Wednesday, February 22, 2012

another idea for selling or giving magnets

For my open house earlier this month, I put together tack and magnet box inserts.
I still love this option for people who want to put together their own tack and magnet sets.  People can mix and match different sizes of glass and button magnets.

For the open house, I did a freebie basket with items that were all $5 or less.  Everyone got to take one.  It made more sense to have small magnet cards with 1-2 magnets each than to package sets that small in those boxes.
All of my freebie sets are the small cards on the bottom with 1-2 magnet spots.  I also created a couple larger sets of 4 for my two hosts.  For the small cards, I used the design that Edi created for me for my earring cards.  Instead of punching earring holes, I glued magnets.  For the large cards, I printed sheet music from a legal download source on card stock.  Note: If you are going to cut your own cards, please use some sort of paper cutter.  It will look much more professional than a scissors job will.

I used the cheap magnet rolls that you can buy at any craft store.  I don't recommend using them for glass or button magnets, but they work really well for the cards.  Some people also use tiny washers for their cards.  Magnets rolls are cheaper, but washers are obviously very inexpensive, too.

Here's the larger size done.  I think that these cards are about 3" x 3."

Here's the small size, single magnet version done.  I knew that the sheet music was going to be a popular choice with this group so I made a lot of them.  (I was right.  I don't have any left in either size.)  The flower is the only other design I've really standardized so far in both the large and small sizes.  I will keep developing more sets this year.

Here's the smaller size, double magnet version done.  I use the small glass pieces that you can buy in floral sections.  You can see from the photos that the glass isn't as high a quality as the larger glass I purchase, but it still works well for the magnets.

I use neodymium magnets for all my glass magnets so they held just fine in a bowl with my other freebies.  In the future and/or for gift purposes, I would like to make something like this for my little magnet squares.
Click on the photo for the great blog post about these with more examples.  You can buy lots of different kinds of treat bags online, like this set here.  It would be super easy to create a top with your business logo or create a cardboard backing for your business card or some sort of business logo sticker.

As I've mentioned before, the freebie bowl was a hit.  I wouldn't do this at larger shows, but it's great for open houses.  This would also be a great favor option for baby showers, wedding showers, birthday parties, or even wedding receptions.

I used the same small cards for my freebie button earrings, hair pins, and rings, too.  I'm planning to put a post together about my entire freebie basket later this month or early next month.

Tips for selling or gifting magnets?  Tips for freebie bowls at open houses or small shows?  Share them in the comments!

11 comments:

  1. Great post and a great idea for packaging. I really like those music cards, I have a similar card for my jewelry packaging.

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  2. I really like those music magnets - I buy music themed little gifties for my husband - he used to have a DJ business. A few years ago he said he wanted a piggy bank so I found a site where you could personalize all sorts of banks. I had it decorated with music notes and his name.

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  3. Those look great! I love how you were able to use the earring cards for so much more...very creative :)
    And I love the packaged look and you're right that it would be easy (and smart) to make a topper with all your business info on it.
    Your freebie basket is a great idea for home shows as well!

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  4. I love your ideas of how to stick your magnet set onto your backing card. The card would look really good in the cellophane wrapping too!

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  5. I like your idea for a freebie bowl. Your magnets are so cute. I've thought about making magnets but was never sure how I would package them. Thanks for sharing!

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  6. Cute way to package your magnets! I need to work on my presentation - right now I just put them in clear envelopes with a silver label stating my website.

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  7. Your magnets look lovely! great idea to let folks choose their own freebie. I like the idea of packaging them in cellophane bags with toppers and perhaps backing.

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  8. Your creativity never ceases to amaze me! Great ideas Rose!

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  9. great post! just what I was looking for. I was thinking of using a sheet of metal for displaying individual magnets. {:-D

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  10. Great ideas! I really like the way your packages look - shows off your magnets so well!

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