a dilly dolly: A-B-C Magnets

Here is my first attempt at a tutorial...

My inspiration for this project comes from a tutorial posted on Nice Girl Notes, which I followed very closely.

I've always loved the idea of having Alphabet Magnets--being able to make fun words, write cute little notes, and of course having lots of magnets to hold stuff up! But I've also always thought they looked...kind of... well...tacky. So I immediately fell in love with this tutorial!!

Here's what you'll need:

1. flat wooden disks

2. rub-on letters (found in the scrapbook section)

3. magnet strips

4. two cans of spray paint

-a darker color {I chose Espresso} & a lighter color {I chose a greenish/khakiish color}

5. sandpaper

Everything can be found at Hobby Lobby except I bought my sandpaper and paint at Home Depot (because it was cheaper there.)

And incase you are like myself (I literally had to ask someone at Hobby Lobby) and have no clue what rub-on letters are this is what are you going to be looking for...

Once you have everything it's time to start painting!!! I did this in my basement where I do most of my crafting. The smell gets kind of strong so I would recommend doing this outside.

1. Spray away!!! Spray both sides with your Espresso spray paint--I did two coats on each side.

2. Spray away again!!! Spray both sides with your lighter color. 2 or 3 coats, until completely covered.

3. Let dry thoroughly (I waited at least 24 hours) and then sandpaper your disks to let a little of the Espresso and wood show through.

4. Get a glass of wine or beverage of your choice. Wipe off the sandpapered remains, I used a damp paper towel. And then you are ready to rub letters onto each disk.

5. Cut, peel and stick your magnets to the back of each disk. I ended up using a lot more magnets than I thought I would because I wanted them to actually be able to hold something to the fridge.

That's it! Your done! You now how have fabulous non-tacky A-B-C magnets! This project was easy and did not take a lot of time. Most time spent is waiting for the paint to dry...literally, ha! They also make great gifts.

I gave them to Becca & Clint as part of their wedding gift and to my brother, sister-in-law and beautiful 1 year old niece for Christmas. I think that my Jason, my brother, enjoys playing with them more than Ryley so far. ;-)

I found this note to his wife on their fridge last time I went over there.