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Welcome Back to Shrinky Dinks!
If you've somehow managed to grow up as a child without playing with Shrinky Dinks at least once... our condolences!
This amazing shrinking plastic we call Shrinky Dinks (also known by the more generic term shrink film), once licensed for all sorts of great childhood monopolies from My Little Pony to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, is now coming back in vogue as a great way to make the jewelry you've only dreamed of in the past.
Whether you're using your artwork or even family photos, now you can put just about anything on a Shrinky Dink! There's no easier way to make the jewelry and accessories of your dreams than with Shrinky Dinks, and all you need is a little bit of plastic, an oven, and your imagination!
This amazing shrinking plastic we call Shrinky Dinks (also known by the more generic term shrink film), once licensed for all sorts of great childhood monopolies from My Little Pony to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, is now coming back in vogue as a great way to make the jewelry you've only dreamed of in the past.
Whether you're using your artwork or even family photos, now you can put just about anything on a Shrinky Dink! There's no easier way to make the jewelry and accessories of your dreams than with Shrinky Dinks, and all you need is a little bit of plastic, an oven, and your imagination!
Like the Character featured in the charm?
That's Jigsaw Forte from the webcomic Last Resort -- feel free to learn more!
Ever Used Shrinky Dinks Before?
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Step 0: Why Use Shrinky Dinks / Shrink Film for Jewelry?
- Make Custom Jewelry for Next to Nothing! Even if you get the most expensive kind of Shrinky Dinks plastic -- the Printable Sheets -- $10 will buy you six sheets which can each make several charms per sheet and produce large amounts of jewelry.
- Easy to Experiment! Not sure what size it should be? With Shrinky Dinks, you don't have to worry about it - just make several sizes and see which one is the best fit afterwards.
- Control the Entire Process! From Print-out to fitting, you can oversee everything! No more worrying about sloppy printers who only let you see the work AFTER it's too late!
Take Their Word For It on Shrinky Dinks!
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- tinainsocal
- Wet ground outside. First rainfall in 164 days. Kids are super excited for "rainy day activity".... Shrinky Dinks!!!!
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- boredintellect
- DEC 4: SHRINKY DINKS... @Signed&Numbered :::: Drink Coozie Exchange @CopperPalatePress Get one then show it off!!! http://twitpic.com/ramw0
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- ShesAnAngel417
- Shrinky Dinks giveaway! http://bit.ly/5KIaO1
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- flamesprite
- I am having fun making celtic snowflake Christmas ornaments, not sure if anyone else will dig them but I do love making Shrinky Dinks! XD
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- hdiblasi
- Gallery: Sneak peeks at 8 emerging technologies. LEGO toys and Shrinky Dinks aid in development of microfluidics http://tinyurl.com/y8syz7t
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- tesselise95PTTA
- So I made shrinky-dinks today :) here are my favorites :) http://twitpic.com/r7xst
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- sgrant2005
- Our Happy Happenings - Shrinky Dinks Giveaway http://ourhappyhappenings.com/2009/11/shrinky-dinks-giveaway/
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- tesselise95PTTA
- making nachos with nacho cheese flavored doritos... good? i hope so lol also making shrinky-dinks... haha
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- RAZNKN
- @twiggys_rabies they are shrinky dinks! you print it out big on flat paper and cook it for 3 mins in the oven and it shrinks and thickens
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- peppermintt25
- Cleaning my room and finding all sorts of good stuff. I found my old shrinky dinks! ;D #psych
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But wait! Need Help Finding Some Shrinky Dinks?
Most art stores will have some, but just in case, here are some handy links from Amazon that might be useful! You don't even have to drive anywhere!
