Customizable DIY Shrink Plastic Keychains In Under 10 Minutes

You can also get our free newsletter, follow us on Facebook & Pinterest. As we mentioned, not all plastics behave like this, so don’t go putting every piece of flat plastic you find in the oven. When you stick polystyrene in the oven, the heat causes the polymer chains to return to their most stable, random configuration — shrinking back down into a smaller but thicker piece of plastic. The polystyrene sheets are created through a process called extrusion — the material is heated to the melting point, then forced through a die to give it its shape. Despite how awesome they look when they curl and shrink in the oven, there’s no magic involved. Writing something on paper is the mechanical part of creative thinking, but “it has to start here,” Morris said, pointing to her head.

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• But there is good learning in project art, too, such as how to follow instructions.
• Before you start, remember that your design will shrink to about 1/3 of its original size and become 9 times thicker.
• Pull it immediately from the oven and quickly while it is still very hot wrap it around a Chap-stick tube.
• Once the DIY shrinky dinks are cut, I’ll show you my best tips for perfectly shrinking your keychains or jewelry in an oven.

I created a marble composition notebook too. It’s a fun choice for back-to-school workshops as it is so easy to install and comes in fun colors. I decided that keychains are the perfect back to school craft so that’s what I did! The plastic will twist and turn all different ways but once you’ve properly melted it all, it should lay mostly flat.

I’m going to share how to make them from recycled plastic as well as my favorite kits and papers to use. Trace your favorite action hero from books & comics to make custom charms. This crafter uses clear shrink paper and cactus drawings to make custom twinkle lights. The paint get thick as the plastic shrinks down, but it sticks pretty well. Sadly, my new Epson doesn’t have a flat feeder, so I can’t use this anymore.

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This makes it possible to color with colored pencils on the shrink film. The shrink art will curl and then will then go flat when ready. Either trace or draw freehand your favourite pictures or images on to the plastic using good quality pencils or permanent markers. Working backward, I needed to start with an image about 3 inches wide and large.

With the circle selected and the lock icon closed, change the size to .75” to make the outer edge of the hole. To add the image of the sunflower to your canvas, select the image in the preview area, then select "Add to Canvas." My designs are rather simple, but I still like to select the “Complex” option to make sure to preserve the colors.

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There are hundreds of companies that have teamed up with design and printing companies to create printable downloads. It is a lot easier than you might think to create a printable download. Then I dripped ink on the plastic wrap until I liked the combination of colors and the plastic was mostly full of color. Then I cleaned my bowl with rubbing alcohol on a paper towel and removed the sale sticker from the bottom. I started with some sailboat blue drops that I spread out with the canned air. I opened up my laminating pouch, and I chose a rainbow of ink colors.

For more vibrant colors, go over it more than once. With the permanent colored markers, trace your child’s drawing onto the shrinky dinks sheet. When your child is finished (or so they think, you can add to it right up to baking!) place the shrinky dinks sheet over their drawing.

Shrink plastic sheets

We printed out a couple shrinky dink art favorite photos of my daughter with her dad (and one of her and me!) on the shrink film. In the image below, the baking was complete, but the handprint was not flat. 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.

Children love seeing their drawings shrink into small, shiny charms, and parents love that this craft keeps kids busy without a big mess. From snowflakes and penguins to mittens and snowmen, these easy-to-trace designs make perfect winter crafts for preschoolers and families. Basically you can trace or draw (with permanent marker) your own image on a clear sheet of plastic. So, I compiled your favorite templates in to one four-page printable, just for YOU! And check out this fun printable Christmas scavenger hunt for kids to do! And for more think kids can make, check out these other Christmas gifts that kids can make themselves.

How do I prevent the designs from sticking during the baking process? – Yes, you can use a variety of art supplies to decorate your Shrinky Dinks, including colored pencils, markers, and even paint. Can I still use colored pencils or other art supplies on the non-plastic materials?