DIY Shrinky Dinks: Use Recycled Plastic To Make This Retro Craft!
Today's post is a throwback to one of my favorite childhood crafts: DIY Shrinky Dinks!
Shrinky Dinks were one of my absolute favorite things to do as a kid.
If you don't already know what Shrinky Dinks are, then your childhood wasn't complete.
Shrinky Dinks were this fantastic craft that was hugely popular in the 80's.
Kits came with pre-printed coloring sheets of your favorite characters (I was partial to the Care Bears or Rainbow Bright) and a set of colored pencils.
Once you'd decorated them, you'd cut them out and have your parents pop them into the oven where they magically shrunk down to these tiny little thick plastic charms.
They were seriously the coolest!
Just like with my other retro crafts projects (like my crumple tie dye shirts), when I heard I could DIY Shrinky Dinks, I was super excited to dig into it.
Nothing was more entertaining than coloring those rough plastic pages with the tiny little colored pencils and then watching them shrivel up into cute little charms.
It seemed like they were everywhere when I was a kid, but over the years have become harder and harder to find.
Recently I learned that the magic of Shrinky Dinks (Shrink E Dink or Shrink A Dink as they're sometimes known) is that they use a special type of plastic for their special shrinking sheets, and that this type of plastic is also used for a lot of other of things.
I'm super excited to teach you where to find this special plastic and how to use it to make your own DIY Shrinky Dinks!
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The Special Plastic and Where To Find It
Shrinky Dinks can be made from #6 plastic. #6 plastic is the classification for Polystyrene (aka Styrofoam).
When you think Styrofoam you're likely thinking of disposable cups or take out containers. This is NOT what you want to use for this project!
While Polystyrene is used to make the items I just mentioned, the same type of plastic is used to make clear containers that are cheap, lightweight, and easily formed into shapes.
You frequently see them as take out containers for salads or lids for pans made out of aluminum. These are types of plastic we want to use for this project.
Polystyrene is actually quite difficult to recycle, so reusing it for a project like this is a great way to keep it out of landfills!
How to Identify #6 Plastic for DIY Shrinky Dinks
It's not hard to find items made from #6 plastic.
In fact, I bet you'll start looking for it just about everywhere once you make this project.
While you can just order DIY Shrinky Dink sheets from Amazon, I prefer to find them among things I'm probably gonna just discard anyway.
If you want to order them online, you can find them here:
If you're trying to identify #6 plastic in the wild, you'll want to look for this symbol:
As I said above, you're likely to find #6 plastic that can be used for DIY Shrinky Dinks in take out containers.
I found some at my local Dollar Tree, when I bought an aluminum pan to bake brownies in to bring to an event. The lid that came with it was mainly a nice, flat piece of #6 plastic.
It was perfect for this project!
How To Make DIY Shrinky Dinks
To make this project, you'll need to gather together just a few supplies.
What You'll Need:
To make DIY Shrinky Dinks, you'll need:
- a flat piece of #6 plastic
- permanent markers
- scissors
- parchment paper
- a sheet pan
- a hole puncher (optional)
I've already told you where to find #6 plastic for DIY Shrinky Dinks, so that shouldn't be a problem.
The kits we used to use as kids came with rough sided plastic that you could easily decorate with the included colored pencils.
When using recycled #6 plastic, you're likely to only find smooth surfaces. That's why you'll need permanent markers for this project.
You'll get a much better result using a permanent marker on the plastic than any other type of medium.
Make sure your plastic is really clean and dry before getting started, especially if you're using old take out containers.
You can simply wash them with dish soap and water.
You'll need a good pair of scissors to cut out your shapes and you can also use a hole puncher if you're planning to make your DIY shrinky dinks into charms.
You'll also need parchment paper so the plastic won't stick to the sheet pan you'll bake them on.
Prepping your designs
Now for the fun! You can draw whatever you want. You can even trace designs since the plastic is clear.
Keep in mind, colors will be more intense when the designs shrink up, so use that knowledge to your advantage.
Also remember that the plastic will shrink up to about ⅓ the original size of the designs.
And don't make them too tiny, they might end up sticking together during the heating process (more on this later)
If you plan to make it into a charm, it's a good idea to use a hole puncher to put a hole in the plastic before you shrink it.
It will be really hard to do once you've baked your DIY Shrinky Dink.
Once you've colored in your designs, cut them out.
Applying Heat
Now you'll want to arrange your designs on a sheet pan, with a sheet of parchment paper underneath them.
This will keep your DIY shrinky dinks from sticking to your pan and ruining it.
You'll need to preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
Once the oven reaches temperature, place your sheet pan on the middle rack.
It won't take very long for them to shrink up, only about 2 to 3 minutes, so I DO NOT recommend walking away from your oven.
It's also super fun to watch, so why miss all the action?
Don't freak out if your DIY Shrinky dinks start to curl up. That's perfectly normal. They'll uncurl again.
The reason I recommended not making your designs too small is because of this curling.