Shrinky Dinks: All the Art, All the Shrink Plastic, Everything You Need
Amazon Price: (as of 11/28/2009) 
Extra Stuff for Shrinky Dinks (Klutz Extra Stuff)
Amazon Price: $9.95 (as of 11/28/2009)
Shrinky Dink Charmers
Amazon Price: $9.50 (as of 11/28/2009)
Shrinky Dinks Book
Amazon Price: $12.95 (as of 11/28/2009)
Shrinky Dinks Refill Pack
Amazon Price: (as of 11/28/2009)
Step 1: Get Your Dink On! (the paper, of course)
This step is drastically different depending on whether you're drawing or printing your final designs.
Drawing is easy enough; just do what comes naturally onto the paper. If you're printing, you'll need to make sure your images come out really lightly -- we'll talk about that more in a second.
Whichever one you choose, you'll need to keep in mind that the item will shrink to about 1/3 of its length and width -- so work bigger than you think!
It's also worth warning you that you don't want to make the shapes you're planning on too complex to cut out. You'll see why in Step 2!
Drawing is easy enough; just do what comes naturally onto the paper. If you're printing, you'll need to make sure your images come out really lightly -- we'll talk about that more in a second.
Whichever one you choose, you'll need to keep in mind that the item will shrink to about 1/3 of its length and width -- so work bigger than you think!
It's also worth warning you that you don't want to make the shapes you're planning on too complex to cut out. You'll see why in Step 2!
Look at What You can Make with Shrinky Dinks!
Small bottle label r...
Compared to the XOVi...
Closeup of the Shrin...
Frosted Shrinky Dink...
Shrunken after bakin...
Cici models the Shri...
automatically generated by Flickr
Printing your Dinks?
The Shrinky Dink plastic can only handle so much ink -- so you'll need to print really lightly! Set your printer for transparencies, find a way to make your images whiter somehow (not TOO white -- 50% strength / transparency is usually enough), and remember, the printable sheets are 8" by 10", NOT 8.5" by 11" like normal paper! Be careful!
Don't worry about the fading - they'll return to their proper color when they shrink!
Step 2: Cut Your Dinks Out!
I hope you didn't make the shapes for your dinks too complex -- the plastic isn't as forgiving as ordinary paper sometimes!The easiest way to get cuts in tight corners is to make lots of tiny 'notch' cuts that'll allow you to work in closely without having to fight the plastic so much. "Square" cuts are the hardest.
Have an interior section that needs to be cut out? Use a Hole Punch to gain an opening in the plastic, and work out from there!
Any scissors will do, but cuticle scissors work best because they have small blades and long handles -- and the first time you start trying to cut into the plastic with anything else, you'll feel how sharp a shrinky dink can be!
Just because it looks like paper and you can draw on it like paper does not make it as soft and pliable as paper!
"Don't forget: Do all your cutting and hole-punching BEFORE you bake your Dinks!"
Step 3: Bake Your Dinks! (no marinade, please)
Preheat your oven to around 300 degrees. While you're waiting for it to warm up, go find some wax paper (parchment paper or the paper you find on grocery bags works too) to line your cookie tray to make sure the Shrinky Dinks don't stick to it.
Spread the Dinks out on the tray so they don't touch each other and won't get tangled up in each other.
Once the oven's warm enough, put your Dinks in.
Watch the Show! The outer edges of the plastic start to shrink first, causing the "curling" and convulsions you'll notice as they react to the heat. Relax, they'll flatten out.
Once they look like they've become flat again, give 'em another 30 seconds to finish shrinking completely.
When you remove them from the oven, go over them with a little paper to make sure they're as flat as possible! They're still pliable in this state, but not for long!
Spread the Dinks out on the tray so they don't touch each other and won't get tangled up in each other.
Once the oven's warm enough, put your Dinks in.
Watch the Show! The outer edges of the plastic start to shrink first, causing the "curling" and convulsions you'll notice as they react to the heat. Relax, they'll flatten out.
Once they look like they've become flat again, give 'em another 30 seconds to finish shrinking completely.
When you remove them from the oven, go over them with a little paper to make sure they're as flat as possible! They're still pliable in this state, but not for long!
