Every Fall, we take a roadtrip to visit Grandma and Grandpa. We fill our car with lots of books, toys and an iPad or two and head off on an eight-hour trek. Our kids are pretty good about keeping themselves entertained, but I have to admit, I’ve responded to more than my share of “I dropped my toy and need it back right now” requests while driving. This year, I’m making a couple of magnetic toy cases to take things on the road and, hopefully, keep them (somewhat) in place.

For the first one, I decided to create a series of colorblock magnets that Jenna can arrange and rearrange into different compositions.

Here are the materials I used:

• Craft box (I purchased mine from Michaels)
• Magnetic Paint (Martha Stewart brand, also purchased from Michaels)
• Small wooden squares and circles
• Magnet tape
• Paint and paint brushes
• Masking tape
• Ribbon (optional)

Step 1: Paint the wooden shapes

I started by painting a series of wooden squares and circles in a variety of colors. I also taped some of the squares in order to create different shapes and patterns.

Step 2: Attach magnet tape to the shapes

Once the paint was dry, I cut the magnetic tape into small pieces and attached them to the back of the shapes. I used a magnetic tape that already had adhesive on one side, but you could also glue, if necessary.

Step 3: Apply the magnetic paint to the inside of the box

I painted the inside of the box with Martha Stewart magnetic paint. I used 3 coats per the instructions and let dry completely between coats. You can also paint over this with another paint (if you want a different color surface), but I preferred to minimize the steps involved.

Step 4: Add the magnets

Once the magnetic paint was completely dry, I attached the magnets. I also added a ribbon to the inner edge of the box by gluing it with fabric glue. I’m going to see how this holds up, but might end up using a staple gun to make it more secure.

Although I chose to create my own magnets for this one, I’m also looking at ways to “magnetize” existing toys like Legos, notepads and crayons, etc. Maybe this year, we can also avoid losing any toys!

Post by Julee Dyer : Warm Hot Chocolate