How to Start a Custom Fridge Magnet Business from Home in Canada

Why Custom Photo Magnets Are a Great Business Opportunity

Custom fridge magnets are more than just fun keepsakes. They represent a fast-growing niche in the personalized product space, with consistent demand across Canada. From family milestones and baby photos to wedding favours and branded giveaways, magnets are a product that resonates with nearly everyone.

If you're looking for a home-based business that's easy to start and offers real income potential, this could be it. Unlike traditional retail businesses, you don’t need a storefront, large inventory, or special training. With a small initial investment and the right tools, like our custom photo magnet maker machines, you can begin producing and selling high-quality magnets in a matter of days.

Magnets are lightweight, easy to ship, and have great profit margins. Customers often purchase them in sets, especially for gifts or events, which makes bulk selling easy. Whether you’re a stay-at-home parent, an artist, or someone looking for a flexible side hustle, this is a business that can fit around your lifestyle while building a steady income stream over time.

What You Need to Get Started

Getting your custom photo magnet business up and running doesn’t require much space or money. Here’s what you’ll need to begin: 

  • Magnet maker machine: The core of your setup. A reliable manual press produces clean, durable, and professional-quality results. You can browse our machines here.
  • Printable magnet sheets or starter materials: These form the base of your product. You’ll print on high-quality photo paper or magnetic sheets, then press the design into a finished magnet.
  • Standard printer: Most home inkjet or laser printers work well. Be sure to print at high resolution to ensure photo clarity and colour accuracy.
  • Design tool or editor: Tools like Canva or built-in photo editors help crop, resize, or enhance customer photos before printing.
  • Optional packaging supplies: Branded envelopes, thank-you notes, or stickers can elevate the customer experience and support brand recognition.

You can launch this business for less than the cost of most electronics. As you start to take orders, you’ll quickly learn what works best, and you can grow your setup over time based on demand and feedback.

How to Make Your First Custom Photo Magnet

Once you have your tools ready, the process of making your first custom magnet is simple and rewarding. With just a few steps, you can go from digital photo to a finished, professional-quality product ready to sell or gift. This hands-on process not only allows for full creative control, but also helps you build confidence in your product quality before launching to customers.

Step-by-step Process

  • Step 1: Prepare your design
    Use a design tool like Canva to crop and size your photo correctly. A square format (such as 2x2 inches) works well for most magnet machines. Make sure the image is high resolution, with good lighting and sharp detail.
  • Step 2: Print your photo
    Use a standard inkjet or laser printer and high-quality photo paper. Ensure your printer settings are set to the best quality or photo mode. Allow the print to dry fully before handling.
  • Step 3: Align and cut
    Trim the photo to match the magnet size using a paper cutter or precision scissors. Most of our machines work with standard dimensions like 2x2 inches or 3x3 inches.
  • Step 4: Press the magnet
    Layer the printed image, protective cover, and magnet base into the machine. Follow your machine’s instructions to press the layers together. Manual machines only take a few seconds per magnet.
  • Step 5: Check the finish
    Inspect the magnet for any air bubbles or misalignment. A clean press will have a flush surface and sealed edges. Once complete, it’s ready for packaging or display.

With practice, you’ll be able to produce multiple magnets in just a few minutes. Many small business owners batch their production — printing all designs at once, cutting together, then pressing in one session. This saves time and allows for faster fulfillment of larger orders.

By mastering the basics, you’ll set the foundation for a smooth production process that scales with your business. If you ever decide to expand into bulk orders or offer additional sizes, the same steps apply with only minor adjustments.

Where to Sell Your Custom Magnets Online

Once you’ve made your first few fridge magnets, it’s time to think about where to sell them. The beauty of this business is that you don’t need a physical storefront — there are multiple online platforms where you can start selling with little to no upfront cost. These platforms also give you access to a wider customer base across Canada and beyond.

Etsy

Etsy is the most popular platform for handmade and personalised products. It’s ideal for selling custom photo magnets, especially as gifts for weddings, birthdays, baby announcements, and holidays. With Etsy, you can create product listings, set your pricing, and use tags to get discovered by shoppers already looking for unique, handcrafted items. There’s a small fee to list each item, but the platform handles payments and buyer protection.

Shopify

If you want full control over your brand and customer experience, building your own online store with Shopify is a smart option. You can create a dedicated storefront for your magnet business, showcase your story, and build long-term customer relationships. Shopify allows you to set up a professional website without needing technical skills, and it integrates easily with apps for shipping, payments, and marketing.

Facebook Marketplace & Local Groups

Don’t overlook the power of selling locally. Facebook Marketplace and community buy-and-sell groups are great for reaching local customers, especially for gifts, school fundraisers, or custom event favours. You can offer free pickup or discounted delivery within your area and establish trust through direct communication.

Instagram & TikTok

While not direct sales platforms, Instagram and TikTok are powerful tools to build your brand presence and drive traffic to your store. Post behind-the-scenes videos of your production process, share customer testimonials, and showcase new designs. Include your Shopify or Etsy store link in your profile so interested followers can place an order easily.

Many successful sellers use a combination of these platforms. For example, you might start on Etsy to build traction, use Instagram to grow an audience, and then launch your own Shopify store once your brand is established. The key is to keep your messaging consistent and make it easy for people to discover and purchase your products wherever they shop.

Pricing and Profit Margins

One of the best parts of starting a custom photo magnet business is the healthy profit potential. Because magnets are inexpensive to produce and valued for their sentimental or decorative appeal, customers are often willing to pay well above your material costs — especially when you offer personalized or themed designs.

On average, it costs less than one dollar to produce a single 2x2 inch fridge magnet, including materials like printable paper, magnetic backing, and protective film. When selling in sets, your production costs become even more efficient. Many sellers price their sets of 9 magnets between $25 and $40 depending on the finish, packaging, and level of customization offered.

Here’s a simple example of a typical bundle:

  • Set of 9 custom magnets – Selling price: $29 to $39
  • Estimated material cost (including packaging): $5 to $7
  • Net profit per order (before shipping/fees): $20 to $30

Even with platform fees and shipping, the margins remain strong. As your order volume increases, you can order materials in bulk at discounted rates, improving your profitability further. Offering seasonal bundles, gift-ready packaging, or limited edition designs can also allow you to charge premium prices while standing out from the competition.

If you’re selling through a platform like Etsy or Shopify, be sure to include your transaction fees, shipping supplies, and marketing costs when calculating your margins. These are minimal compared to the return you can generate on each order, especially once you’ve built a repeat customer base or established yourself in a niche market such as weddings, baby showers, or branded merchandise.

By pricing strategically and managing your production costs, it’s very possible to earn a consistent monthly income, even with just a few orders per week. And as your business grows, you can scale without needing to drastically increase overhead — a rare advantage in today’s product-based market.

Start Your Custom Magnet Business Today

Starting a custom photo magnet business from home is one of the most flexible and rewarding ways to turn creativity into steady income. With low startup costs, simple tools, and a growing demand for personalised products, this is a business you can build at your own pace — whether it’s a part-time project or a long-term venture.

Thousands of people across Canada are already tapping into this opportunity, creating magnets for weddings, gifts, businesses, and more. If you're ready to begin, all you need is the right equipment and a willingness to learn as you go.

We’re here to support your journey. Explore our full range of custom photo magnet maker machines and take the first step toward building a business you’re proud of.

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