How To Make Shrinky Dinks Without An Oven

Whatever you choose, check your cuts before unloading your mat. You won’t be able to add the hole afterwards. Be sure to punch a hole with a standard size paper hole punch BEFORE baking your shrink plastic. Then I removed the rectangle, selected both deer and clicked Attach. Then I placed my deer images onto the rectangle so I could maximize my images without wasting materials.

Watch your project as it shrinks, twists, and then flattens back out. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and place your designs on top. If you would like to change the size, you could adjust your printer settings to scale it differently. For more shrinky dink patterns for all occasions, check these out. The perfect shrinky dink craft for many occasions. There’s something about Shrinky Dinks that pairs perfectly with summer break.

Giggles Guaranteed: Kid-Friendly Creations

• Inkjet Shrinky Dinks produce crisp graphics and photo‑based designs with very little drawing.
• We just immediately pulled them out and pulled them apart carefully with spatulas (they are hot), flattened them and then put them back in the oven.
• The PDF also includes a bonus 3-page FAQ compiled from all the tips I’ve shared in the comments since creating this tutorial.
• Then I printed a bunch of images I found online and traced them onto the plastic with a black Sharpie.
• If you’re using a reference image, print or draw it out beforehand so you have a physical copy to work with.

Cards are assigned to the person who applies and must be used by that person, photo ID may be required. Just be cautious you don’t rub off your beautiful colors when you are done. (I also made some “Paw Patrol” ones because I have children who LOVE “Paw Patrol” and because we are working with a clear medium, you can trace!)

Purchase options and add-ons

“Shrinky Dinks are a timeless craft activity that never fails to bring joy to both children and adults. From keychains and magnets to ornaments and wall art, there are endless possibilities for using Shrinky Dinks to add a personal touch to your living space. Shrinky Dinks are not just for kids’ crafts – they can also be used to make unique and stylish jewelry pieces. Get creative and experiment with different colors and patterns. If you’re looking for a more eco-friendly option, you can also make Shrinky Dinks using recycled plastic bottles.

Kids and adults love watching their designs curl, twist, and flatten in the oven, turning a simple drawing into a sturdy keepsake in just minutes. As they heat, they shrink to about one-third their original size, becoming thicker and more durable. The next day, the students in my small groups made necklaces from their cell cycle art with plastic jewelry making string that I picked up at the craft store. Here they are on the same sheet of poster board so that you can see the size difference. While they were still warm, I flattened each with a metal spatula. Look at the size difference in how they shrink in only 1 – 2 minutes!

Free Shrinky Dink Templates

The same rules apply — place your artwork on parchment paper on the baking tray and ensure there is enough space between each piece for airflow. Always remind children to wait for a moment before handling their creations after they come out of the oven, as they can be hot. Always ensure children use non-toxic coloring materials and are informed not to eat the plastic. They can make charming decorations, components in jewelry, or even embellishments for bookmarks.

DIY Shrink Plastic Rainbow Necklaces

The colors become darker and more vivid, and the final piece is thick and sturdy. Within just a couple of minutes, the flat pieces twist, curl, and shrink to about one-third of their original size. Shrinky Dink projects are easy to prepare, budget-friendly, and customizable for any theme you’re teaching.

The basic idea while creating all these products is to decorate a piece of polystyrene and bake it in the microwave so that it shrinks down in size. Shrinky dinks gained immense popularity in the 1980s, but now you can bring them back to life and have a blast while making them with your kids. If you’re still confused about how to go about creating a free printable download, just think about this for a second.

Just remember to color boldly, as the colors will intensify but darken during baking. Always test your shrink ratio with a scrap piece if you’re unsure. A general rule is to make your design about 3 times the size you want the finished product to be. If you’re drawing by hand, use a pencil to sketch out your design, then color it in with permanent markers or colored pencils.

Collecting Old Shrinky Dink Kits

And for more think kids can make, check out these other Christmas gifts that kids can make themselves. For more ornament ideas, check out twig star ornaments, superhero ornaments, and clear glass ornament ideas. (And she took the photos, Everchange Productions, so photo cred goes to her too!)

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. As more areas of the shrink plastic shrink down, https://shrinky-dink.com/ it should start to straighten out. The shrink plastic is quite brittle, so it is best to use small, sharp scissors for this, though most rough edges will be hidden once shrunk. Once your shrinky dink has fully shrunk, and is flat, leave it to cool before you handle it. Initially, your shrinky dink will curl up, but keep heating, moving the heat gun around, and it will flatten out as more of the shrink plastic shrinks fully. Use a wooden skewer (or any heat-proof tool) to gently hold the image down while you apply heat from a heat gun.