Happiness to Go in Matchboxes

FIMO-Lucky charms as magnets or keychains—prepare and cut out
Knead the FIMO thoroughly until it’s soft, so it can be rolled out later without cracking and the surface becomes nice and smooth. Then roll it out to a thickness of about 3–4 mm. Now place plastic wrap on top of the FIMO: It ensures that the edges come out especially clean when cutting out the shapes and that the shapes come out easily. Use a cookie cutter to cut out your desired designs, such as small four-leaf clovers or lucky shapes that are perfect for New Year’s Eve. Carefully peel off the plastic wrap and remove any excess FIMO, so that you end up with uniform individual pieces.

Making a Hole for the Keychain
If you want to turn your FIMO-motif into a keychain, use a bamboo skewer to poke a small hole in the FIMO. Place it close to the edge so that a ring will hold securely later and the design hangs nicely on the keyring without tilting.

FIMO Bake, cure, and let cool Place all FIMO-pieces on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and place it in the preheated oven. Cure the FIMO at 110 °C for about 30 minutes. Curing makes the designs sturdy and durable—ideal for magnets and keychains as New Year’s Eve-small present. Let the pieces cool completely afterward so they don’t warp and the next step goes smoothly.

Apply gloss varnish for a durable, elegant finish
Coat the cooled designs with glossy varnish. The varnish provides a beautiful finish, protects the surface from abrasion, and makes colors and details stand out more clearly. Let everything dry completely so that nothing sticks later and the pieces can be processed cleanly.

Attach a magnet—here’s how to turn it into a refrigerator magnet
Glue a magnet to the back of each FIMO-piece. Press it briefly to ensure it lies flat, and let the adhesive dry thoroughly. This turns the little good-luck charms into practical New Year’s Eve magnets that also make reliable little gifts.

Assembling the keychain—attaching rings and “ chain ”
To make the keychain, use pliers to bend small rings into the prepared holes. Thread the chain through them and then attach the chain to the keyring. Make sure all connections are secure so your lucky charm doesn’t get lost in everyday life.

Decorating Matchboxes with “ napkin technique ”
For the packaging, decorate matchboxes with “ napkin varnish. ” First, apply a coat of varnish to the box. Then peel off the first layer of the tissues so that only the thin, printed layer remains. Lay it flat on the box and gently smooth it down with a brush, working from the center outward to minimize wrinkles. Then seal everything with a thin layer of napkin varnish and let the box dry thoroughly. The result is a sturdy, neatly wrapped New Year’s Eve gift box with a paper crafting-look.

New Year’s Eve Filling: Punch Out Clover Leaves and Assemble the Gift Set
Punch small clover leaves out of origami paper and place them in the matchboxes as decoration. Then add the finished magnets or keychains. The combination of lucky symbols, mini packaging, and a homemade FIMO-tag looks like a little New Year’s Eve surprise set and is quick to hand out.