Halloween Countdown Magnet Pan Projects

Count down the days until the final “sleepy-time” on 

the night before Halloween. 

Colored vinyl in green, cream, yellow, purple, orange and black 

are carefully positioned and affixed to a painted metal pan --

select from ROUND 12” round pizza (11.3" diam.) 

or RECTANGULAR 15" long (11.7' wide X 8" tall).

Use registration “target cross hairs” guides to create 

a festive decoration.  (Substitute glued-on card stock for

candy corn flourish elements as desired.) 

Countdown window “slider” is cut from or attached to 

a magnetic sheet base (or affix to a mag business card rectangle 

and trim with scissors or art knife), then moved around 

the circumference each day with day’s number showing 

through cutout. Display on a large easel, or drill a top hang hole, 

attach cord ends, or affix saw tooth brackets on 

reversed side to mount on a wall. 

 Recommended for experienced crafters. 

Round version will be focus of this assembly guide.

Both round and rectangular versions have similar assembly

procedures. Differences will be mentioned.

FOR THIS PROJECT, YOU WILL NEED:
1) metallic re-purposed baking sheet (NOT non-stick surface),

 either ROUND with min. 11.75" diameter interior flat surface,

or RECTANGULAR baking sheet approx. 15" across
2) rustic orange matte or satin spray paint to paint sheet,

plus protective acrylic finish coat spray paint,

and optional metal primer paint to ensure paint adheres to metal

3) flexible magnet business card or sheet for slider
4) card stock for slider plus adhesive or double stick paper
5) vinyl sheets for cutting the layers; green,
cream or white, purple, yellow, orange, black, 

plus transfer paper

ASSEMBLY: 

1. Identify, cut and weed the vinyl shapes or selections:

ROUND: A black ring, numbers, cluster foundations, words

with center and two side "target" registration symbols

B white banner foundation with registr. symbols

C Halloween overlay with registr. symbols

D slider magnet face shape and magnet

(NOTE that face shape can be die cut;

magnet layer may be able to be die cut, OR

may need to be traced and cut out with art knife.)

E candy corn overlays (three colors)

F purple stars and dots

G green stars

RECTANGULAR:

A black frame, numbers, cluster foundations, words

with center (next to #6) and 

two side "target" registration symbols

B white banner foundation with registr. symbols

C Halloween overlay with registr. symbols

D slider magnet face shape and magnet

E candy corn overlays (three colors),

purple stars and dots, green stars

2. Find and lightly mark the center of the display surface

with chalk or other temp. mark that can later be remove:

For round, a circle was traced, then folded into quarters,

with center tip cut off.

For rectangle, do something similar, or simply use

a measuring tool to find the Y and X axis centers intersect.

3. Apply transfer paper to the ring set while carefully

peeling away the transfer backer to avoid ripples & bubbles.

 (Clear transfer makes this easier.)

4. Trim the excess carrier approx. 1/4" beyond the outer

edge of vinyl design. 

5. Review the following couple of strategies to assist

to center the design on the metal pan base, 

then select the one that seems to make best sense to you:

STRATEGY A: Poke a T pin or equivalent through

at the center of the center registr. symbol,

and leave in place.

Remove transfer sheet's backing.

Make a preliminary alignment with pan's center mark

and vinyl center target then touch and hold

 the T pin point onto the center of symbol. 

(Look closely to see the T pin) . . .

. . . while rotating slightly to make sure design is centered

both vertically (align with hang hole) and horizontally.

NOTE take care not to let the transfer sheet stickiness

touch the painted surface to avoid pulling off the paint.

STRATEGY B: Gently fold the circle in half along

the vertical center axis with non-sticky sides back to back.

Locate the center target symbol and align with center mark.

Use the bend of the transfer paper to rotate to align

at vertical center axis, then lower into position to affix

the underneath half of the vinyl design assembly.

Finally unfold to position and affix top half in place.

FOR RECTANGULAR DESIGN, follow similar placement

procedures as shown with circular design, as well

as remaining positioning of other elements.

6. Smooth the sheet into position and "burnish" vinyl 

shapes to assist them to attach completely to pan.

7. Gently and slowly peel away the transfer sheet,

watching for any vinyl figures that try to pull up

and stay attached to transfer sheet. Take particular care

with #3, 5, 0, etc.

Burnish the attach vinyl to confirm smooth attachment.

8. Gently and carefully peel and remove the center target.

(It is no longer needed.)

9. Apply transfer tape to the banner base and banner

overlay vinyl cut shapes. When ready to apply,

remove the carrier backing sheet.

10. Use similar registration process as described above

to position WHITE banner first, then BLACK overlay.

Identify the two target symbols, then position and

align these on top of the previous vinyl symbol layers.

NOTE: this image shows the black overlay being

positioned, but the WHITE overlay should be positioned

FIRST (as can be verified by noting that the target

symbols already in position are white).

POSITIONING HINT: to assist to get the black banner

edges to align as precisely as possible on top of

white banner base, carefully scissor-trim the banner upper

and end edges exactly along the vinyl edge.

Then use those edges to position and align precisely.

11. With banner layers in place, remove target symbols.

12. Assemble the candy corn colored layers

to create kernel units. There are two ways to do this:

A. For either approach, peel yellow and white shapes

then position and attach the yellow middle "band" onto

the bottom of the white layer, with side edges matched.

Approach 1: Also peel orange base layer, and

attach white/yellow assembly onto top, with

tips and side edges of all three layers aligned.

Position and attach the kernel unit onto the black vinyl

design exactly over the kernel "silhouette".

NOTE there are two sizes of corn; slightly smaller

are toward the outer edge.

Approach 2: Position the orange base onto pan

assembly first, then position and attach top layer unit

over the orange base.

13. Lift and position the remaining cut shapes,

including the green stars shown here, but also

the purple stars and dots. 

HINT: refer to the online thumbnail image 

to position dots that are not "fused" into 

the swirl flourish shape edges, including center

stars and dots.

14. Attach the slider overlay onto the magnet cutout

shape (NOTE that magnet shape may need to be

hand-trimmed using an art knife) with double adhesive

tape or with appropriate glue.

15. To use the count down slider, position it with outer/top

edge approx. even with vinyl ring shape, then lift and

move around to frame the current countdown

numeral inside window.

(For RECTANGULAR version, move magnet along

rows to frame numeral inside window.)

16. To hang the pan, tie a ribbon or cord through

drilled hole at pan top.

Or use specialty/appropriate adhesive to attach

hanger ribbon ends to backside of pan,

both round and rectangular.

Add a ribbon cluster as desired.