Dishwasher Magnet

This is a must have for any kitchen...I don't know how I got along without it!
Ok, ok that might be a little bit of an exaggeration, but it is handy!

My husband always leaves the dishes in the dish rack above the dishwasher instead of putting the dishes in the dishwasher itself (where they belong!).  The excuse is always the same- "I didn't know if they were clean or dirty!"

Much to my husband’s dismay, I made a magnet for the dishwasher that shows if the dishes inside are clean or dirty. (Insert maniacal laughter here)

Items needed:

Waste Canvas

Felt

Embroidery Floss

Needle

4 Pins

Glue (not super glue, as I found out the hard way)

Old CD or DVD

Magnet

Trace the outline of the CD onto the waste canvas, and make sure to mark the center of the CD as well.  Next pin the waste canvas to the felt.  On the back of the waste canvas packaging they give some examples of counted crosstitch (Alphabet and some shapes), this is what I used as a template for my letters.

Here comes the hardest part: Counting!  Count the number of columns each letter will take up and add in one column between each letter.  Cut that number in half and you will get the column (and letter) you should start with.  I started about 10 rows up from the center mark to give me a nice big cushion in the center.  Continue with your counted crosstitch.

I stitched ‘Clean’ on one side, then turned the canvas upside down and stitched ‘Dirty’.  This will allow you to rotate the CD to label your dishwasher clean or dirty.

Just for some flair I added some hearts at the top, center and bottom of the magnet; I admit I might have gotten carried away!  I just googled ‘heart counted crosstitch template’ and got a ton of results. 

Now you can remove the waste canvas.  With felt you have to be very careful when pulling out the strands of the canvas.  What works best for me is wetting the felt and canvas so it is slightly damp.  Then one by one I pull out the vertical strands.  Once they are all pulled out the horizontal strands are a cinch.

Using the CD as a template cut out around your work making sure it is centered.  Cut out an identical circle of felt to put on the back of the CD. If I were to do this project again I would make the circles a little bigger than the template so it would overlap a bit.  This way I wouldn’t have to cut an additional strip for around the side.

Lastly glue the felt onto the front and back of the CD. DO NOT USE SUPER GLUE!  It discolors the felt and embroidery floss, and to tell you the truth doesn’t work all that well.  I would maybe use an all purpose craft glue instead.

Don’t forget to glue the magnet on the back and let it dry completely before using it!

Total Cost:  $2.50 for the magnets, I used scraps for all the other materials!