Tiny designs have more possibility of the sides touching each other when they curl up in the heat. So keep this in mind when drawing.
Once your designs have uncurled and are flat again, they won't shrink anymore, so you can take it out of the oven.
Be super careful, since they'll be hot. You'll want to let the cool for a few minutes before trying to handle them.
What To Do With Your DIY Shrinky Dinks
Now that you've finished making your DIY Shrinky Dinks, there's tons of ways you can use them!
I've seen necklaces, bracelets, earrings, and all sorts of jewelry made from them.
They also make great luggage tags or sun catchers!
Have you made DIY Shrinky Dinks? What did you do with them? I'd love to hear the answers in the comments!
Looking for other fun DIY crafts? Check out the craft project you can play when your done with this DIY Mancala Game Board project!
DIY Shrinky Dinks: Use Recycled Plastic To Make This Retro Craft!
Recycle old plastic containers into these cool DIY Shrinky Dinks!
Materials
- a flat piece of #6 plastic
- permanent markers
- parchment paper
Tools
- scissors
- a sheet pan
- a hole puncher (optional)
Instructions
- Locate a flat piece of #6 plastic. Make sure it is clean and dry.
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
- Using permanent markers, decorate shapes and designs on the plastic.
- Cut out the plastic, with the knowledge that it will shrink down to about ⅓ it's original size.
- If you plan to make a charm, punch a hole in your design before baking.
- Arrange your plastic pieces on a sheet pan with a piece of parchment paper underneath them to prevent sticking.
- Place your baking sheet on the middle rack of your oven.
- Watch your DIY Shrinky Dinks closely. They will curl up and then flatten out again as they shrink. This whole process should take somewhere between 2 and 3 minutes.
- Remove the pan from the oven and let your designs cool.
Notes
Melting plastic may let off fumes. Please make sure you ventilate your area properly when completing this project.
Children should never use the oven unsupervised, so please have a parent complete the oven steps of this project.
We made these today, since we had some food containers with the right plastic. It was a great family project! Thanks for posting!
Wow! Thanks for this post. I found it while I was looking for a place to buy the Shrinky Dink blank sheets. I will certainly use your suggestions. Happy New Year!
Thank you for this DIY project. I was also looking for blank sheets for Shrinky Dinks!
Hey, just wanted to make sure; when you use degree, you mean Fahrenheit?
Yes, we definitely mean Fahrenheit.
If you gently sand one side with very fine sandpaper you can then use colored pencils.
Great idea! Thanks for sharing it!
Thank you for this DIY project. I was also looking for blank sheets for Shrinky Dinks!
I love the tip above about sanding it so you can use colored pencils. ❤️
@Tina, what grit number on the sand paper?
I've had to throw away some marvelous pieces of recycled plastic because I didn't know how to safely get the sticky part of labels off, that wouldn't catch fire when I heat them.
What do you do?
P.S. I heat mine with a heat gun that I use in card-making to melt embossing powders. It's so exciting to watch them!!!!
I've had good luck with using coconut oil to remove them. Once I scrape off the sticker as much as I can by hand, I rub off the glue with coconut oil on a cloth. Then I wash it thoroughly to remove any remnants of the oil. I've also used Goof-Off before and had very good luck. Just make sure you wash them thoroughly afterwards! Using a heat gun sounds so fun! It's super satisfying to watch them shrink.
I love using card-making supplies to make explosion boxes. Have you seen my post about those? They make awesome gifts!
@Becky Kaiser, hi, Becky, you can , (believe it or not)...use lighter fluid to get sticky labels off . Because older labels won't budge with heat So scrape off what u can after a Lil soak in hot water, then, put some lighter fluid on a ppr towel and rub . It's easy as pie! ( the fluid is the type we pur in zippo style lighters just a Lil fact fyi) have fun
@Becky Kaiser, hey there. Please check the store for goo gone. It is the best way to clean nasty goo off of plastic. Soak your plastic in hot soapy water to get as much of the label gone on the container, then dry it off. Simply drizzle a bit of goo gone onto the gooey plastic and rub it in (probably use a glove so it doesn’t stink up your hand) then let it sit for a few minutes. After a few minutes, use a paper towel to wipe the goo off. Most of it should be gone, but you may need to repeat the process if it’s still sticky. Hope this helps. I’m not sure of any other products that have the same effect. Good luck!
@Louise Emery, you even use vegetable oil. The type of oil doesn't matter. Not everyone may have coconut oil laying around on a regular basis, but almost everyone has either vegetable, canola, or peanut oil. You could even use olive oil, though expensive so I don't recommend it. I've also used baby oil before and it worked great! But you definitely have to use dish soap and clean it really well afterwards!
I used plastic cups. It worked ok just keep it in the oven longer.
WD40 spray works great to get the sticky label residue off glass and plastic. Just peel off the paper part of the label, then lightly spray the sticky residue area. Wait 3-5 minutes, then wipe the "goo" off with paper towels, then wash with dish soap and water to remove the leftover WD40. It's like magic!
@Jetta, try mayonnaise instead.
