Content
I’ve included a few easy-to-make suggestions of images in the templates list. To make Shrinky Dink Christmas ornaments, I’ve found that a full sized image (from a coloring book or the like) works very well. If you ever want to make your own, five or six images per page works out to be about the right size for necklaces or keychains. Check out The Homestead Kids Blog, where the kids share the things they’ve been creating! The colors will darken, so don’t worry if it seems light.
Why Shrinky Dink Crafts Remain Popular
Guiding children through the creative process makes cherished memories. Our kits are perfect for birthday parties, sleepovers, camp, or as gifts. Our kits are age-adaptable with projects ranging from simple to advanced. As children draw, color and assemble their shrink art designs, they build artistic skills from composition to fine motor coordination.
Easy Shrinky Dink Crafts
- Trace or draw anything on the circles, using permanent markers.
- I typically use colored pencils or markers on the shrink film.
- Get creative and add some beads, sequins, or other embellishments to give your shrinky dink keychain some extra flair.
- Watching them shrink and curl was mesmerizing, making crafting feel more like a science experiment you could hold in your hand.
- To close a jump ring, make sure you close it into a perfect circle with no gaps in the circle opening.
Come read tips and tricks for shrinky dinks, plus oven temperatures..basically everything our family has learned throughout all our Shrinky Dink making activities. There’s so much fun and learning to be had using Shrinky Dinks! I know many people thing of the handprint keychains but there are really SO many other fun things to make from shrink film that would make awesome gifts. Shrinky Dink necklaces can really range from simple ones done by toddlers all the way to fancy, professional looking projects done by adults shrinky dink art or teens.
What You Need to Know Before You Start Painting on Shrinky Dinks
The ridges will flatten out in the oven. If outline the handprint, consider letting your child fill in the handprint with vibrant colors, or leave it as a simple outlined design for a more minimalist look. You can color in your design with colored pencils, permanent markers, or acrylic paint. You can find an image of your favorite cartoon character and print it out to trace.
Shrinky Dink Paper
By nature, shrinky dinks will curl up as they shrink. Pencils and colored pencils will both erase enough to fix small mistakes. For pencils and colored pencils, use the rough dull side. Come join 385,000+ followers on our Pinterest Boards, where we pin our favorite creative ideas!
DIY Shrinky Dinks: Use Recycled Plastic To Make This Retro Craft!
If your design does not entirely flatten, make sure it is is good and hot, and then place an acrylic block or another ceramic tile on top of it, to flatten it while it cools. With larger designs like our heart, the shrink plastic can curl up on itself and look like it will never be flat. If using a heat gun, you’ll start to see your shrinky dink move and curl, as the first parts of the shrink plastic in the design shrink down. Use a wooden skewer (or any heat-proof tool) to gently hold the image down while you apply heat from a heat gun.
If you don’t have a heat gun, they are not pricey, you can usually get one for around $25 and they are great for other home uses. What we have found to be much easier AND quicker is using a heat gun! My kids love carrying pocket-sized shrink dinks to carry around their pockets or add them to their endless cache of loose parts or special treasures. You can also grab our FREE printable Earth Day coloring sheet to make perfect cute earth!
This project is a great way to add some festive flair to your accessories collection and is perfect for the winter season. These earrings are perfect for adding a touch of seasonal charm to your outfit, and they make great gifts for friends and family. This project is perfect for preserving memories or showing off your favorite designs. The Shrinky Dink Heart Wrap Bracelet and Wildflower Rings are both easy to make and perfect for adding some unique flair to your outfit.
What kind of plastic can be used as shrink film?
The white plastic is opaque, but it handles your printer’s color perfectly. Then you can make Shrinky Dinks straight from your computer with special inkject shrink film. Other types of plastic don’t shrink well, turn weird colors or worse — release smelly chemicals. Draw whatever you want on it with permanent markers, pop it in the oven and PRESTO!
Layering your colors and using a light hand helps prevent the construction from warping. Acrylic paint, watercolor, and permanent markers also work well due to their adhesion. Typically, materials will cost you around $15, and you can knock it out in a couple of hours, including drying time! After creating with acrylics, seal your Shrinky Dinks with a clear acrylic spray, like Krylon’s 1305, to enhance durability. Some colors came out vibrant, while others faded when baked; it was both exciting and nerve-wracking!
Hand painted and hand drawn in shrink film. For simple jewelry, just use a tiny dab of E6000 on the jewelry finding where you want it to attach to the shrinky. Now if you did punch holes to make dangly earrings and necklace pendants jump rings and needle nose pliers in addition to a necklace chain and french earring hooks. Once your shrinkies are removed from the oven, immediately remove them from the baking tray and place them on a flat surface underneath a large heavy object.