DIY Wooly Willy

My daughter is starting to really get into magnets and it reminded me of this game my sisters and I played with as kids. I'm sure you have all seen a Wooly Willy before, and if not, you need to look it up! They are really simple, yet so amusing. It is basically this bald guy that you can give hair to using iron filings and a magnet. Anyway, I wanted my daughter to have one. I could have ordered her one online, but I wanted to put a twist on the traditional version and make it bigger as well. Here is what I did. 

To do this at home you will need:

A picture frame (preferably the same size as a sheet of paper, but that is not necessary)

A sheet of thick plastic, plexiglass, or any clear, durable backing

A hot glue gun

Iron filings

 A magnet

Printed images to place behind the board

You'll need to seal the glass from the picture frame to the frame using the hot glue so that it doesn't leak any of the iron filings. If you don't like the idea of using glass around your kids, you can replace it with plexiglass or whatever you are using for the backing. I found that my girly is pretty gentle with it, so I just went with the glass.

Then you add in the iron filings. I am not sure what local stores might sell this, I ordered mine on Amazon.com because I couldn't find any near me.You can use as much as you want. I used about 4 ounces.

Once you have the iron filings in the frame, remember to be careful not to spill them as you continue to work.

Now you will need to add the backing. I wanted to be able to change the images so I made mine translucent, but if you would rather a static image, you can place the image inside the frame and then it wouldn't matter if the backing were clear or not. The important thing to remember is to make sure it is 100% sealed! IF you put an image INSIDE the frame make sure the image is glued to the backing so that it doesn't move around or get the iron filings stuck behind it.

I used a thick sheet of clear plastic that I cut out of a bedding bag. I like to use things I can find around the house if I can. I hot glued it carefully to the backside of the frame, making sure it was pulled tight as to not have any wrinkles. Let the glue set and then test for leaks. Touch up any leaky spots with some more hot glue. No leaks?
Then you are ready to go!

Print up some images and grab a magnet!

I also printed up some pictures of my kids for them to use as well!

Have some fun with it ;)

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