Crafty Author – Book Cover Bottle Cap Magnets

Author swag is a fun way to give something back to your most loyal readers. I’m a big believer in it (mostly because I loved to get it as a reader!) but it can be very confusing to get started on it. This is also something fun to do if you’re not an author and have no swag requirements. I’m thinking of doing stuff like this for Halloween instead of candy (will that get my house egged?)

There are loads of options, and I’ll have a post listing them from the easiest to create, order and give to the more complex ones at some point. But since I’m in the process of making book cover bottle cap magnets, I thought I would share those first. Without further ado, this is a quick snap of the finished versions (sorry, I use my camera phone because I’m completely lazy).

Notes and Disclaimers: I do most of my shopping on Amazon since I would have to get dressed if I had to leave the house, and that just won’t do. So, at the bottom of this post is a handy shopping list for Amazon. If you have blocking software or can’t see it, then you can click the links on the products themselves. There are 164,933 results for bottle caps on the Zon, so a list should make it easier. Learn from my fail! If I found it out in town cheaper, I’ll say so and tell you where.

First: Supplies

– Bottle Caps
– Adhesive Dots – Price varies on Zon. At Michael’s I got it for about 4 bucks.
– Magnets – Don’t cheap out on these, but pricier isn’t always better. I have some that cost less and others that cost more that are completely useless. This brand works.
– Heavy Glossy Photo Paper – This is my favorite, but I have an epson printer. You’ll need to get it for your printer type.
– DuraClear Gloss Finish – Price varies a lot of Amazon. At Michael’s, I got it for 8 bucks and their online store might have it even cheaper
– Magnet Adhesive
– One-inch Circle Punch – I like this one because it works well for heavy papers, though not for plain thin paper.

That sounds like a huge list, but it’s not and I’ve carefully (and through many fails) figured out the products that can be used for the most number of purposes. DuraClear can be used for many types of swag, as can the magnet adhesive and the photo paper.

Instructions for creating your magnets! Please pardon the detail, but I bugged my favorite swag maker incessantly while trying to figure this out. I wish someone would have posted detailed instructions, so I’m doing it now.

Step 1: Create your images

– Be creative and generous with yourself. Try unusual mash-ups rather than straight copies of your covers. Remember, this is one inch of space, so too much detail is bad. You don’t have to have PhotoShop for this. I do have it, but I made these using the old version of PaintShopPro that came on my laptop to prove the concept.
– Leave extra edge. I extend my circle out just a little using the color most prominent in my book cover image so that I don’t get a white ring if the punch is slightly off when I take out my circles. You really do need that bit of extra space since most punches don’t allow you to see outside the cutting ring. I don’t leave much, may 1/8th of an inch.

Step 2: Layout frugally, test, & print

– For best results, you’ll want to use the highest quality photo paper for your final buttons. That means creating the most frugal layout you can that still leaves room for you to punch them out.
– Print out a test sheet on regular paper. Make sure you like it, but keep in mind that regular paper will make it look not as clear as the photo paper will. You may need to lighten dark images somewhat.
– Finally, print on your photo paper on the highest quality setting possible.
– Below is what I did before I learned about frugal layouts. I now get something like 60 per sheet, depending on how much overlap edge I leave.

Step 3: Punch, Paste, Shine

– Punch out all your circles and use a Zots Dot to stick each one inside a Bottle Cap. Using a paper towel over your finger, press down on the image to be sure the Zots Dot spreads out and the image is super flat on the cap.
– Dribble some DuraClear into the cap, I use a spot about the size of a nickel, and then take a small paint brush to spread the gloss all around so that it is all the way to the edge. There should be no brush marks and your gloss will look like you’ve got a thin coat of skim milk over your image. Don’t worry. Just be sure not to use too much, because then it will dry unevenly and look like it has weird bumps on it.
– TIP: Use your oldest cookie sheets and cover them with wax paper. Here is what it looks like with mine.

Step 4: Crazy Unruly Magnet Time

– At this moment, I have a box with a giant, frightening blob of bottle cap magnets that have formed into some sort of bizarre abstract sculpture. To prevent this, I no longer put the magnets on until I’m absolutely sure that the finish is well hardened and I’ll be giving them away soon. If you wait a few days to be sure your finish is cured, you can put the magnets on and them stack them in tall towers, which is space efficient.
– I use E6000 adhesive. The picture has white in it because I was under the mistaken notion that it would dry clear. It does not. Get the clear. Use a very small amount of adhesive per cap or you’ll have a crazy mess. Let them dry upside down on a cookie sheet. They’ll feel dry and strong relatively quickly, but I let them cure overnight.