I give you my first article... with never before seen photos at the end. Contain yourselves.
Rock magnets are a fun and cheap way to stick stuff to your fridge.
Level of Difficulty: Easy
Cost: $
Materials:
-Water based paint
-Stipple brush and/or sponge
-Stencils
-Smooth/round/flat rocks
-Super Strong ceramic magnets (at most craft stores)
-Glue gun
Gather at least ten flat, round and smooth stones that aren't too heavy. I collected mine at Fort Funston, an awesome San Francisco beach that I take my dogs to several times a week. I went during low tide and there were plenty of rocks, I filled a grocery bag in less than ten minutes.
Depending on your nearest large body of water, you could use lake or river rocks as well – the main thing is to make sure they are flat, that they are large enough to hold whatever stencils you plan to use and most importantly, that they are not too heavy to stay up on the fridge. Overestimate the number of rocks you'll need. Pick up ones you know you won’t use as well to practice with – There is nothing worse than picking out your prize rock only to find out that your stencil or your paint won’t work and your "canvas" is ruined.
When you get home wipe the rocks with a dry towel and set the good ones aside from the testers. If you’re using a stencil with several different designs on it, use masking tape to block the other objects. Some people recommend using a spray adhesive to hold your stencil in place while you paint over it, but for this project, either a steady hand or a small bit of masking tape will hold it in place. Use a stipple brush and avoid paint that is runny or oil based as it can seep underneath the stencil and ruin your design. If you are quick enough you can wipe off water-based paint with a damp towel when you make a mistake. If you have trouble with the brush, try a small sponge.
Once the paint is dry, use a medium sized test rock and glue a magnet on the back-top portion with a glue-gun. Once it’s dry put it up on your fridge and see if it sticks – if it doesn’t stick, plan on using two magnets on your actual rocks- if it does stick, you are good to go. If you have to use more than one magnet on the back of your rock, make sure you place them evenly, if you don’t the rock won’t benefit from the second magnet and will continue to slide down your fridge.
If you’re doing this project with children, depending on their age, you may want to do away with the stencils all together. If you do use them, make sure the stencils are small enough that they will lay flat on the rock without the help of any adhesive, but large enough for the children to manage. Have the children use a small sponge as opposed to a stipple brush. Use washable paint.