It Shrunk THAT Much?!
Word to the wise: shrinking down to 1/3 its measurements means your Shrinky Dink actually becomes only 1/9th the size.
Plan appropriately!
Step 4: Protect your Shrinky Dink!
Use some Clear Nail Polish or other protective varnish to give your shrinky dink an extra level of shine and protection!
Remember, all that great color is only on the outermost layer of the Shrinky Dink, so give it some protection to keep it looking great and making the colors just a little bit brighter!
Remember, all that great color is only on the outermost layer of the Shrinky Dink, so give it some protection to keep it looking great and making the colors just a little bit brighter!
Shrinky Dinks Can Go Anywhere!
Awesome Shrinky Dinks for Sale!
Looking for a bargain? Find the Dinks of your dreams on eBay!
Fetching new data from eBay now... please stand by
Blogging about Shrinky Dinks? Who'd've thought?
- colored shrinky dinks are impossible to work with. on Flickr ...
- colored shrinky dinks are impossible to work with.
- Craftzine.com blog : Biomedical Lab Uses Shrinky Dinks Instead of ...
- Michelle Khine's lab at UC Irvine couldn't afford the $100K equipment to make microfluidic chips, a sheet of material with tiny channels used for certain diagnostic tests, so she made her own with Shrinky Dinks.
- Shrinky Dinks Build Chips on the Cheap
- Do you remember Shrinky Dinks? That's okay. Neither do most of the Switched staffers -- the bunch of whippersnappers they are [Ed Note: Not true. We love them.]. The once-popular, plastic arts-and-craft set, which first hit the scene in ...
- Shrinky Dinks + Toaster Oven = Revolutionary Medical Diagnostics ...
- I have created a new type of non-Newtonian polymer utilizing a combination of isolates from both My Little Pony (Sparkle Princess Fairy Pony, to be precise) and Strawberry Shortcake.?Say, what? That is a quote from the comment threads ...
Step 5: Enjoy!
Want to share how much you love these instructions, or the new jewelry you've just made? Let me know!
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Reply
- annetteghallowell annetteghallowell Aug 1, 2008 @ 1:01 pm
- I am so happy to have found this lens! I happen to have a pack of print shrink film on the table next to me that I found while looking for other printer paper. I have had it here for a week trying to get inspired. Yay!!! 5*
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Reply
- rms rms Jul 1, 2008 @ 3:59 pm
- I'd completely forgotten how much fun they were and this is a great way to use the dinks! Nice work!
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Reply
- rms rms Jul 1, 2008 @ 3:59 pm
- I'd completely forgotten how much fun they were and this is a great way to use the dinks! Nice work!
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Reply
- beeobrien beeobrien Jun 21, 2008 @ 12:54 pm
- Nice lens. I love playing with shrinky dinks.
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Reply
- JigsawForte JigsawForte Jun 19, 2008 @ 2:21 pm
- She's printed out in color. A friend of mine has some examples of shrinky dinks using prismacolor pencils, but I think those look waxy by comparison.
Jigsaw, like most of my current artwork, is drawn entirely on the computer using a few programs (Illustrator / Paint Shop Pro). Actually she's sort of a "failed" example as one of my charms of her broke not too long after. Clothing snag. :(
Yeah, conventional ovens / toaster ovens (the flat kind, not the top-loading kind) are best for dinks. Heat guns are typically NOT recommended due to the difficulty in using them, but still possible in theory.
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So, who made this wonderful lens?
Lensmaster JigsawForte has been a member since March 9 2008, has rated 23 lenses, favorited 36, and has created 76 lenses from scratch. This member's top-ranked page is "The Ultimate "Bejeweled Blitz" Tips and Tricks!". See all my lenses
My Bio
Creator of the Webcomic Last Resort.
Check out what I'm doing lately on my Squidoodlist blog!
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Creator of the Webcomic Last Resort.
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