March 28, 2011

Shiny map magnets

Remember last week's shiny Pantone magnet project? I'm on a shiny kick right now and decided to test another type of glaze. Hopefully the repetition isn't so dull that your eyes... ugh, it's too cheesy; I can't finish the sentence.

I glued pieces of a map to wooden disks with plain old garden-variety Mod Podge. Then I applied special Mod Podge Dimensional Magic to the surface of the paper, let it dry, and stuck magnets on the back. No unicorns, leprechauns, or rabbits in hats materialized, but I can report that after the stuff was dry, the surfaces of the disks were super glossy. Probably not captured to full effect in this photo, I'd say the stuff gets shinier than Aleene's Paper Glaze, though it doesn't create quite as thick a coating since the liquid is thinner. It dries in about 3 hours as opposed to 24 like Aleene's, and because the directions say to shake it gently before using, it tends to get tiny, almost unnoticeable air bubbles in in. Which didn't bother me at all, but maybe next time I'll shake less. Here's what it looks like wet:

I like both products a lot and am making plans to glaze everything in my house.

53 comments:

  1. UnknownMarch 28, 2011 at 9:25 AM

    very cute idea!

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  2. tinajoMarch 28, 2011 at 9:25 AM

    Whatever kick you´re on I´d love to join you - love these! :-D

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  3. Nicole Underwood GonzalezMarch 28, 2011 at 9:27 AM

    awesome idea!

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  4. jenniMarch 28, 2011 at 9:36 AM

    Ooooh. It is magic! I like very much. Thank you for sharing. This is so much easier than mixing up other chemicals.

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  5. JennaMarch 28, 2011 at 9:41 AM

    Maybe you could kind of roll the bottle between your palms to avoid bubbles... Someone once told me to do that with nailpolish, rather than shake it, and it seems to work well. Not that I could see any bubbles, but it might help you avoid them all together.

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  6. liberal sprinklesMarch 28, 2011 at 9:52 AM

    It looks great, love the maps!

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  7. Grandma GMarch 28, 2011 at 9:53 AM

    I love those teeny-tiny maps! Too cute!

    Be careful glazing your floors... they could get a little slippery! (But maybe if you covered a certain spot in the hall, there'd be less danger to feet and socks!)

    Love you,
    Mum

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  8. StaciMarch 28, 2011 at 10:01 AM

    Oooo! I love these! We have a thing for maps at this house. Thank you for testing both products for us, I had wondered.

    I think they are pretty magical! You must remember magic creatures don't come out when you are looking, only when your back is turned. Who knows what kind of critters you have running around.

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  9. StaciMarch 28, 2011 at 10:01 AM

    Try using a needle and popping the bubbles while the product is still wet.

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  10. loganMarch 28, 2011 at 10:36 AM

    Loves these too! I still want to find some pantone chips. Thanks for sharing!

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  11. Steph at ModernParentsMessyKids.comMarch 28, 2011 at 10:46 AM

    This are great... You're on a shiny kick and I'm on a map kick so this is perfect :)

    I posted here on a few more fun map and globe inspired items:

    http://www.modernparentsmessykids.com/2011/03/fresh-finds-maps-globes-with-twist.html

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  12. letrecivetteMarch 28, 2011 at 11:03 AM

    Thanks for this cute idea!!
    Monica

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  13. Cindy CarawayMarch 28, 2011 at 11:19 AM

    Looks like fun! It's on my shopping list :)

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  14. AnonymousMarch 28, 2011 at 12:21 PM

    Love all these ideas! Super cute... i adore maps and am in need of some magnets too...

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  15. Erika MachamerMarch 28, 2011 at 12:33 PM

    when you have finished glazing all items at your home, please come to mine. I would love to do this with my husbands handy man biz card - he has an adorable logo that would be an awesome leave behind magnet!!

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  16. MarthaMarch 28, 2011 at 12:39 PM

    So...which shiny glaze do you like best?

    I LOVE using the map...recycling! My sister gave us a gift wrapped in an old map, I may have to reuse it to make some magnets like these!!!

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  17. KatieMarch 28, 2011 at 1:02 PM

    WHAAAAT, MAGIC MOD PODGE?? This is blowing my mind right now. These look fantastic!

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  18. HarmlessColorMarch 28, 2011 at 1:21 PM

    Thanks for sharing, I was wondering about that stuff.

