I like making small clay decorations that add a little personality to everyday spaces, and magnets are a nice way to display them.
Cats and woodland animals offer plenty of charming shapes to play with, from curled-up kitties to tiny foxes and hedgehogs.
I’ve gathered a mix of ideas with different colors and details, so you can choose the styles that suit your fridge or workspace.
Here are 20 animal-inspired clay magnets to spark your next craft project.
Sleeping Cat and Woodland Animal Clay Magnets
Hand-sculpted clay magnets can turn curled-up woodland animals into small decorative pieces for a fridge or magnetic board. This set pairs a striped sleeping cat with a rust-colored fox resting on sculpted leaves, while a gray mouse adds another rounded animal shape; the painted markings and earthy fall colors help each miniature read clearly.
The curled bodies make the animals recognizable without needing many small details, so a simpler version could use one animal, basic painted features, and a single leaf base. Try changing the colors or swapping in a hedgehog or rabbit, and adjust the size to suit the display; the same figures could also be made as decorative miniatures without magnets.
Mushroom-Cap Cat Clay Magnet
A small cat-face clay magnet pairs a rounded sculpted face with a red mushroom cap dotted in white, turning a woodland motif into a playful animal craft. The cream-colored face, pink cheeks, painted whiskers, and tiny ears make the design readable at a small scale, while the contrasting cap gives it a clear silhouette.
The rounded shapes and simple facial marks make this idea easy to adapt into a set of different woodland animals, such as a fox beneath an acorn cap or a mouse under a leaf. Simplify the face to a few painted features, or vary the cap colors and spots to make individual magnets easy to distinguish.
Woodland Animal and Cat Clay Magnets
Hand-sculpted clay magnets turn small animal portraits into playful, collectible decorations. The set pairs a spotted fawn and a textured hedgehog with a black-and-white bird and a calico cat peeking over an acorn, using rounded shapes, small facial details, and contrasting colors to make each miniature easy to recognize. Their compact, sculpted forms suit the clay animal magnet category.
The acorn gives the cat a woodland detail that could be swapped for a leaf, mushroom, or tiny flower, while the other animals could be adapted with different markings and colors. For a simpler version, keep the faces and silhouettes but reduce the feathers, spots, or hedgehog spines; making the animals in a consistent small size would also create a coordinated set of decorative magnets.
Sleeping Cat and Fox Woodland Clay Magnet
A heart-shaped clay magnet can become a small woodland scene by pairing a curled-up black cat with a resting orange fox among painted evergreen trees. The muted green background and simple cream accents keep the painted animal details clear, making this a decorative animal craft with a recognizable silhouette.
The heart shape gives the scene a ready-made border, while the two resting animals create a compact design that can be simplified to fewer trees or larger, easier-to-paint shapes. Keep the cat and fox or swap in another woodland animal, and vary the background colors to make a set of handmade clay magnets with a consistent theme.
Tabby Cat in a Mushroom Clay Sculpture
A hand-sculpted cat peeking through an orange mushroom cap makes a small woodland animal figurine with a clear, playful focal point. The pale spots and textured stem contrast with the tabby’s striped tail and face, while the leafy details at the base help finish the miniature scene.
The mushroom opening gives the cat a natural place to peek out, so the design stays readable even at a small scale. For a simpler version, use fewer spots and base details, or swap the tabby for a fox, rabbit, or different cat; the same concept could also be adapted into a flat clay magnet by simplifying the stem and foliage.
Painted Raccoon, Fox, and Cat Clay Magnets
Hand-sculpted clay animal magnets turn simple face and head shapes into a coordinated set of woodland characters. The raccoon’s dark eye patches, the fox’s cream muzzle, and the cat’s pink nose and whiskers give each small magnet its own recognizable features, while the muted painted colors keep the group cohesive.
The broad, rounded silhouettes leave room for painted details, so you could simplify the faces to a few shapes and lines or add markings to make each animal distinct. Make the magnets as a matching set, change the colors, or adapt one animal design into a small hanging ornament; the three different expressions and silhouettes make the idea easy to save for a personalized craft project.
Hedgehog, Squirrel, and Cat Clay Magnets
Hand-sculpted animal magnets can pair woodland creatures with a curled-up cat for a small, collectible set. The hedgehog holds a tiny pinecone, the brown squirrel-like animal cradles an acorn, and the blue-gray cat curls into a rounded shape, with simple facial details and textured surfaces helping each figure read clearly at miniature scale.
The shared size and animal theme make the set easy to adapt with different woodland details, such as a leaf, mushroom, or berry. A simpler version could use plain rounded bodies and basic facial features, while leaving off the small accessories; the finished figures could also be made as decorative miniatures if magnets are not needed.
