If you’re a child of the 80s you’ve likely heard of Shrinky Dinks before and they likely ranked right up there with your Easy-Bake Oven and your Caboodle. Shrinky Dinks shrinky dink art has become an essential tool in my quest for crafting exquisite accessories! From colorful magnets to intricate jewelry, Shrinky Dinks sparks imagination and encourages experimentation in my students. From quirky jewelry to personalized home décor, Shrinky Dinks offers endless possibilities for artistic expression.

Shrinky Dinks were the ultimate combination of science and art and the results were totally tubular. When it came out your drawing had turned into a hardened piece of art, one third of its original size. You might remember this process of coloring a plastic sheet and watching it curl up and shrink in the oven. If you’d like to share, you are permitted to use a single photograph and a summary of a single post with a direct link back to the Silhouette School post.

The crafting session itself reinforces measurement, heat transfer, and material science concepts in a playful context. Let your shrink film cool for a few minuets. I’ll also be drawing my own design but as this shrink film is transparent you can also trace a page from a coloring book, magazine or book! You can cut shapes out of the shrink film before you shrink it, as well as punch holes in it for key chains, etc. I typically use colored pencils or markers on the shrink film. Shrinky dinks shrink about 1/3 their original size when heated – I use a small craft oven; a toaster oven, kitchen oven, or heat gun, can also be used!

What Are Shrinky Dinks?

You know, shrinky dinks, the thin plastic that shrinks in the oven. They will become 1/3 of their original size. Bake at 325 degrees for 1-3 minutes. Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Pinterest You have your very own Shrinky Dink jewelry and embellishments.

Photo Charms for Custom Jewelry

I finished them off my adding some gold cord to hang them. To add a little more vintage charm to these vintage Christmas postcard Shrinky Dinks ornaments, I added some gold liquid leaf to the edges. The finished ornaments will be a third the original size of your image, and 9 times thicker. Remove for the oven and allow to cool before handling.

Why Shrinky Dinks Are Perfect for Kids

Easy step-by-step ideas, tips, and creative shrinky dink projects perfect for home, daycare, or classrooms. They are the perfect addition to add a unique spring touch to your wardrobe! This will make the coloring more bright and opaque while also better concealing the pin backing we are about to add. After 2 minutes, remove the tray from the oven and the bugs should now be about 1/3 their original size. – The shrinking process usually takes 1-3 minutes, depending on the thickness of the plastic and the size of the design. Whether you’re making gifts for loved ones or simply enjoying a fun crafting session, the possibilities are endless with this DIY project.”

After drawing on the rough side of the shrinky dink paper using sharpies, colored pencils or paint pens – cut out your designs and hole punch wherever you are going to attach your keychain ring. Encourage your creativity with a variety of design options with an array of cool designs to color, bake, and shrink… The templates are sized to print directly on the plastic.

• When the oven is preheated, bake the Shrinky Dinks for 3 minutes, though it may take less time.
• From quirky jewelry to personalized home décor, Shrinky Dinks offers endless possibilities for artistic expression.
• After cutting out the designs, you bake them in the oven, and the plastic shrinks to about one-third its original size.
• This method not only repurposes waste paper but also results in a product that is compostable and recyclable, further minimizing environmental impact.
• 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.
• If you don’t have parchment paper, use a spatula to flatten the shrinky dink before it completely cools.

Even kids can handle these easy steps. The shrink sheet shrinks to 20% of its original size, great for creating small durable embellishments. Professional writer with blogs, books, and a product line. I’ve been crafting for over 40 years!

Grabie Quarterly Art Club Kit

Choose high-resolution images cropped to simple shapes so faces remain clear. Turning photographs into Shrinky Dinks charms lets you wear memories on bracelets, earrings, or necklaces. Kids love adding glitter paint for sparkle that survives the oven. You can also add reflective tape on the back to boost visibility at night. Use inkjet‑compatible shrink film and always print on the matte side so the ink bonds correctly. Hand‑drawn Shrinky Dinks are the simplest way to start, and the key is sizing and surface.

Shrinky Dinks TIPS FOR Cutting and Coloring

If you are using #6 plastic, or you no longer have the instructions for your store bought shrink film, below is my basic shrinky dinks making procedure. We have tried out clear store bought shrink film, printable injet shrinky film, and #6 plastic for shrinky dinks. If you want more art ideas and how to throw the perfect art celebration for kids, check this out. You can use plastic takeout containers to make homemade shrinky dinks that are just like the ones you buy at the craft store.

These Free Shrinky Dink Templates can be used to create a variety of items including earrings, keychains, and charms. I haven’t even thought of shrinky dinks for years and years, but this is such a GREAT idea! Punch a hole on a reserved space or on the pattern for jewelry attachment; 4. Draw a pattern on the frosted side and then color it with colored pencils; 2.

I cut out all of the flat surfaces of the container and a couple of the ridged edges just to see what would happen. I finally got one with some flat surfaces that was labeled #6! To determine whether items sold and fulfilled by a third-party seller can be returned, check the returns policy set by that seller. This change of mind return policy is in addition to, and does not affect your rights under the Australian Consumer Law including any rights you may have in respect of faulty items. In some cases, the nature of the item means that it is non-returnable, for example, due to hygiene/health and personal care/wellness/consumable nature of the product. We don’t share your credit card details with third-party sellers and we don’t sell your information to others.