It works and it's safer than WD40
I’m so excited to try this with my 2,3,and 4yr old! Do you think acrylic paints with a hand print would bake well?
Hmmm... I would worry about the paint cracking at the high heat. If the acrylic paint doesn't work, try stamp pads or rolling stamp ink. That might hold up better.
@Debi, I would try tracing their hands and having them color them in with the permanent markers or colored pencils (after sanding, as mentioned above.)
@Debi, I saw someone do this with acrylic paint. They had a small child make one of a hand print and one of a foot print using non toxic acrylic paint and it looked like it worked the same way. Try multi surface paint maybe so it won’t crack.
When my kids were little we traced and colored Christmas images which we made into ornaments for our Christmas tree.
What a great idea! I love it!
Does it matter which side you lay the Shrinky dink on before putting it in the oven? (like the side the marker should touch the parchment paper or opposite side)
Good question! I've never even considered that. I think we've always done them ink side up, but I don't think it matters.
@Nancy, I've never bothered which side since it works fine either way, BUT I do notice some ink coming off on the parchment paper which just goes to show you want to use that parchment paper to avoid ink on your pans if you have it ink side down.
Just to be curious I tried making some with #1clear plastic. The clear turned white and only shrank about a third but turned quite hard.
That's really interesting! I'll have to try that and see how it goes.
I just got done making some tiny ornaments for a tiny Christmas tree! Love how they turned out.
I'm so glad they turned out well for you! I'd love to see some pictures if you'd like to send them to me on Facebook!
No luck finding this #6 plastic for shrinky projects. Went to craft store and other places. The plastic is different and doesn't shrink. Other plastic or Containers are different and don't work at all.
@Zena Ortiz, I use the plastic water bottles and containers that we get deli muffins in and also lettuce in. They all work great !!
I'm a 59 YR old grandmother who started doing them when I was a late teen in highschool with younger siblings & who enjoyed doing shrinky dinks with my 3 boys & one daughter & now get to do them with my grandchildren! I still have earrings that each of my kids made for me that I continue to wear when I'm around that now grown child & they're like "OH WOW MOM, YOU STILL HAVE THOSE?!" I still make jewelry & crafts & whenever I have an idea & I can't find the right doo-hickey for my vision at a craft or bead store, I make it with a SHRINKY DINK PLASTIC! Now that I know I can use #6 plastic I'm afraid my occasional craft might become an addiction! THANK YOU! (I think!)
Excited about this project! I'm keeping my eyes open for #6 plastic around my home. Definitely going to try this with the grandkiddos next time we get together.
im twelve yrs old so i hope its fun
I'm going to try these for princess-theme charms to use in a jewelry craft at my daughter's upcoming birthday celebration. I'm so happy to find this frugal option. 🙂
Has anyone used Modge Podge to give your creation a little shine? I haven’t done it myself just wondering.
I haven't done it myself, but I think it would work well. I love that Modge Podge has so many finish options!
@Louise Emery, would you use the modge podge after you baked i Shrinking dink
Thank you , Ann
I've never done that, but the ones we made haven't been put through a lot of wear and tear. I don't think it would hurt anything if you want a layer of protection on them.
@Karen, actually, in some threads they recommend using mod podge after you are done making your shrinky sinks as a sealer, so the colors don't rub off or fade over time. So your intuition is spot on! You had a great idea!
Love this
Can you use paint or ink for like a handprint or only marker ? Thanks
I've seen others use paint or ink. I haven't done it myself, so I can't verify how it would turn out.
@Sabrina, you CAN use paints, however, they turn out best if you shrink them first and paint after they've cooled. A lot of times, depending on the character or picture you are using, it even makes it look better to paint or color it on the back side of the image. That way, when you are coloring it, regardless of what medium you use, you aren't touching your outline, so sometimes it looks much cleaner and neater when you color the back of it, instead of the front. I definitely recommend sealing your work with Mod Podge or even epoxy resin if you use paint though, as it has a greater risk of being scratched off then markers would.
it’s so fun!!!!
Oh wow! I forgot about Shrinky Dinks! I made them when I was young (early 1980's), and now I have a new project to do with my young adults in our school library makerspace. They are going to LOVE this! Thanks for the great instructions and the tip about using #6 plastic. I will be asking our school staff to save up their #6 plastic containers for our students to use.
I am going to try making some of the charms for Crocs.
That's a great idea!
Great instructions! I found some printable Christmas ornament templates online, used them to cut out ornaments, decorated them with my 4 year old, and made amazing little ornaments!
That's a great idea!
Thank you SO much for sharing this, and thank you for making it easy to follow, and for providing great pictures. I feel like I actually know what I'm doing, lol
Glad it's helpful!
Omg this is so cool 8/10
I HAVE ONE I MADE IN THE. 70'S IT IS A SNOWMAN THAT HANGS ON MY CHRISTMAS TREE
I love this!
When I did this as a kid we would use sandpaper to roughen up the plastic, and then coloured pencils worked like a charm. I can’t wait to try them again as an adult!