The Magical World of Shrinky Dinks

If that does not work then place them between Teflon® coated sheets with the Teflon® sides contacting the sample and a hot iron on a non-coated surface, but even that would not be very successful. I asked Dad to explain the science behind plastic shrinkage to me. I am thinking of making jewelry with her artwork, suncatchers, making Christmas ornaments, and… the possiblities are endless. I even started punching a hole in them before shrinking. 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. If it has a https://shrinky-dink.com/ 6 in it, you’re good to go.

• Easy step-by-step ideas, tips, and creative shrinky dink projects perfect for home, daycare, or classrooms.
• Whether you make snowflakes, penguins, mugs of cocoa, or mittens, the joy of watching artwork shrink into something magical never gets old.
• Parents see improved recall because children link the miniature icons with classroom discussions.

We tested DIY Shrinky Dinks using plastic fruit packages

Then I started thinking… isn’t there somewhere we can buy plain sheets of Shrinky Dinks® material? In case you’re wondering, that’s about 4 cents per second. A 3 year old will blast through coloring this package in approximately 38 seconds a piece of plastic and then be ready to shrink them in the oven. The package had six measly little images on miniature plastic chips of Cinderella and Snow White and company accompanied by the shortest colored pencils you’ve ever thought possible. Keep in mind that the colors become darker as they condense and become smaller. You will need to watch them and take them out when they are flat.

Storing and Organizing Your Supplies

Guiding children through the creative process makes cherished memories. Kids can make custom shrink art pieces to share and swap with friends. For over 50 years, shrink art has been our signature offering.

When it comes to crafting with children, it is especially important to prioritize safety. By taking these precautions and selecting safe materials, you can enjoy crafting shrinky dinks without compromising your health or the environment. This ensures that the crafting process does not pose any health risks, especially when the finished products might be used by children or come into contact with food.

What You’ll Learn

The kids were so impressed with the finished shrinky dinks! The ridges did keep the shrinky dinks from becoming truly flat. Then they will flatten out again. They take about 3 minutes to bake.

Mix and match colors, add gems for extra dazzle, and create earrings, rings, and more to match any outfit or occasion. Craft trinkets that mimic the look of frosted glass, perfect for charms, keychains, ornaments, and more. Bakefor 1-5 minutes depending on oven heat- ours started to shrink around the 1 minute mark and were fully done by the 2 minute mark. If you’re just getting started or thinking about experimenting with shrink plastic, making a cheat sheet is a perfect way to begin!

Made from Polystyrene Plastic

Once it is warm it can be trimmed with scissors, it will also flatten back out and you can give it another go. For my size, I started with a strip 5″ long by about 1″ to 1 1/2″ wide. Some of the small shapes we placed on id wire rings along with some beads to make beverage markers. We added a jump ring to some of our shapes and strung on cording along with beads to make necklaces.

The charms below are all made on #6 plastic and they turned out a little warped. I started looking for the magical #6 stamp on things I picked up at the store and found that #6 plastic is not widely used by my family. Because seriously, no one who’s watching their budget should be buying tons of deli takeout.

If you want smooth crafting and perfect shrinking every time, a few simple tips go a long way. If you’re working with preschoolers who tend to press lightly with pencils, I’d recommend frosted sheets—they hold color beautifully. The rough ones work wonderfully with colored pencils, while clear sheets tend to be best for markers. You don’t need a big supply list to get started. I’ve even used Shrinky Dinks for name recognition activities by letting kids decorate letters that shrink into keychains.

If you love Shrinky Dink jewelry, this is a fun project to try with Sharpies and stencils. Just like a few years back when my US colleague told me that his children were doing home schooling and he was teaching them about “car”. Actually, PSLE did not come to my mind when I started writing this post. The shrink plastic is the material for Shrinky Dinks, a toy invented in the 70s which amaze kids by shrinking down to 1/3 its original size when heated. I was with my jewelry maker friend, Ling, the other day discussing about her new online store “Felicity Findings”. I applied the ink directly onto the surfaces and played around with rubbing alcohol as a blending solution.