The cute candle lid game is strong with candles nowadays. And I just can’t bear to throw them away because 1. That’s not practicing sustainability and 2. They’re just so darn cute that I want to make something out of them. I’ve been holding on to some of them for literally years, just waiting for a craft idea to pop into my head. Finally the other day it happened: FRIDGE MAGNETS!
I had two different types of candle lids to make these magnets. The first (and easiest because it requires no extra steps) are ones that have a flat back with no lip on the edge. The second are ones that have a lip around the rim.
I already had magnets that have double-sided adhesive with them from a previous project. I purchased them on Amazon for a few dollars and it came with quite a lot of magnets.
Lid Style One: Candle lids with a flat back
Step 1: Clean the lid. I gently clean them with a plastic scraper, some dish soap, and warm water to remove any wax or smoke residue.
Step 2: Decide on magnet placement. If you have a large magnet then one will be sufficient. But because my lid is rather large and I have smaller magnets, I’m going to place three magnets. This way I will ensure a good seal on the fridge as well as being strong enough to hang postcards or pictures from the magnets.
Step 3: Attach the magnets. The ones that I bought from Amazon (and used in my needle minder project) came with double-sided sticker adhesives. So all I have to do is remove the covering from one side and attach it to the magnet, then remove the covering from the other side and stick the magnet to the back of the lid. To be extra sure that it’s strongly adhered, I give each magnet thirty seconds of pressure.
Step 4: Enjoy on your fridge! Pat yourself on the back for helping the planet by upcycling something that would otherwise go to a landfill and make your fridge extra cute!
Lid Style Two: Candle lids with a lip around the rim
What do you do if your candle lid has a lip on it? Unfortunately I couldn’t just put magnets on the back of this one because the magnets aren’t thick enough to extend beyond the lip and attach to the fridge. I wanted to use something I have around the house to solve this and thankfully I had some extra plastic foam material that I was able to use.
Step 1: Clean the lid. I gently clean them with a plastic scraper, some dish soap, and warm water to remove any wax or smoke residue.
Step 2: Cut out the foam to fit the inside of the lid. I didn’t need this to be too precise so I simply took a marker and marked the circumference of the lid onto the foam. I then cut it with scissors a little bit smaller than my marking so that it would fit inside the lid.
-Other materials that would work that you may have around the house would be some thick cardboard or styrofoam.
Step 3: Using my favorite craft glue (E6000) I glued the foam onto the inside of the lid and I put something heavy on top for a few hours while the glue dried to ensure a good adherence. While E6000 technically recommends waiting 72 hours for it to fully cure, I only waited about 8 hours because this isn’t very heavy and won’t take much strain.
Step 4: Attach the magnets to the foam. I again put three magnets on the back in case I want to hang pictures or postcards from it. My placement wasn’t as precise as my first example but it doesn’t really have to be perfect!
Step 5: Enjoy on your fridge!
Reflections:
This was a very quick and rewarding project. I love when I am able to give new life and purpose to things that may otherwise be thrown away. I hope this inspires you to make your own magnets (or other home decor - maybe coasters?) from your cute candle lids!
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