How to Make Photo Magnets at Home (DIY Guide)

By the Get Photo Magnets Editorial Team · Updated May 2026 · 9 min read

Making photo magnets at home is genuinely easy. With printed photos, a sheet of adhesive magnet material and a pair of scissors, you can turn a stack of pictures into a fridge full of memories in about half an hour. This guide walks through four DIY methods, from the five-minute version to the one that actually survives a few years, plus an honest look at what each costs and when it is worth ordering professional custom photo magnets instead.

The short version: DIY is great for a craft afternoon, a kids’ project, or a one-off gift. It struggles on durability and finish. If you want magnets that stay vivid for years or that you are mailing as wedding save-the-dates, the home methods below have real limits, and we will be straight about where they fall short.

What you need

The base kit for home photo magnets is short:

• Printed photos. Print at home on photo paper, or order prints from any drugstore or online lab. Glossy holds color slightly better; matte hides fingerprints.
• Adhesive magnet material. Sold as flexible magnet sheets or pre-cut magnet strips with a peel-off sticky side. A pack of letter-size sheets costs a few dollars and makes dozens of magnets.
• A cutting tool. Sharp scissors work; a paper trimmer or guillotine cutter gives cleaner, straighter edges.
• A protective layer (optional but recommended). Clear self-adhesive laminate, contact paper, or a laminating pouch. This is the single biggest factor in whether your magnet looks good in a year.

Optional upgrades: a corner rounder punch for a finished look, Mod Podge or clear sealant for a glossy coat, and glass gems for the mini-magnet method.

Method 1: Adhesive magnet sheets (easiest)

This is the classic and the fastest. Total time: about five minutes per batch once your photos are printed.

1. Trim your photo to the size you want the magnet. For a fridge, 2x2 or 2.5x2.5 squares are friendly sizes; for a portrait, the 2x3 rectangle.
2. Peel the backing off the adhesive magnet sheet to expose the sticky side.
3. Press the photo down firmly onto the sticky surface, starting from one edge to avoid air bubbles.
4. Trim the magnet flush with the photo edges using scissors or a trimmer.
5. Round the corners with a punch if you want a softer, store-bought look.

Pros: fast, cheap, no drying time. Cons: the bare photo surface scratches and fades; without a laminate layer the print degrades within months in a sunny kitchen. Add Method 3’s laminate step to fix this.

Method 2: Glass gem mini magnets

These are the little domed magnets you see at craft fairs. The clear glass gem magnifies a tiny cropped photo and gives a polished, gift-worthy result.

1. Buy flat-backed glass gems (about 1 inch) and small round neodymium or ceramic magnets.
2. Cut a tiny circle of your photo to match the gem’s flat back. A 1-inch circle punch makes this painless.
3. Glue the photo to the flat back of the gem with clear-drying craft glue or Mod Podge, photo facing the glass.
4. Glue a small magnet to the back of the photo once dry.
5. Let everything cure for a few hours before sticking to the fridge.

Pros: charming, durable, great party-favor or gift idea. Cons: only fits a tiny crop of one face or detail, fiddly at volume.

Method 3: Laminated photo + magnet strip (most durable)

This is the method that actually lasts. The laminate seals the print against moisture, UV and fingerprints, which is exactly what bare home magnets are missing.

1. Trim and laminate your photo first using a laminating pouch and a home laminator, or clear self-adhesive laminate sheets pressed on by hand.
2. Trim the laminated photo leaving a thin 1-2 mm sealed border so moisture cannot creep under the film.
3. Apply adhesive magnet strips or a magnet sheet to the back.
4. Press firmly and trim the magnet flush.

Pros: closest to a professional finish, water-resistant, holds color far longer. Cons: needs a laminator or laminate sheets, a little more time per piece. For the full breakdown of what kills a print over time, see our guide on how to make photo magnets last.

Method 4: Mod Podge on tile or wood

Mounting a photo on a small ceramic tile or wood square gives a rigid, heavier magnet with a handmade feel.

1. Cut the photo to the tile size (1-inch or 2-inch tiles are common).
2. Brush Mod Podge on the tile, press the photo down, then brush two or three thin top coats over the photo, letting each dry.
3. Seal with a clear acrylic spray for water resistance once fully dry.
4. Glue a magnet to the back.

Pros: substantial, rustic, gift-friendly. Cons: heavy tiles can slide down a smooth fridge if the magnet is weak, and brush strokes show if you rush the top coats.

What DIY photo magnets cost

DIY is cheap per magnet if you already own the tools, and not so cheap if you are buying a laminator for one project. Rough numbers:

*Per-magnet cost excludes the printed photo and assumes you reuse supplies across many magnets.

Once you factor in print costs and your time, a careful DIY laminated magnet lands close to the price of an ordered one, without the matched finish. DIY wins on cost only at the cheap, unlaminated end, which is also the end that fades fastest.

DIY vs. ordering custom

Honest framing, because both have a place:

Make them at home when:

• It is the activity itself - a rainy afternoon, a kids’ craft, a classroom project.
• You want a handmade, imperfect, charming look (glass gems, tiles).
• You need just one or two and already own the supplies.

Order custom when:

• You are mailing them - wedding save-the-dates and announcements need a flat, even, professional finish.
• You want them to stay vivid for years without DIY laminating.
• You need more than a handful and do not want to cut 40 of them by hand.
• You want exact sizes, rounded corners and a strong, thin magnet backing every time.

If any of those apply, ordering professionally printed fridge magnets is faster and the finish is more consistent than home methods.

Tips to make DIY magnets last

• Always seal the print. Laminate, contact paper or a clear top coat is the difference between a magnet that lasts months and one that lasts years.
• Keep them out of direct sun. A sunny window above the fridge fades any unsealed print fast.
• Use a strong enough magnet. Heavy tile magnets need a stronger magnet or they slide.
• Print at the right resolution. Blurry prints make blurry magnets - choosing the right source photo matters, which we cover in the best photos to use for photo magnets.
• Round the corners. Sharp corners lift and peel first; rounded corners wear far better.

However you make them, the goal is the same: get a photo you love out of a folder and onto a surface you see every day. DIY gets you there with a craft afternoon. Ordering gets you there with a more durable finish and a lot less cutting. Both beat leaving the photo buried on your phone.

Keep reading

• Best Photos to Use for Photo Magnets
• How to Make Photo Magnets Last: Care & Durability
• Photo Magnet Sizes Guide
• Browse custom photo magnets

Get Photo Magnets Editorial Team

A small team of writers and editors covering personalized print, wedding stationery and photo gifts. About the team →