When you were a kid in the 1970s or 1980s that loved arts and crafts, you’ll probably have fond memories of Shrinky Dinks. They were sheets of plastic that were printed with cartoon characters or other designs that were colored using colored pencils and cut out using scissors and baked in the oven. The plastic swelled and hardened as it baked giving you the most fun piece of artwork made from plastic.
They might have fallen out of favor for a while. However, you can still purchase Shrinky Dink plastic sheets that can be used to create all sorts of crafts that are fun! There are a variety of brands to choose from in the majority of craft stores as well as on the internet. Here are some of the fun ideas that you can create with Shrinky Dinks.
4 Ideas to Make Use of Shrinky Dinks
Shrinky Dink Jewelry
Making custom jewelry is enjoyable and easy to make using shrink-wrapped plastic! If you design jewelry, you’ll be able to make something that is perfect for an outfit. It is also possible to create attractive pieces for holidays and other special occasions. Simply design your shrink plastic and make a hole, bake and then connect it to the chain or earring base. A standard hole punch creates the perfect hole size for jewelry once it has swelled.
The possibilities for exciting jewelry designs are endless. Let your imagination go free! Make a range of themed jewelry for unique charm bracelets. Make snowflake or snowman patterns for fun Christmas jewelry and pendants. Eggs and flowers colored in pastel shades could be transformed into beautiful Easter jewelry.
Shrinky Dink Photo Crafts
If you print your photos on shrink-proof plastic sheets you can create keychains with your favorite family vacation pictures or a complete charm bracelet that is full of family photos. Pins and brooches can be attached to the back using a strong adhesive to create flair pins with your pictures. Attaching push pins or magnets to the reverse of your Shrinky Dink photograph is an enjoyable way to embellish your refrigerator or corkboard. Also, family pictures are always a delight to display on the Christmas tree.
Shrinky Dink Bookmarks
Bookmarks are among the simplest Shrinky Dink projects. However, they could be the most entertaining, especially for kids! Cut your shrink plastic into rectangles by punching a hole into the top. Make sure that before baking your creation, it should be about three times larger than the finished piece appears to be. Add vibrant colors, and tracings of characters, from books, or even personalize them with someone’s name. It’s easy for children to complete and make great presents for their teachers. They’re also useful when you’re giving an individual a book as a present.
Shrinky Dink Pet Tags
Shrinky Drink is perfect create enjoyable “jewelry” that you can wear for your pet, too! Design your pet’s design in the form of a bone for your dog or heart, or perhaps the silhouette of a kitten or puppy. Remember when drawing that the design you create will shrink down to approximately 1/3 of the original size, thus you may want to make smaller tags to fit smaller collars for pets.
For the best result, paint the tag using lighter colors. Then, write the pet’s name using an ink pen that is black over the design that you colored. Another option is to color the tag and then make use of your printer or cutting machine like the Cricut machine to make a small vinyl sticker that includes the pet’s name. Apply the sticker once the baking process is complete and has cooled. Be aware when selecting the colors, they will get darker when your pet tag is baked!
Make Your Own Shrinky Dink Art Now!
Activities like these will surely bring out the artist inside of you. Get your materials now and shrink a dink together with your family and friends and have a fun time!
