How to Make Ruler Box Magnets

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Square feature that shows three snippets of ruler box uses including a holiday magnet with reindeer and bottle brush tree miniatures. A Spring magnet containing a miniature flocked bunny, carrot and greenery, an air plant holder with a magenta plant and a closeup of the inside of one of the newly finished boxes.

Repurpose vintage wood yardsticks into adorable ruler box magnets!

These vintage-style magnets make great gifts. They’re also an inexpensive make-to-sell item for your vintage shop, craft fairs, or pop-up shows!

I originally made the two ruler box magnets as air plant holders for my refrigerator.

Square feature image of two finished air plant holders made out of yardsticks on a white refrigerator.
Perfect size for air plants or small succulents.

They came out so cute that I decided to make a few more to sell in my antique booth but this time I added Christmas bits that I had in my craft bin.

I bought the reindeer and miniature bottle brush trees a while back at Target but you can find similar supplies here on Amazon: Mini deer figurines or these cute glitter ones (on Etsy), tiny bottle brush trees, and assorted miniature ornaments.

Closeup square feature photo holding a ruler box magnet in one hand that features a miniature pink deer standing in greenery with a little snow brush on it. In the same yardstick box is a candy cane and a miniature red glittered pinecone. In the background is a round silver platter turned magnet board to hold four more holiday magnets made from vintage yardsticks.
Christmas miniature magnet.

Make them for different seasons! How cute are these spring magnets with bunnies and miniature birds? I found a bag of these adorable flocked miniature bunnies at the antique store and wood fence cutouts at Dollar Tree. If you’d like to make Spring magnets, here are links to similar supplies on Amazon: Miniature wood fence, miniature bunnies, miniature foam birds and clay carrots.

Closeup photo of a ruler box magnet made from a vintage yardstick with ACME advertising on the front and filled with floral moss, a sprig of greenery, a side profile of a white flocked bunny with gray ears, a pink nose and cheeks. In the background is a mini wood fence with cut out flowers. Next to the bunny is a mini orange carrot.
Ruler box magnets for spring.

Supplies To Make Ruler Boxes

How to Make Ruler Box Magnets – 5 Easy Steps

STEP 1: Cut the Wood Ruler Pieces

Use a miter box and a handsaw to cut the wood ruler pieces.

You will need three (3-inch pieces) for the front, back, and bottom of your box. And, two (1.25-inch pieces) for the sides.

Overhead process shot of cutting wood a wood yardstick into pieces with a hand saw and miter box to make wood ruler box magnets.
Cut ruler/yardstick pieces with a hand saw and miter box.

Tip: Use pieces from inexpensive wood rulers from the office store for the parts you won’t see like the back or bottom of the box!

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Horizontal closeup photo of four finished vintage clipboard frames with skeleton clips in dark brown with black and white urban architectural elements like stairs and building exterior clipped to them.

Learn how to make vintage-style clipboards!

Read More: How to Make Vintage-Style Clipboards

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STEP 2: Sand

Use a sanding block to sand any rough edges.

Process photo showing a piece of the ruler box with a sanding block in the background.
Sand rough edges.

STEP 3: Make the boxes

Apply wood glue and tap one tack nail into each side to make a box.

Photo of seven finished miniature boxes made from wood rulers and yardsticks. There is on held up to show the sides, front and inside of the box and six other on a table below with just the front sides showing.
My finished boxes.

Don’t worry about making these tiny boxes perfect. A couple of mine have extra nail holes from nails that didn’t catch and wood pieces that overhang a little. This is one of those imperfectly, perfect crafts!

STEP 4: Add Magnets

I found that using GE GE500 Silicone 2+ Window and Door Caulk to attach refrigerator magnets to the back of these little boxes gives a lasting hold. Apply a generous amount under and around the sides of the magnet and let dry for 12 hours.

Photo of GE Silicone adhesive used to glue two magnets to the back of one ruler box. Shown are two magnets side by side on the back of a ruler box with a generous amount of silicone adhesive applied. Above is the tube of silicone that I purchased at Walmart and a set of .6 inch round magnets in original packaging that can be found at Dollar Tree.
Glue magnets to the back.

STEP 5: Add Miniatures

Use hot glue to glue miniatures, ornaments, decorations, and greenery to the inside of your ruler box.

Closeup of five ruler box magnets made from vintage yardsticks filled with holiday miniatures on a round decorative silver metal platter hanging on a dark green wood wall. Clockwise: Magnet 1features a miniature pink deer, candy cane and red glitter pinecone, Magnet 2 had a mini red santa mailbox next to a snow flocked green brush tree, Magnet 3 had a mint green deer miniature with a white bottle brush tree with red, blue and yellow ornaments on it, Magnet 4 has a red truck with a white bottle brush tree in the back, a candy cane and red glitter pinecone, Magnet 5 has a red oil lamp miniature with a bow and red berries on it next to a green bottle brush tree flocked with snow. Please pin this image to your Pinterest holiday craft board to come back to later.

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RELATED cRAFT TO TRY:

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Clever ideas to repurpose wine and champagne corks!

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Watch A Video

Link to the full tutorial here –> Wood Snowflake Decoration Made From Wood Shims

YouTube video

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