These materials are chosen for their excellent shrinking properties, ease of use, and the ability to retain vibrant colors after the shrinking process. Shrinky Dinks are a popular craft material known for their unique ability to shrink when heated, allowing users to create durable, plastic items from simple designs. If you don’t, you’ll have a heck of a time trying to get them punched afterwards. Shrinky Dinks shrink to about 1/3 of their original size and get nine times thicker. This Shrinky Dink jewelry project is actually a little bit of a CraftFail because it didn’t go as planned, but it might be okay (the ink blurred a bit).

Related Articles from Make:

It’s a fun and creative project that results in unique, lightweight statement earrings that are perfect for adding a pop of colour to any outfit. How do you know what to size the original printed image in order to get the size you want for finished book cover? They should shrink at the same rate if you bake them in the same batch, so just size your images similarly on the computer before printing them. I would do one test with 3-5 different sizes and once you find one the size you like then you’re good to replicate based on the test.

• "I had some shrinky dinks but misplaced the directions. They came out perfect with these directions!"
• Permanent markers (like Sharpies) are fantastic for vibrant colors on any surface, though they work particularly well on the smooth side.
• The Dixie brand cups shrivelled into hats but the Polar brand plastic cups shrunk into flat circles.

Best Shrinky Dink Kits & Papers

Stores like Michaels, Joann, and Hobby Lobby typically stock Shrinky Dink plastic sheets in their baking or jewelry-making aisles, often near polymer clay or resin supplies. Whether you’re creating jewelry, keychains, or personalized gifts, finding Shrinky Dink plastic is easier than ever with these accessible options. Popped them in for a few minutes, They curled up tightly (except the starburst, which just got all rumpled) and turned white and didn’t shrink.

Shrink Plastic Jewelry: My Little Pony

I started by outlining all of my shapes with black, and then went back and colored them all in. SO I wanted to share how I made my own in case you have #6 plastics hanging around/feel bad about throwing them away. I love to share all the fun I have with my kid, plus recipes, healthy lifestyle tips, and more. Here is a great example of a shrinky dinks guide rule, where she also bakes them with the colors she uses so she knows how much they darken after baking. For best results fold a piece of parchment in half and stick it inside, right by the fold of the parchment paper while you bake.

Share this page with a friend:

This not only reduces waste but also adds a unique touch to the final product. #6 plastic is a popular choice for Shrinky Dinks because it shrinks evenly and smoothly, resulting in a consistent final product. Release the chopstick and if your piece https://shrinky-dink.com/ at the top needs flattening, use a small spatial to flatten it. The piece will be much smaller, about ⅓ the size and the plastic hard.

Step 1 – Trace or design the deer shapes

Once the shrinky dinks have reached the time limit, they should be reduced in size and be mostly flat. Line a pan with parchment paper and place your shrinky dinks color side up on the parchment. Once the cutting is complete, and before unloading your mat, check to see if the cut went all the way through. Now, select the new material from the material list by clicking "Browse Materials" and changing the Categories drop-down menu to "My Materials." The Fine-Point Blade is already selected so I left that in place. Before loading the cutting mat into the Cricut, select the correct cut setting.

In fact, I bet you’ll start looking for it just about everywhere once you make this project. Read sports-themed books, try simple physical activities, and encourage kids to share their own experiences playing sports or watching their favorite teams. If you’re doing this craft in a daycare or classroom setting, use it as part of a bigger sports unit. Keep an eye on your creations as they curl and shrink, once they flatten back out, they’re done.

In addition to the printable types, shrink plastic comes in completely clear sheets and frosted styles. Cutting the shrink plastic also took some extra testing, so I’ll share the custom material setting I used to get clean cuts every time. The original size might seem huge, but it’s the only way to go.

Q: How do I prevent Shrinky Dinks from sticking to the baking sheet or parchment paper?

With regard to why some polystyrene pieces become clear when heated and others turn white is related to both the heating profile and the additive content of the piece. So THEN I used my brain and we cut out a sheet from each side of the box (giving me now 250 sheets! WOOT! I do love a bargain) and shrunk those with absolute perfection. Once the plastic has shrunk down to the desired size, remove the cookie sheet from the toaster oven and let the plastic cool for a few seconds. Once the plastic has shrunk down to the desired size, remove the heat gun and let the plastic cool for a few seconds. Those magical sheets of plastic that could be colored and then shrunk down to a fraction of their original size in the oven?

So gather your plastic containers, get creative with your designs, and start shrinking your own Shrinky Dinks today! To get started, you’ll need a few essential supplies like scissors, glue, and a punching hole. Feel free to get creative with different colors and try incorporating upcycled plastic for an added touch. To get started, you’ll need a Shrinky Dink sheet, scissors, Sharpie pens, glue, a punch hole, pliers, and access to an oven for the final baking step.