the front of your holiday card with photo-mounting corners or two-way tape. Add any holiday decorations to the card that you've planned, write your holiday greeting on the inside of the card, and you're ready to mail.
NOTE: Don't forget the extra weight of the magnet may mean that your card will require additional postage. Weigh a finished card at the post office to confirm.
Adding decorative touches
You can easily add decorations to the card to capture the mood of the holidays. For this project we’ve chosen not to add a border to the images, and instead added our decorative additions to the card that will hold the magnet. Remember, the magnet can be displayed year-round, and a holiday border in the middle of summer just wouldn’t look right. Stamping, stickers, or border tape that you can find at craft stores are easy ways to add the holiday theme to the card itself.
