Projects, Crafts & STEM

Road tripping in a RV, also known as a recreational vehicle, caravan, or camper, is one of the quintessential American pastimes. However, if you have ever ridden long distances in one, you know it can get a little cramped, especially if you’re traveling in a group. There are several ways you can use magnets to maximize the space and make your RV more welcoming. Continue reading →

Magnet earrings don’t require you to pierce your ears. Although, getting your ears pierced is pretty normal today many people don’t like the idea of poking holes in their ears with sharp needles. Some of you can’t keep your ears pierced without getting an infection. Or maybe you have your ears pierced in one place, but don’t want to pay for a new piercing. No matter what your reason, here is an easy DIY craft for magnetic earrings. Continue reading →

Now that summer is underway, blooming flowers and trips to the beach are the norm. If you love the warm summer season and hate when fall and cold weather arrives, here’s one way to keep a little piece of summer all year round--DIY magnets. The next time you go outside or stroll along the beach take some souvenirs like seashells, sand or flower petals. Once you have collected all your souvenirs, preserve them with this easy DIY magnet activity. Continue reading →

  Long road trips can be extremely tedious and dull. Finding things to do in the car other than read can be difficult. If you’re looking for something to help occupy your time so you stop wondering if you’re there yet, here is a DIY project for magnetic puzzles. Continue reading →

Pins are fashionable accessories that you can wear with clothes, scarves, hats, and bags. They also make great souvenirs for travel, to promote a business, or to support a candidate or cause along the campaign trail. But instead of poking your clothes and accessories full of holes, you can use small magnets instead of metal pins. This simple craft will only take a few minutes and you don’t have to put holes in your clothes anymore! Continue reading →

Whenever you listen to music, whether it is with your phone, iPod, or computer, you are using magnets. Technically, the speakers that are transmitting the music are using magnets. Many audio speakers and headphones use rare earth magnets, though inexpensive models often use cheaper ferrite magnets. In a speaker, the permanent magnet stays magnetized, and the coil of wire becomes an electromagnet when an electric current flows through it. The two magnetic fields push and pull on each other, which moves the cone and produces sound. You can make your own set of speakers out of virtually anything━as long as you have a magnet and few other small items. Here are some unusual ways that you can fashion your own speakers: Continue reading →

Are you cleaning out your wardrobe for the summer? Don’t throw out those boring, old shoes just yet! You can spice up your plain shoes with DIY magnetic jewelry. Instead of paying for a new pair of shoes to match your summer outfits, try making these cute magnet accessories for your shoes. Continue reading →

The modern Mother’s Day celebration in the United States dates to 1908, when Anna Jarvis held the first observance in Grafton, West Virginia. After more than a century, it’s getting more and more difficult to find original, creative Mother’s Day gifts worthy of people as special as moms. If you usually go with one of the popular Mother’s Day gifts like chocolate, flowers, or spa treatments, maybe this year you can try combining thoughtfulness with utility. You can make easy refrigerator photo bubble magnets that mom will love and never lose! Continue reading →

Mother’s Day is almost here. Picking the right gift for the moms in your life can be tough. Luckily, there are tons of DIY projects and gifts that you can look to for gift inspiration. If you still haven’t picked up a gift, here are a few DIY ideas to explore. Continue reading →

Coin purses are a convenient and cute way to store change and other small objects and access them quickly. When you need to grab some change at the store or while boarding the bus, you can get to it easily with your own DIY felt coin purse. In this blog, we explain how to make a basic coin purse with some felt, glue and some other inexpensive supplies. And we explain how to attach a magnetic closure onto it to keep its contents safe and secure. Continue reading →

Easter will be here in a flash -- or hop. Bunnies may be the mascot of the holiday in the U.S., but baskets are almost as iconic. The tradition of giving baskets filled with goodies during Easter seems to tie to the bunny. In other words, the Easter bunny is to baskets as Santa is to gifts -- the two go hand in hand. If you haven’t put your Easter baskets together yet, we have a few creative ideas for basket stuffers. The following basket stuffers are great for grown-up party favors or teacher gifts. Continue reading →

Decorating eggs in festive colors and patterns is one of the most well-known Easter traditions of all time. Some experts say that the tradition started as far back as the 13th century. There are several possible reasons why eggs in particular are associated with the holiday. One idea is that since eggs symbolize new life, it could represent the beginning of the spring season or have a more religious connection to Jesus’ resurrection. The practice of decorating them is said to have started because eggs were often forbidden food during Lent, so people would decorate them, then eat them in celebration. Nowadays, they are more a symbol of the Easter holiday and egg hunting. This Easter you can create your own eggs in the form of some DIY magnets. Continue reading →

