Alright, so my fridge was looking kinda sad, you know? Just this big white boring thing in the kitchen. I’d see all these cool fridges online, covered in magnets from all over, and I thought, “Hey, I want that!” But buying them one by one from every country? That’s a mission, and honestly, a bit pricey for what they are.
Getting the Idea and the Initial Mess
So, I figured, why not make my own? Country magnets. Sounded simple enough. I like crafting, sort of. At least, I like the idea of it. My first thought was, “I’ll just print out some flags, stick ’em on magnetic paper, boom, done.” Yeah, right. First off, finding decent magnetic paper that actually sticks and doesn’t just slide down the fridge with a sad sigh? That was a whole adventure. I bought some cheap stuff, and it was rubbish. The flags I printed looked okay, but cutting them out perfectly round or square? My hands are not that steady, let me tell you. They looked like a toddler attacked them with safety scissors.
Then I thought, “Okay, maybe little wooden shapes? Paint them, stick a flag on?” So I got these little wooden discs. Tried painting them. Turns out, I’m no artist. My Union Jack looked more like a weird blue and red spider. Total disaster. My kitchen table looked like a craft store exploded, but in a bad way. Bits of paper, sticky glue patches, wonky wooden discs. It was a proper mess.
Finding What Actually Worked (Sort Of)
I was about to give up, honestly. Just buy a pack of generic fruit magnets and call it a day. But then, I was browsing online, looking for, I don’t know, inspiration, and I saw these little resin flag cabochons. Like, tiny, glossy, pre-made flags. “Aha!” I thought. This could be it. They weren’t super cheap for a whole bunch, but definitely cheaper than buying individual finished magnets from tourist traps.
So, I ordered a mixed bag. And I got some proper strong, small, neodymium magnets. Those little silver fellas. You gotta be careful with them, they snap together hard! Pinched my finger once or twice, not gonna lie.
Here’s what I actually did that worked:
- Got the little resin country flags. These were key. Saved me from my own terrible artistic skills.
- Got good quality, small, strong magnets. Not the flimsy sheet kind for this.
- Used a decent super glue. The gel kind, so it doesn’t run everywhere.
The process was pretty straightforward then. Put a tiny dab of glue on the back of the resin flag thingy, stick a magnet on it, hold it for a few seconds, and then leave it to dry properly. I did them in batches. Put on some music, made a cup of tea, and just sat there sticking magnets to flags. It was actually quite relaxing once I got into the groove. Had to make sure the magnet was centered, otherwise, they’d look a bit daft.
The Result and Why I Bothered
And you know what? They actually turned out pretty cool! My fridge is now covered in tiny flags from all sorts of places. Some I’ve been to, some I just dream about. It makes me smile when I go to get the milk. It’s like a mini world map on my appliance.
Why did I go through all this fuss instead of just buying them? Well, partly because I’m stubborn. Once I get an idea, I want to see it through. And yeah, it was a bit of a faff at the start, with the failed attempts and the mess. But doing it myself, even this simple version, feels more satisfying. It’s not like I invented sliced bread here, but they’re my country magnets. I picked the flags (well, the ones that came in the mixed bag), I stuck them together. It’s a small thing, but it makes my kitchen feel a bit more ‘me’. Plus, now when people see them, I can say, “Oh yeah, I made those,” instead of just, “I bought those.” It’s a tiny bit of pride, I guess, in a silly little project.
