How do you make a magnifing lens using household objects?

To make one from raw materials would take a professional glassmaker to do so. The simplest way that I know of is one I used to make when a child. You need a short length of wire, about six inches, something like a paper clip. Twist the wire around a round pencil until you form a loop. Rub the loop with vasolene or some other grease. Dip to loop into a glass of water untill you have a globuel of water hanging within the loop.Wallah! you have a magnifying glass. Be careful not to shake the wire or the water will drop off, but you can re dip it again. You cannot do this with anything much larger than a round pencil.