As I knew it would, the release of Michael last month reignited my Michaelmania, a condition with which I have been blessed since the early 90s. To date, I’ve seen the movie 25 times, will watch it at least four more times before it leaves theaters, have watched a ridiculous number of video essays and analyses on Michael and his music, and have preordered both the DVD/Blu-ray/4K Amazon exclusive and the Lionsgate 4K/Blu-ray/digital Collector’s Edition.

Most importantly, in response to their reprehensible upcoming MJ docuseries, I signed the petition to have it pulled off the platform and also cancelled my Netflix subscription. Getting rid of Netflix was a decision I’d been contemplating for quite some time. The release of that fuckass trailer was the final straw for me. LET THAT INNOCENT MAN REST IN PEACE!!! (If you’re unfamiliar with the actual facts of the cases, I highly recommend listening to The Michael Jackson Case for Innocence podcast. It’s deeply researched, well-organized, and well-produced. And, bonus!, it has exactly zero ads.)

Anyway. In the throes of Michaelmania, I’ve also made a set of six Michael magnets, using miniature decorative frames and featuring photos of both Michael and Jaafar (his nephew, who plays him in the movie) as Michael.

I was inspired by a miniature framed photo of a dumpster that I stumbled upon a few years ago while on an evening walk. It was stuck to a metal tag on a telephone pole along my route.

Before going all in and ordering this pack of miniature frames, I picked up two from a local craft store to make sure my vision would translate. (If you’re in or near Portland, you can pick up mini frames in-store.) The larger frame came with a piece of acetate transparency, which functions as the “glass” of the frame. The smaller frame did not.

For these first two, I removed the art that came in the frames, used double-sided tape to adhere the photos to the backs of the frames (while the tape worked fine for testing out the project concept, I recommend using a stronger adhesive for the final product), adhered the thin cardboard backing that came with the frames to the backs of the photos, and glued magnets to the backs of the backing. They turned out great.

To make the magnets using the frames from Amazon, I adhered the photos to the backs of the frames using Krazy Glue, and used E6000 to adhere the magnets to the backs of the photos. Because I don’t plan to handle/move these magnets often, I didn’t use any backing material. For two of the four, I used acetate transparency to function as the “glass.” Ultimately, and unexpectedly, I think the photos look more vibrant and glossy without it, so I didn’t use it on the other two.

The most fun and the most frustrating part of this project was choosing which photos to use. There’s not a single bad photo of Michael. I wanted to use them all!!!

If you’d like to make your own, here are the supplies I used and recommend:

• Miniature frames. If you don’t like these ones, you can find other options by searching “mini decorative frames” or “mini Victorian frames” on Amazon or Etsy. You can also find mini frames at any store that sells miniatures for dollhouses.
• Magnets. I like these ones because they’re super affordable and very strong—they can hold around 7 sheets of letter-sized paper without slippage.
• E6000 craft adhesive. To adhere the magnets to the backs of the photos.
• Krazy Glue. To adhere the photos to the frames.
• Acetate transparency. I don’t know what brand I used. I used a leftover sheet from a pack I bought about a decade ago and no longer have the original packaging for. Any brand should do.

Semi-related: two other incredible treasures I’ve spotted on telephone poles during my walks: