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How To Make DIY Polymer Clay Fridge Magnets At Home

Making DIY clay magnets is easier than you think. Kids and adults alike will love making this easy polymer clay craft idea for their fridge!

colorful clay magnets on a silver fridge.

Oven bake clay is so easy to work with that even young artists can make cute DIY magnets in no time at all. If making these with children, please allow an adult to do the baking while taking proper precautions.

Why Kids Love Using Polymer Clay


  • KID FRIENDLY – Any aged artist can sculpt with oven-baked clay or air-dry clay.
  • EASILY CHANGE SUBJECT MATTER – From animals, food sculptures and basic shapes, you can make so many designs.
  • CAN BE DONE AT HOME – This easy sculpture idea for kids uses polymer clay that can be baked at home. We prefer using a specific toaster oven to bake polymer clay.
colorful blocks of clay.

Supplies you’ll need

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*You can purchase packs of regular magnets, mini magnets or self-adhesive ones. We like to superglue our magnets onto the clay for a stronger bond.

RELATED CRAFT IDEAS – Create DIY clay charms using similar materials next!

DIY Clay Magnet Tutorial

The examples below were made by 7- and 8-year-olds. Since we made these in the Fall, we also made adorable clay pumpkin magnets.

Step 1: Set-Up Your Work Area

We let them pick the colors they wanted and limited the amount of polymer clay they used, which helped keep their magnets smaller. We also purchased this cheap sculpting kit so each child could work with a small piece of plexiglass.

small plexiglass with balls of colorful clay on it.

Step 2: Sculpt Your Magnet

Smaller and flatter 3-D designs work best for magnets. Show children how to build with coils, slabs, and other sculpting techniques. Use a toothpick and other tools to add texture. Make sure that all clay is pushed together.

child's hand sculpture clay magnets.

PRO TIP – Make sure that the sculptures children are creating are larger than the size magnets you purchased. You can give them a magnet to check the size of their creation.

Step 3: Bake The Clay Charm

This is best done in a toaster oven at 275 degrees F for 30 minutes. For Premo clay, you bake at that temperature for every 1/4″. We baked it in our toast oven for 30 minutes.

green toaster oven baking small clay sculptues.
We purchased this budget toaster oven for all of our clay creations.

Read the baking instructions on the clay you chose to work with.

PRO TIP – Use a magnetic thermometer to monitor your temperature. You want your temperature to be as even as possible to avoid cracking your pieces.

Optional: Add Clear Coat

To change the appearance of your surface, you can purchase a specific, clear gloss from Sculpey, use Varathane, or use different versions of Mod Podge. The rainbow example was painted with Sparkle Mod Podge for an added fun touch.

rainbow clay magnet with sparkle on it.

Step 4: Add A Magnet

Depending on the size of your sculpture and the magnet, glue 1-2 magnets on the back of your clay design. We used this superglue and love how easily you can control the amount of glue that comes out.

clay sculptures on tray with magnets glued on the back.

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Tips

  • Sketch out your idea first, or find a picture to work from.
  • Keep clay designs simple at first.
  • Use clean hands to warm clay.
  • Work on a clean surface. Colors will transfer to your clay sculpture if you are not careful.
  • Work on clean surfaces like plexiglass, glazed tile, or baking sheets.
  • Rubbing alcohol on a rag can help keep your surface clean.
  • Your hands will help make the clay more pliable.
  • Beginners can use simple tools like toothpicks and a glass cup to roll for sculpting. You can also purchase a tool kit if needed.
diy clay magnets on a fridge with kids drawing.

Clay Magnet FAQs

If you want to change the surfaces appearance then adding a clear coat would work. However, it is not necessary to seal your clay charms.

Some packs are self-adhesive magnets. However, for best results we recommend using a strong glue to attach your magnet to your clay.

We like baking our polymer clay in a toaster oven we specifically use for crafting. We recommend doing your own research about baking polymer clay in your regular oven. One thing to note is that you should never try to bake your clay in the microwave.

Air dry clay or model magic would also work to create easy fridge magnet projects.

We know these little artists were so excited to display their DIY clay fridge magnets for all to see, and we know they were proud of their creativity!

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