When you download a magnet design you'll find six files. Four of the files are marked with "_DL,"  that stands for "dieline."  The dielines are what we'll use to cut the fabric to the exact shape of the magnet. The dieline for the body piece is labeled with the letter "a". Dielines for the feet are labeled with the letter "b". If you have embroidery software, open the dieline files and print them at full size.

Preparing the fabric for the body piece

First, spray a piece of medium-weight cutaway stabilizer with temporary adhesive.

Smooth the fabric for your magnet on top of the stabilizer. We are using a low-pile fleece fabric to make the body of the magnet and light-weight canvas for the feet.

Place the paper template on top, and cut out the shape. Do this for the front dieline and the back dieline. 

Dielines are labeled DLFront for the front fabric and DLBack for the back fabric.

If you don't have embroidery software, then you can embroider the dielines. Cut a piece of cutaway stabilizer to be slightly larger than your hoop. Spray the stabilizer with temporary adhesive.

Smooth the fabric on top.

Hoop the fabric and stabilizer together.

Load the dieline file to your machine and embroider the dieline.

After the dieline has been embroidered, cut out the shape of the front dieline and back dieline.

Embroidering on the body piece

Now that the fabric pieces are cut and ready to go, it's time to make the body piece of the magnet. Hoop a piece of tear-away stabilizer.

Load the full embroidery design into your machine; that is the design that begins with the letter "X" followed by 4 numbers. The body piece is labeled with the letter "a". Embroider the design. The first thing to be embroidered is another dieline which traces the shape of the body on to the stabilizer.

Spray the back side of the front body piece with a bit of adhesive.

Place that inside the sewn dieline on the stabilizer.

Continue to embroider the design. The next thing to sew is a zig-zag stitch, and this tacks the fabric down to the stabilizer and hold it in place during the rest of the design's tack down stitch is being  embroidered.

Other elements of the design will embroider next.

On the color change sheet you will see a note that says "back piece tack down". When you get to this point, stop the machine.

Remove the hoop from the machine, turn it over, and place the back fabric piece inside the shape.

Optional

Wind a bobbin with the same thread as the top needle and use that for the remaining steps.

Attach the hoop to the machine, and continue to embroider the design. The next thing to sew is a tack down stitch which binds the back fabric to the stabilizer.

The final satin border gives the body piece a professional, clean finish.

Remove the stabilizer from the hoop and gently tear away the excess stabilizer.

Preparing the fabric for the feet pieces

Repeat the fabric cutting process for the feet pieces. Cut the front and the back fabric using the "DLBack" dielines. The dielines for the feet pieces are labeled with the letter "b".

Embroidering the feet pieces

Repeat the embroidering process for the feet pieces. The embroidery file for the feet is labeled with the letter "b". After the design has been embroidered, gently tear away the stabilizer.

Adding the "legs"

Cut equal lengths of ribbon, cord, or yarn to hot glue gun one end to the back of the body piece. We used a 6 inch length of ribbon for each foot; however you can use any size you wish.

Add a drop of hot glue to the ends of the ribbon and press the feet in place.

Adding magnets

Add small strips of self-adhesive magnet tape to the back of the body and feet.

Or you can hot glue small button magnets to the back of the body and feet pieces.

A fun variation to ribbon is to create legs out of pipe cleaners! Wind the pipe cleaner around a pen or pencil to create a spiral shape.

Then, glue the pipe cleaners to the back of the body and feet.

Your refrigerator has now been inhabited by long-legged creatures! Luckily, they do not eat much.