Sleeping Fox on a Mushroom Clay Magnet
A small sculpted fox curled on a spotted mushroom makes a woodland animal magnet with a layered, miniature-scene design. The rust-orange fox, cream accents, earthy green background, and raised leaf details stand out against the natural wood edge, while the black magnet on the back gives the handmade clay decoration a practical use on a magnetic surface.
The rounded fox and mushroom shapes make the scene easy to adapt with different animal poses, mushroom colors, or leaf details, and the design could be scaled down for a simpler magnet. Keeping the main shapes bold and using just a few painted features would help a beginner create a recognizable woodland scene without matching every texture.
Owl Perched on a Spotted Mushroom Clay Magnet
A miniature owl perched on a red-and-white spotted mushroom makes a detailed woodland animal clay magnet. Layered cream feathers, rounded eyes, and small orange feet stand out against the brown owl and mushroom, giving the sculpted figure a clear silhouette despite its small scale.
The separate feather shapes and mushroom spots make the design memorable, but you could simplify them into fewer, larger details for an easier version. Try changing the owl’s colors or swapping it for another small woodland animal, then add a magnet to the back to fit the article’s theme.
Hedgehog, Squirrel, and Mouse Clay Magnets
Hand-painted clay magnets turn small, rounded clay shapes into a set of woodland animal portraits, including a hedgehog, squirrel, and mouse alongside a cat and fox. Their earthy background colors and simple painted features keep the animals easy to recognize, while the varied poses and textures give each magnet its own look.
The separate animal designs make this idea easy to adapt: simplify the painted features or fur marks for a quicker version, or add other woodland animals to build a matching set. Keeping the magnets small lets each one work as a collectible decoration, and changing the background colors can help distinguish each animal without changing the basic concept.
Sleeping Tabby Cat on a Toadstool
A curled tabby cat hugging a red, white-spotted toadstool makes a compact woodland animal clay figurine. Gray stripes, a pale muzzle and paws, and small green leaves at the base distinguish the sculpted shapes and colors.
The cat’s curled pose and oversized mushroom create a clear silhouette that could be adapted into a decorative magnet by adding a suitable flat backing. For a simpler version, keep the body and mushroom shapes rounded and use fewer painted stripes; changing the mushroom cap color or the cat’s markings gives each miniature its own look.
Fox, Cat, and Badger Clay Sign Magnet
A small clay sign magnet can combine a rustic, hand-sculpted sign with three woodland animal faces peeking over its top edge. The gray wood-like sign, painted animal features, and tiny paws create a clear contrast between the broad, textured plaque and the miniature figures, making it a playful animal-themed decoration.
The sign shape gives the animals a shared focal point, and the design could be adapted with other woodland creatures or a short painted label. Simplify it by making the sign smaller and using just one animal, or vary the muted colors and wood-texture marks to create a set of coordinating magnets.
Sleeping Cat and Raccoon Woodland Clay Magnets
A curled sleeping cat and a seated raccoon with a fern make a coordinated pair of miniature animal clay magnets. Their rounded forms, muted natural colors, and small details such as the cat’s striped tail and the raccoon’s leafy setting give each figure a distinct silhouette while keeping them visually connected.
The separate characters could be made as individual magnets, with a magnet added to the back, or adapted into small decorative figurines. To simplify the idea, use fewer facial details and a simpler leaf shape; for a matching set, try changing the animals, tail patterns, or plant colors while keeping the same woodland palette.
Cat Sitting on a Spotted Mushroom Clay Figurine
A hand-sculpted cat sitting on a mushroom makes a small decorative clay figurine, with the mushroom cap serving as a rounded base for the animal. Cream-colored clay, dark green accents, and white spots on the rust-red cap create a clear woodland palette, while the simple painted face keeps the cat’s shape easy to read.
The stacked cat-and-mushroom forms make the idea memorable and give you room to change the animal, cap color, spots, or painted markings. A simpler version could use a smoother cat silhouette and fewer details, while a set of differently colored mushrooms could turn the concept into a group of miniature sculptures or, with a flat back and suitable magnet attachment, a woodland-themed magnet.
Sleeping Cat Curled Around a Hedgehog Clay Magnet
A hand-sculpted clay magnet can turn a simple animal pairing into a miniature scene, with a sleeping gray-and-white cat curled around a hedgehog. The rounded forms, closed eyes, tiny paws, and contrasting fur and quill textures make the figures easy to read at a small scale, while keeping the piece firmly in the decorative animal-magnet category.
The interlocking poses make this idea memorable, and the details can be simplified to suit your sculpting experience: use basic rounded shapes, then add the facial features and hedgehog texture. Try different tabby markings or swap the hedgehog for another woodland animal to create a small set of coordinating magnets.