Magnets can do some amazing things -- like levitate and propel a train at speeds up to 375 mph in test runs or generate the strong magnetic field an MRI scanner uses to image the human body. However, sometimes its just fun to conduct experiments with them. One interesting experiment to do is to make a paperclip levitate, or seem to float in midair. The experiment is about as simple as it gets, and you can do it with everyday items that you probably have laying around your house. Here’s how you can do it. Continue reading →

Every permanent magnet has a north pole and a south pole. Even if you cut a magnet in half, the two remaining pieces will have a north and south pole. And if you know anything about magnetism, you know that opposites attract. The north pole and south pole of two magnets will pull towards each other, whereas two similar poles will repel each other. Magnetic attraction and repulsion are perhaps the simplest and most well-known properties of magnets. In this experiment, we’re creating a device that shows how magnetic repulsion works and makes learning about it fun. Continue reading →

Almost everyone can remember reading the rhyming and imaginative books of Dr. Seuss as a child. Some of his stories like The Cat in the Hat, Green Eggs and Ham and How the Grinch Stole Christmas have become so well-known that many of us can probably recite pieces of them by heart. Dr. Seuss, whose real name is Theodor Seuss Geisel would have turned 111 on March 2nd. To mark the famous writer’s birthday, teachers, celebrities and many others are celebrating by reading his stories and doing Seuss-themed activities. If you have some old Dr. Seuss books, here’s a neat glass magnet tutorial to try. Continue reading →

Saint Patty’s Day will be here before you know it! The holiday first arose as a day to celebrate the patron saint of Ireland with a day of feasting. Now, there are even more ways to celebrate on March 17th. All around the globe, people celebrate not only St. Patrick, but the Irish culture in general, with festive parades, drinks, dances, music, and green everywhere. Here is one DIY project that you can do to celebrate, DIY Leprechaun Hat Magnets. Continue reading →

Four-leaf clovers have become one of the main symbols associated with St. Patrick’s Day, Irish culture and good luck. However, finding one is tough. In fact, the commonly cited odds of doing so are roughly 10,000 to 1. So, if you do get one, you’ll want to hold on to it. This DIY shows how you can preserve a four-leaf clover for years in a resin magnet. Continue reading →

Fat Tuesday, also known as one of the most festive times of the year━Mardi Gras. Traditionally, Mardi Gras is celebrated by wearing colorful masks and costumes, eating delicious food and going to parades. The mask wearing tradition has long let wearers set aside class and social barriers, a practice tied to European carnival traditions such as Venice's. Now, they are more of a fun decorative piece and are the inspiration for this DIY project: Mardi Gras mask magnets. Read on to find out how to make your own. Continue reading →

Valentine’s Day is in just a few weeks, and there are tons of love-themed DIY craft projects to try before then. One of our favorite crafts for February 14 is a magnetic snowglobe filled with hearts. You can make your own “jar of hearts” with this guide, and hang them up on your fridge, hand them out as party favors or give them to your Valentine! Continue reading →

In the 1800s, a scientist named Michael Faraday made significant contributions to the study of electricity, magnetism and chemistry. One of his most influential contributions was the discovery of electromagnetic induction. Electromagnetic induction is the process of inducing a voltage, and therefore an electric current, in a conductor. It occurs when a conductor is placed in the presence of a changing magnetic field. You can recreate Faraday’s electromagnetic induction experiment with the instructions below. Continue reading →

The big game is this weekend. We have compiled some DIY projects and tricks to try if you are a football fan or are throwing a party or tailgate to celebrate. Continue reading →

A clever way to hide jewelry or just hang it up is to build a jewelry organizer into a picture frame. The process is relatively simple and it makes a trendy but functional piece of home decor. If you want to make your own hidden jewelry holder, here is what you’ll need and how to do it. Continue reading →

If you are making some jewelry for Valentine’s Day, or any other occasion, consider using a magnetic jewelry clasp. Magnetic jewelry clasps are easier for the wearer to secure and to remove. Since most magnetic clasp designs do not require any twisting or opening of small pieces and simply attract to their opposite counterpart, they are also an ideal solution for those that suffer from limited hand mobility. Attaching magnetic clasps can be tricky, especially if you aren’t sure what type of clasp to use for your jewelry pieces. If you are using beading wire to make a bracelet or necklace, a magnetic cylinder clasp is commonly used. Here is one way to attach a magnetic cylinder clasp using a crimp bead. Continue reading →

Homopolar motors are the simplest forms of motors. They can be built with three materials, but their designs can be a little more creative. For instance, you can make spiral or heart shapes dance with the motor's energy. Since it is almost Valentine’s Day, you can try this fun science experiment that explores how electricity and magnetism come together to form electromagnetism. Continue reading →