Here is a fairly easily way to make picture magnets for your friends, family or yourself with some magnetic business cards, an ink jet printer and a couple programs. Not to mention it is a lot cheaper than anything you will find in the store.

Step 1: What You're Going to Need

There aren't to many needs for this Instructable to get a very good end product. Here is the list of what you are going to need.

1. Magnetic business card
You can find these at any office supplies store or large retailer. I got mine at Walmart (50 magnets for $18). There are a bunch of different name brands and different counts inside the packages and such. I used the ones in the picture below.

2. Ink jet Printer
The magnetic business cards require an ink jet printer.

3. Software to put everything together
I used Photoshop and Microsoft Word for making my magnets, but you should be able to use any imaging software that can crop, rotate, and change the image size. Also You may be able to use a different program then Microsoft Word as long as it is able to open a template that corresponds with the magnetic business card sheet.

4. Decoupage glue, clear sealer or clear tape (optional)
You should be able to find this at any craft store or you can also make your own. I didn't use this on mine but I will explain more later.

Step 2: Time to Start Putting Things Together

So once you have got your magnets and whatever programs you have, you can start collecting your images for magnets. You can get them from anywhere you like. You can use pictures you already have, find images off websites like funny t-shirt sites or put together your own pictures and words.

Wherever you end up getting them you will most likely have to edit them a bit. You may have to crop them to get in the parts you want in the picture and to help cut out some background. You will also have to end up with a picture that has the dimensions of 3.5"x2".

Step 3: Putting the Pictures Into the Template

So once you have enough picture to fill up a whole sheet, it's time to put them into the template. The package of magnetic business cards should come with some instructions. It should list a template that you can use so that the printer knows where to print. I had to use Avery Business Card #8371 and #5371. I just googled the name and was able to find it very easily. Once I had the template and opened it up in Microsoft Word, I was able to start inserting the pictures which is under the pull down tab Insert -> Picture.

Well now the sheet is full and it's finally time to print it out.

Step 4: The Final Product

When printing the magnetic business card, the instructions suggest to put one sheet into the printer at a time. I'm guessing this is so the sheets don't stick together or get to big of a magnetic field going around the printer.

Now i'm not sure if it's better to take apart all the magnets or leave them in the sheet for the optional step as I never did it with mine but you can decide what might work best for you. Because this is all just ink painted on paper they don't mix to well with water. Sealing these would be the best way to keep water drops and moisture away. You should be able to use a clear sealer IE clear sealer in a spray can, decoupage glue (you can make your own by mixing equal parts white glue with water) or possibly clear packing tape. If you use the glue or spray, try it on one to the magnets first to make sure it will not make the colors run everywhere.

Step 5: DONE

Now you have your magnets ready for your fridge, cars, tool boxes or whatever metal surface you have. There are unlimited ideas for this. You could have a larger picture and cut it up in your image editing software so it takes up 4 of the magnets, make it into a puzzle for your child, do up funny bumper stickers and put it on your friends car, or take up stripping at your local strip joint and hand out magnets of yourself to the loudest guy or girl. Do whatever you like and change it up for what works best for you. Feel free to put comments and ideas down that will make this Instructable better as this is my first one posted.! Thanks

Brad