Fox, Sleeping Cat, and Fawn Clay Magnets
Hand-painted clay magnets pair small woodland animal portraits with oval, sculpted backgrounds and leafy details. A curled sleeping cat, a seated fox, and a spotted fawn make each magnet distinct, while the earthy colors and raised contours tie the set together as decorative animal crafts.
The oval format gives each animal a clear frame, and the painted details can be adjusted to suit different skill levels: simplify the leaves and markings, or add other creatures such as a rabbit or hedgehog. Make the designs in matching sizes for a coordinated set, or create one larger magnet as a handmade gift; either way, the animal faces and poses keep the idea easy to recognize and save for later.
Woodland Mushroom and Pinecone Clay Magnet
This hand-sculpted clay magnet arranges red-and-white mushrooms, a pinecone, a pointed woodland cap, leaves, and a small paw detail on a green oval base. The layered miniature scene combines earthy browns and greens with bright mushroom caps, making it a decorative woodland magnet with plenty of texture despite its small scale.
The oval base gives the details a clear place to sit, while a simpler version could use just one mushroom, a few leaves, and a pinecone. Try changing the mushroom colors or adding a tiny woodland animal to make a different variation; the same scene could also be made larger as a small decorative sculpture.
Sleeping Fox on a Crescent Moon Clay Magnet
A curled fox rests against a dark blue crescent moon dotted with painted stars, with a tiny cat perched on the moon’s tip. The hand-sculpted shapes, textured fur details, and warm orange, cream, and blue colors make this a layered woodland-animal clay magnet with a clear, compact silhouette.
The crescent gives the animals a natural frame, so the design could be adapted with a different sleeping creature or simpler painted star details. For an easier version, keep the fox’s body rounded and use a few short lines for fur; changing the moon color or making the fox smaller could also create a set of coordinated magnets.
Gray Cat With Mushrooms and an Autumn Leaf
This hand-sculpted clay miniature pairs a seated gray cat with three red, white-spotted mushrooms and an orange leaf, all arranged on a small base. Its rounded forms and muted woodland colors make it a decorative animal sculpture with a clear fall theme, rather than a functional dish or magnet.
The grouped shapes make the scene easy to adapt: a simpler version could use one mushroom and a plain leaf, while more detailed versions could add different mushroom sizes or change the leaf colors. You could also make the cat and woodland accents as separate miniatures, or scale the whole scene down for a small seasonal display.
Sleeping Cat and Fox on Woodland Clay Magnets
These small clay magnets pair a curled gray tabby and a rust-colored fox with acorns, set against oval woodland scenes painted with evergreen trees. The hand-sculpted animal figures and muted forest colors make each piece read as a miniature woodland vignette as well as a decorative magnet.
The oval backgrounds give the animals a clear setting, while the simple curled poses keep the main shapes easy to recognize. You could adapt the idea with a different animal, change the forest colors for another season, or simplify the painted trees into a few basic shapes; making a matching set would also work well as a small handmade gift.
Frequently Asked Questions
Air-dry clay is a convenient choice for beginners because it hardens without an oven. Polymer clay is another good option: it stays workable until you bake it according to the package instructions and tends to make durable, detailed magnets. Either works for simple designs like cats, foxes, owls, hedgehogs, and mushrooms. Check that your chosen paint, glue, and finish are compatible with the clay.
Keep the shapes simple. Start with a flattened circle or oval for the body, then add easy details such as triangular ears, tiny paws, a tail, or a snout. You can also press small tools or household objects into the clay to add texture, or paint on facial features after it dries or bakes. A few distinctive details are often enough to make a magnet read clearly as a cat, fox, or bear.
For polymer clay, you can either press a magnet into the back before baking or glue one on after baking. For air-dry clay, wait until the piece is completely dry before attaching the magnet. A strong craft adhesive or epoxy can help it stay put. Small magnets are usually sufficient for lightweight pieces, but larger or heavier designs may need stronger magnets. Keep magnets away from children and pets, and follow the magnet manufacturer’s safety guidance.
Paint fully cured clay with acrylic paint, using thin coats so small details stay crisp. Add features like whiskers, spots, leaves, or acorns with a fine brush or paint marker. Once the paint is dry, apply a compatible clear sealer if your clay and paint allow it. Let the finish cure completely before using the magnet, and avoid getting air-dry clay pieces wet unless they have been properly sealed.
Give each animal a small distinguishing feature: a curled tail or striped coat for a cat, a leaf crown for a fox, tiny antlers for a deer, or a mushroom cap for a hedgehog. You could also create a seasonal set with autumn leaves, snowflakes, or spring flowers, or add initials and favorite colors. If you’re making magnets as gifts, match the designs to the recipient’s pet or choose a coordinated group of animals for a themed set.
