Fun Halloween Clay Magnet Craft For Kids

Are you looking for a quick and easy clay craft for kids? Use our tutorial to make adorable Halloween magnets to decorate your fridge this October!

I love creating fun Halloween art projects and crafts with kids. And oven-bake clay is so easy to work with that even young artists can make cute Halloween clay magnets in minutes.

Most of these designs were created by 5- and 6-year-olds.

Why Kids Love This Clay Art Idea

KID FRIENDLY – Any age artist can sculpt with oven-baked or air-dry clay.
ONLY USE A SMALL AMOUNT OF MATERIALS – Since these are small fridge magnets, you only need a small amount of clay.
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.

WARNING – If making these with children, please allow an adult to do the baking while taking proper precautions.

Supplies You’ll Need

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links when clicked, we may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. Read our full privacy policy.

polymer clay, super glue, magnets and rolling pin on a baking tray.

Polymer Clay (we are using Sculpey Premo)
Optional: Gloss such as this gloss medium
Tools (such as a toothpick, glass cup, etc.)
Magnets*
Toaster Oven
Super Glue

*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.

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

How To Make Halloween Magnets

If your child is having a difficult time coming up with a design, you can have them sketch a few ideas beforehand. A ghost, a mummy, a Frankenstein face or a Jack-O-Lantern magnet are all great options. You can easily adapt the clay tutorial to fit the needs of the artists.

HOME SUPPLY WE USE – This cheap sculpting kit was great because each child had a plexiglass work surface.

small plexiglass with balls of colorful clay on it.

Step 1: Set Up Work Area

Give children a small amount of polymer clay to work with on a piece of plexi or other smooth surface. You can roll the clay or mold the design with your hands first.

polymer clay being sculpted to make different Halloween magnets.

Step 2: Sculpt

Flatter shapes work better for magnets. Show children how to build with coils, slabs, and other sculpting techniques. Use a toothpick and other tools to add texture.

green toaster oven with small clay designs on the tray.

Step 3: Bake Clay

This is best done in a toaster oven at 275 degrees F for 15-30 minutes. For Premo clay, you bake at that temperature for every 1/4″. We baked it in our toaster oven for 15 minutes.

clay designs flipped over with magnets glued on the back.

Step 4: Glue On 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 how much glue comes out.

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

What are other easy ways to add texture?

Use small letters like these to stamp in fun words (like Boo) on our DIY ghost magnet.

small ghost magnet with yellow plastic letter b and o.

How can I change the look of my Halloween magnet?

To change the appearance of your surface, you can purchase a specific, clear gloss from Sculpey, use Varathane, an iridescent medium, or different versions of Mod Podge.

small clay ghost with bottle of white shiny paint next to it. — Find out more about non-glaze, clear gloss options for clay here.

Tips

CHECK SIZE – Make sure the sculptures are larger than your magnets. You can give them a magnet to check the size of their creation.
NOT TO THIN – Don’t roll the polymer clay too thin.
SIMPLE IS BEST – Keep clay designs simple at first.
WARM CLAY UP FIRST – Use clean hands to warm the clay.
CLEAN AREA – Work on a clean surface. Colors will transfer to your clay sculpture if you are not careful.
DOUBLE-CHECK – Before cooking, make sure that all clay is pushed together. Read the baking instructions on the clay you chose to work with.

Polymer Clay FAQs

Why did my white polymer clay turn brown?

I have even made this mistake when I have not let the toaster oven fully preheat. If the oven is too hot, you can overcook polymer clay.

What are other ways to add texture to small clay designs?

We like to use these small letters to add extra words to our clay magnets.

Our Favorite

Easy Clay Crafts

EASY CLAY CHARMS – Instead of magnets, you can use similar materials to make adorable charms!
FUN FOOD SCULPTURE ART LESSON – use Model Magic instead of polymer clay!
HOW TO MAKE PINCH POTS WITH KIDS AT HOME

We know our little artists were so excited to display their DIY Halloween magnets for all to see!