DIY Book Stack Magnets with Polymer Clay – Free Tutorial!

Try these cute polymer clay DIY Book Stack Magnets if you’re looking for a simple gift for teachers, librarians, or book lovers.

Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links, which means I’ll receive a small commission if you purchase through my link–at no additional cost to you.

Sometimes you need a cute gift in a hurry. If you already have polymer clay and some magnets on hand, this might be a great project to tackle!

While I do recommend using a clay cutter set that you can get on Etsy, you can definitely make these without it. So don’t let your lack of special clay cutters stop you from trying this project out.

To make your very own book stack magnets you’ll need:

• Polymer Clay: I used six colors of polymer clay (Sculpey Premo) for this project – three shades of blue, tan, white, and translucent clay. You could use more, or less, polymer clay, depending on the colors you want.
• Clay Cutters: For this project, I used two sets of clay cutters from CraftuniCutters on Etsy. I used THIS SET and THIS SET. I purchased the STL files and then had them printed on a 3D printer at my local public library. CraftuniCutters also sells physical copies of their cutters if you don’t have access to a 3D printer. You can check that out here. If you want to make this project without buying any specialty cutters, you can just cut strips of clay that are 1.25″ long by 0.30″ wide and round off the corners.
• Small Magnets: I got my magnets at Dollar Tree. (Here’s what I bought!) You can also get small craft magnets at any craft store.
• Super Glue: I used some super glue I already had on hand, but if I recall correctly I purchased it at Dollar Tree.
• (Optional) Sculpey Oven Bake Adhesive: I used this to “glue” the book pieces onto the backing, but if you’re assembling everything before you bake any of the pieces you don’t technically need it. Still, if you want to guarantee that everything is extra secure, it’s something you might want to consider! Check it out here.
• (Optional) Clay Varnish or Glaze: I used Mont Marte gloss clay varnish for this project, but you could also use Sculpey glaze, or leave them unglazed!
• (Optional) Liquid Polymer Clay and/or Paint: I mixed liquid polymer clay with soft pastels from Michaels (check them out here) to add detail to the books. You could also use paint, or leave them plain!

Directions

Step 1

Gather your materials! I love these book stack cutters I got from CraftuniCutters on Etsy but you can make these same magnets without specialty cutters if you want to get a bit more creative.

Also, a huge shout out to CraftuniCutters; I’ve bought a bunch of their STL files and they always print out great. Plus they’ve made some custom cutters for me which turned out awesome! This isn’t a sponsored post–I just really like their shop!

Step 2

Mix up your colors. I used three shades of blue and mixed them with varying amounts of tan clay so I had a bunch of shades of blue that were similar, but not exactly the same. I wanted six shades, as I’m using six different cutters and making a total of twelve little book shapes.

You will also need to mix up a color that will serve as your base, not pictured here.

Step 3

I used light blue clay mixed with white and a bit of translucent (which I could have done without) to make the base color. I rolled the clay out, cut out the bases, and then pushed a magnet into the clay so I would have a bit of an indent for the magnet after.

Then I took the magnets out because I didn’t want to bake them with the clay. They will be attached with super glue towards the end.

You can see that my edges are a little bit rough. I should have tidied them up here but I didn’t. I’d recommend you try to smooth them out a bit here while the clay is still soft if you can.

Step 4

Next, roll out your book colors. As mentioned, I had six colors and I made two books with each color.

I like to lay plastic wrap over my clay before I use the clay cutter, especially with cutters that have small details like these. That way the clay doesn’t stick to the cutter! You can also brush some corn starch onto the clay if you don’t want to use plastic wrap.

Step 5

Carefully layer your books onto the backing piece. Make sure that the side you made the magnet indents on is facing down; you want to lay the books onto the totally flat side of the backing piece.

I spread some of the Sculpey oven bake adhesive onto the backing pieces before laying down the books. You don’t have to do this, but I wanted to make sure they were extra secure.

Bake your pieces according to the packaging directions.

I like assembling my clay pieces on these ceramic tiles because I can just put the whole tile in the oven and minimize the risk of squishing or otherwise ruining the piece when trying to transfer it to some other baking surface.

Step 6

I wanted to add some color to the pieces so I scraped some soft pastel into a container with some liquid sculpey. You can also use little bits of polymer clay, ink, or paint.

Step 7

I knew there was no point in trying to keep my color in the lines, so I just put it on like this. Then I let it sit a minute or two before gently wiping the surface off with a paper towel.

Step 8

After wiping it a few times, this is what they looked like. I also tidied it up a bit more with a bit of isopropyl alcohol on a paper towel. Careful not to push too hard when you wipe; you don’t want to get into the dips and wipe away that detail!

Then bake again so the liquid clay can bake into the details. If you used acrylic paint you don’t need to bake again, just wait for the paint to dry.

Step 9

Next, I took my varnish and gave my magnets a few coats. I didn’t love the Mont Marte clay varnish for this project, and would probably go back to Sculpey glaze (which I use regularly) if I made these again. I’m not used to working with varnish, and it’s thicker than I expected.

Step 10

Let the varnish dry! Depending on what you’re using, this might be quick or take (what feels like) forever.

Decided at this point I would definitely be going back to Sculpey glaze, because my impatient self did not enjoy waiting for the varnish to dry.

Step 11

When the varnish is dry, flip them over and super glue those magnets into the indents you made earlier.

Step 12

And there you have it! Adorable book stack magnets that would be a great addition to any fridge.

Will you try these book stack magnets?

This project is great for any time of the year and makes an awesome addition to any gift. It can even be the main gift itself! Get creative with colors and details, play around with packaging options, and create art that will be displayed proudly on your recipient’s fridge. Or include one of these Dollar Tree metal hanging signs so they can display their new magnets anywhere.

As always, I want to see what you make! If you’re on Instagram, use hashtags #theserialcreative and #bookstackmagnets to show off your makes.

Are you a big fan of book-themed DIYs? Me too! Why don’t you check out my DIY Book Stack Necklace Tutorial? You can find it here!