DIY Shrinky Dinks.
By ChrisjobMy parents are both science teachers: which means they always ruined the secrets to magic tricks, they forced me to identify every tree by leaf and bark type, and we always created our own versions of ‘science-y’ toys. We used to cook our Easy-Bake Oven meals with foil and a light bulb, and created our own slime with cornstarch and food coloring.
And, when we wanted our own shrinkable art, did we get the sweet pre-printed HeMan or Strawberry Shortcake sheets? Nope. We freehanded it on blank sheets of plastic, and copying the designs from coloring books. (Luckily, neither of my parents could draw, or else we might have had hand drawn versions of those, too.)
The process is simple. I don’t know what kind of Shrinky Dinks are available, if any, but I’ll always be able to make some on my own… I guess my parents actually taught me something. Nuts.
Ingredients:
Clean #6 Plastic
Permanent Markers
Scissors
Aluminum Foil
Oven and Tongs or Oven Mitt
1. Obtain a piece of #6 plastic (polystyrene). Most clear containers at salad bars, delis, and grocery stores will work. Just flip it over and look for a “6” inside the recycling arrows. If you ask nicely, they’ll usually give you a fresh one.
2. Cut any excess plastic away to make a flat sheet (use both the top and the bottom), and recycle the excess.
3. Draw or write your desired image or text on your plastic canvas using permanent markers. The total image will shrink to about a third of its original size, and five or six times its original thickness. (My parents, of course, would make us measure before and after, and figure how much it had changed.)
4. Pre-heat your oven to 350°, and place a rack in the lowest position. Create a “tray” out of the aluminum foil by bending up the sides. Technically, you could cover a baking sheet with foil, but the thinner surface allows for more direct heat and quicker shrinking.
5. Place your art in the tray, then use the tongs or an oven mitt to place the foil on the bottom rack.
6. For the first minute your art will curl up all crazy-like, but soon, it will flatten itself out. If you have an oven door through which you can see, then just keep an eye on it. If your door is solid, open it just slightly (as you would do when broiling) after 90 seconds. Total time for a large piece (5-6” starting size) will be about 3 1/2 minutes.
7. Using the tongs or oven mitt, remove the tray. At this point, it’s still plyable, so if you want to flatten it more, or add waves or bend the corners, do so CAREFULLY within the first ten seconds.
8. Now, you can do as you please. It’s still cut-able, sand-able, drill-able, glue-able, and plenty more. Attach it to jewelry, make a luggage label, or even a guitar pick!
Please include more application ideas in the comments below. Cheers.
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MaryBT
You think you had it bad? My dad was an engineer! I distinctly remember putting a piece of 2x4 in a sink of water to see how much it would expand. Good times.
LOL.
Thanks for the instructions. I'm going to try this with the 2 year old this weekend.
Jelly Bean
Wow, I am so glad there is another way other than buying the Shrinky-dink stuff from the store. I am hoping not to have anything curl up, a little would be fine, but the entire project I have going on in my head, oh no!! hehe. I remember doing Shrinky-dink stuff as a kid. Lots of fun I will enjoy with my children. I just wonder.. it is better to do it yourself.. or to buy the actual product.. for the best results that is? So glad I found this!
BriiBrii-tan
Wow, thanks so much for this! I know I'm a little late in finding this, but I was planning to make some keychains for my anime club, anime wherever I looked I couldn't find a store selling Shrinky Dinks anywhere! Glad that I didn't waste the money on them when I could just do it like this at home! Thanks again!
RSdaCat
LOVE THIS! I forget isn't there a way to "save your favourites" on this site? I love these ideas and would love to have them "at my fingertips" so to speak.
Phil
I've been playing around with the opaque foam-type #6 plastic as well, which obviously results in an opaque final piece. It's harder to work with and greatly distorts, that is it shrinks much more in one direction than the other. But if you take that into account and keep the pieces fairly small, it works.
Oh, and it doesn't flatten itself out as well as the clear plastic, so you'll have to flatten (or bend) it yourself while it's still hot.
Aprf
umm..... could you use any other type plastic for this project?
NanaMomsers
For those of you that get really addicted to Shrinky-Dinks, here's a link with all kinds of info including buying Shrinky-Dink plastic/paper!!
http://www.shrinkydinks.com/pages/qanda.htm
I usually make jewelery but sometimes I make charms for cel phones and IPods.
Tina
I love this, and can not wait to try it. Thanks
Anonymous
You can also use milk jugs. I cut the circle out of the side, draw on it, the pace in the oven and watch it shrink. Gerat fun.
ronmaggi
My first time around it worked out well. I sanded it with 2000 grit sand paper first, but I didn't like the frosted look. My second time around the polystyrine fused together on one side and there was no uncurling it! Any tips for preventing that, or should I just chalk that up to the skrinkydink gods? Also, there is a post on how to make shrinkydink rings. The author used brown paper instead of foil, and the toaster oven. I think I'll go that route next time as it is smaller and probibly has better temp control.
Megan
@Axel
Thanks a lot!
Axel
No, these don't work in a microwave at all. They need constant heat at 325 degrees, and microwaves don't work that way.
11lizzie
Would it be possible to make these in the microwave??
Axel
@Megan
There's a number of sealants you can use to protect your keychain, if you search for them or ask an artist (anyone who does lots of crafts probably knows what's good). I use a bottle of embossing powder I got from the Shrinky Dinks website, which works great (and gives it a nice sheen) except you can only really coat one side (not a problem if you only draw on one side).
Megan
I just wanted to ask if there was some kind of cover that i could put over it.
Actually, I just finished making a couple and I made them into key chains, but after I put them with my keys, the keys scratched off the permanent marker. Is there something that I could use to cover over the front side?
ClayBabe
I'm jumping in a little (LOT! lol) late here but it shouldn't be harmful in any well ventilated area. The harmful fumes come if you burn it. DON'T BURN IT!
You do color it before you shrink it, but I wouldn't advise putting lighters in the oven. Make a wood or cardboard template shaped like your lighters and bake on those.
Deanna
deathbyillusion
Ok im a littlwe confused like if your going to shrink this to an object do you de it in the oven when you furst put it in or do you do it after you have put it in the oven like putting it in boiling water cause i was going to print a logo out on my pc using this plastic then shrink it to lighters would that work?
irisgripri
From the Green guide website:
#6 PS
Extruded polystyrene (#6 PS; commonly known as Styrofoam) is used in take-out containers and cups, and non-extruded PS is used in clear disposable takeout containers, disposable plastic cutlery and cups. Both forms of PS can leach styrene into food; styrene is considered a possible human carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer. It may also disrupt hormones or affect reproduction.
As we all know, the leaching happens, when the plastic is heated... I don't really know how harmful it is to breathe the stuff in that gets released, but it seems a little risky. Does anybody know?
speedogirl2
Not to rain on the party, but could this potentially release toxins from the plastic?
siera104
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