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  19. emily @ the happy homeMarch 28, 2011 at 1:36 PM

    that looks great! i've been meaning to make my own thumbtacks for a cork board... great tips!

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  20. UnknownMarch 28, 2011 at 2:00 PM

    ooh, I perked at your last post ... now there's maps involved too ... count me in ... now just gotta source the stuff in the bloomin neanderthal-at-times UK

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  21. Michelle JohnsonMarch 28, 2011 at 2:27 PM

    My favorite is Diamond Glaze. I have been using for these types of projects for over five years now and I love. It comes in an easy to use applicator. Don't shake it though. Just open the tip and pour it on. Thanks for sharing your projects!

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  22. KellyMarch 28, 2011 at 2:47 PM

    I drooled all over the Pantone chips, and now I'm drooling all over these magnets. I had no idea you could create that look with something other than an epoxy. Hooray! I need to pick some up next time I'm out and about so I can start glazing everything in MY house. *happy*

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  23. CelesteMarch 28, 2011 at 3:52 PM

    I love this! I might follow suit and give it a try...

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  24. BrandiMarch 28, 2011 at 4:23 PM

    Just what my fridge needs! And, I'm a geographer, so maps hold a special place in my heart

    http://abrandisizedblog.blogspot.com/

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  25. NadiaMarch 28, 2011 at 5:01 PM

    Hahaha sorry... Got stuck on the idea of a glossy house... Easily cleanable anyway! I think I'm going to have to investigate these varnishes further, I has no idea they existed... Thanks!

    Nadia @ Ru'cucu

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  26. Mayi CarlesMarch 28, 2011 at 7:20 PM

    Jess I'm glazing everything in my house too thank to you! I can't help myself! There should be a help group for this don't you think LOL!

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  27. AprilMarch 28, 2011 at 9:16 PM

    I love this idea!!

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  28. Casa e CoseMarch 29, 2011 at 3:47 AM

    wow all that magnet craze makes me want to make some too! Where did you get that smart magnet roll? On line? I dont knwo if I can find it here in Barcelona....

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  29. red | hongyiMarch 29, 2011 at 6:50 AM

    sucha cool idea...now i'll think twice before throwing out any old maps!

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  30. AnonymousMarch 29, 2011 at 2:37 PM

    Thinking back to decoupage days as a kid, you can blow lightly on the surface and the tiny bubbles go away.

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  31. ErinMarch 29, 2011 at 2:37 PM

    What a great idea. I love this. So simple, yet fabulous!

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  32. AshleyMarch 29, 2011 at 7:15 PM

    Wanted to get your opinion on something- I've got a giant art piece that I want to cover in this stuff (the varnish glaze that requires a blow torch seems too much for me). Do you think I could cover it in this mod podge (if I buy lots)?

    It's 2 ft by 4 ft piece of wood, basically.

    Thanks!

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  33. Cassie {Hi Sugarplum}March 29, 2011 at 10:05 PM

    Ha!! I used some high gloss stuff on a few sea shells last summer...next thing I knew I'd glazed every shell I've ever collected and had them in bowls EVERYWHERE!!!

    love new products...this looks like a fun one to play with!

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  34. Jessica JonesMarch 30, 2011 at 10:05 AM

    Cassie, it's addicting, isn't it? :) Ashley, I would think yes, but I'm not sure what the long-term effect would be... whether any of the ingredients in the stuff would cause the art to yellow or fade. And you'd need a ton of it. But I know who you should ask: Amy at Mod Podge Rocks. Her email address is in her profile. She's an expert on all things Mod Podge.

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  35. UnknownMarch 30, 2011 at 10:29 AM

    Yay! I forgot to tell you that there are ground up unicorn butts and leprechaun legs in Dimensional Magic. So it kinda IS magic!

    One tip: don't shake the bottle, just turn it over and lightly tap it.

    Ashley, you could do that, but it would be expensive. There's also no UV protection so you should probably spray the artwork with a UV spray before the coating. Good luck!

    Jess, thanks for mentioning me. Love, your MP friend

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  36. ValMarch 30, 2011 at 11:47 AM

    Awesome! I love all your stuff - you are a creative force not to be reckoned with :)

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  37. able mabelMarch 30, 2011 at 9:07 PM

    I've used Mod Podge before but haven't tried the dimensional one yet. I love the look!

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  38. Peony and ThistleMarch 31, 2011 at 3:06 AM

    I love this idea - I'm looking at everything with new eyes to see if it would look good glazed!

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  39. amyMarch 31, 2011 at 7:30 AM

    I'm curious where it says to shake it, because I've used Dimensional Magic and could swear I saw somewhere NOT to shake it, because it would form bubbles. I think it may have been on Plaid's website, but the link isn't working because the site is being redesigned, apparently. But no, don't shake it. Hold it at about a 45-degree angle and just pour slowly and smoothly. With practice, no bubbles, but you can use a pin to pop any that show up.

    I love Mod Podge. :-)

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  40. Jessica JonesMarch 31, 2011 at 8:08 AM

    Hi Amy. The very first two words on the label on the back of my bottle—in bold italics—are "Shake gently."

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  41. stephanieMarch 31, 2011 at 1:45 PM

    awesome! i love shiny. will this stuff have a bit of stickiness to it or will i need to coat it with some kind of waterproof layer (if i was to use it for a table top)?

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  42. amyMarch 31, 2011 at 3:32 PM

    Jess, I think Mod Podge is messing with us, because I went to check my bottle, and the very first words on the back of mine are "DO NOT SHAKE (causes bubbles)." With the capital letters and everything. Wonder what's up with the difference? Older vs newer packaging, maybe?

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  43. Jessica JonesMarch 31, 2011 at 3:51 PM

    Fascinating!

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  44. Jessica JonesMarch 31, 2011 at 3:54 PM

    Stephanie, it's not sticky, but I haven't tested to see if it's waterproof. There's probably something better --and way cheaper-- you can use for a table. Check out your local hardware store. A friend once poured some liquid stuff all over her little table and it came out like glass. Nifty, but I don't know what it was. Definitely something in a can, not a tiny bottle, though.

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  45. Me, Myself, and IApril 4, 2011 at 2:03 AM

    I see a lot of backgammon sets in thrift stores, but they are often missing pieces. I think you've solved my dilemma. The next time I see an attractive leather board, I'll buy it. Then I'll make a fun set of pieces. I like the map idea. Maybe I'll use an old map for the "browns" and white for the other. I need to hodge podge the tops to make them shiny. I'll have to think about what I'll put on the bottoms to make them smooth like plastic chips would be.

    Thanks for solving my "problem!"

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  46. Yummy Mommy MiaApril 4, 2011 at 8:37 PM

    This looks great --went out and bought Demensional Magic today. Thanks!

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  47. MorganApril 5, 2011 at 11:02 PM

    You seriously c-r-a-c-k me up!

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  48. AmyApril 15, 2011 at 1:44 PM

    Jessica,
    Another product to try in your glazing ambitions - Diamond Glaze (brand: Judi-Kins). It's "dimensional adhesive", so you can glaze something, but also include something like a small bead. It is also mixable, so you can color it. Thus making orange "faux enamel".

    Have fun!
    Amy

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  49. Jessica JonesApril 15, 2011 at 1:47 PM

    Amy, thanks! I've looked for Diamond Glaze in craft stores for about a year now, whenever I'm in one. Haven't seen it yet, but I'm keeping an eye out. I could order it online, I suppose, but I have enough glaze for a little while. :)

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  50. wilderlambMay 15, 2011 at 10:22 PM

    I've used the Dimensional Magic and had problems with air bubbles. The way I did away with them is to let the D.M. drop onto the project instead of putting the tip right on the project and then squeezing.

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  51. NetaJune 7, 2011 at 10:21 AM

    So cool!
    you can do something similar (and recycled) by gluing the maps on ugly commercial magnets (like pizza magnets), like I did here:
    http://gombotz.blogspot.com/2011/05/magnetized-part-i.html

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  52. AnonymousDecember 22, 2014 at 2:57 PM

    Uhm, I use Mod Podge Dimensional Magic and it clearly states "DO NOT SHAKE," and then warns that shaking will cause bubbles! This product does not create bubbles if used correctly - you are giving this product a bad name. Next time, read the directions and if you mess up your project it was probably your fault.

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  53. Jessica JonesDecember 23, 2014 at 9:21 AM

    Hi Anonymous, I think the packaging must have been changed at some point, since the very first two words on the label on the back of my bottle—in bold italics—are "Shake gently." Thank you and the other commenters for verifying the updated instructions.

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