If you’ve ever wanted to add shimmering rivers or churning seas to your dungeon layouts, today’s tutorial is for you! In this project, I’ll show you how I made these quick and easy magnetic water tiles that snap perfectly into my existing dungeon sets. They’re budget-friendly, beginner-friendly, and a great way to use up leftover XPS foam.
Step 1: Cutting the Foam Base
I started with a piece of 1.5-inch XPS foam, though ideally you’d want something thinner—around 0.5 inches works best. I like to make my tiles 3 inches by 3 inches so they fit with my existing sets. If you don’t have a Proxxon cutter, you can absolutely use a utility knife and a ruler to cut foam to size—just take your time to keep those edges straight.
Once cut, you’ll have a stack of matching 3x3x1/2″ bases ready to go!
Step 2: Adding the Magnets
These tiles are designed to be magnetized, which makes them compatible with my other terrain pieces. To make sure the magnet polarity matches across all sets, I used one of my existing dungeon tiles as a guide.
Here’s how:
- Attach loose magnets to the existing tile.
- Lay your new foam tile on top and press lightly to create indent marks where the magnets should go.
- Use a ballpoint pen or utility knife to create small recesses for the magnets at the indented spots.
- Mark the top of each tile with a Sharpie—this helps you keep the polarity consistent later on.
Next, apply a small dab of hot glue into each recess and press your magnets in place using the old tile as your alignment guide. Let the glue set for a few moments before gently sliding the tiles apart. It might take a few tries to get the hang of this, but once you do, it’s smooth sailing.
Tip: Switch sides occasionally when using your guide tile. Hot glue can re-melt old glue and loosen magnets if you’re not careful.
Step 3: Painting the Base Layer
When your magnets are set, give the entire tile a coat of black paint mixed with Mod Podge. This seals the foam, protects it from moisture, and gives everything a clean, finished look. I like to paint the bottom as well for extra polish. Painting the top is optional, as we’ll be covering it in a moment.
Step 4: Creating Water Texture with Toilet Paper
Now for the fun part—creating wave textures!
Lay a piece of toilet paper over the top of your tile. Apply a generous amount of white glue with your brush. In total, you want 3 layers of toilet paper, allowing each to dry fully before applying the next. For the last two layers, use your brush to shape lines and wave textures, keeping the motion consistent in one direction.
Tear off any excess paper hanging over the edges and glue it down neatly.
Let everything dry completely before moving on.
Step 5: Painting the Waves
Once dry, start with a base coat of dark blue mixed with black. Then, while the paint is still a bit damp, dot in lighter blues and greens to give the illusion of depth and movement. Finish it off by dry brushing white across the raised areas to highlight the wave crests and create a seafoam effect.
For an extra pop, add a few layers of clear glossy glue on top once the paint is fully dry. This gives your water tiles a realistic shine.
Step 6: Snap It All Together
And that’s it! Your magnetic water tiles are ready to join your modular dungeon setup. They snap together beautifully, mix seamlessly with other terrain, and look fantastic on the table.
I’m really happy with how these turned out—they’re simple, affordable, and super versatile.
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Until next time—happy crafting!
