I finally got around to taking some photos while making some shrink jewellery to do a tutorial. This post is very photo heavy but I find that it's the best way to describe 'How to's & I also hate reading blog posts that only have words to explain a DIY and no pictures.
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I will share with you 4 Methods I use to get great results with Shrink Plastic arts & crafts
DIY SUPPLIES NEEDED
There are a few brands available, Shrinky Dinks is the most common. I use a brand called PolyShrink as I just find I like this better, but whatever you can get from your art supply or scrapbook shop is fine.
You do not need all of these, pick and choose what you would like to use but I recommend you always use a marker for your outline, whatever thickness you like
Draw up some designs on some paper or print them off from your computer. This can be anything you like, from a band logo to a cartoon of your dog. I just used old designs I had in my work design folder of some heart tattoo flash.
You need this to lightly sand the surface to hold the colour
There is a large range of plastics to choose from. Above is the clear, white and black. I tend to like the white as I find it gets the best results for me with my techniques but I have seen some amazing things done with other colours including the clear.
Above are just some basic designs that I had stored away in an old folder. Please remember that you can do ANYTHING at all in the picture you use, have fun and experiment!
The plastic shrinks approx 45% of its original size so make sure your designs are a lot larger than the size you want them to end up being. Look at the photo at the end to see the difference in size for reference.
INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO USE SHRINK-PLASTIC
Before you start lightly sand all areas on plastic you are going to use, I forgot this step and remembered to late to do it so my pencils & pastel chalks did not get the best result.
METHOD 1
The above photos are of permanent markers on white plastic. Below is the Tutorial with this Method
If you can not see your design through the plastic you can use a lightbox.
The best results are when you use contrasting colours.
METHOD 2
Above is using the chalks on clear plastic.
Below is the Tutorial with this Method
I think if you are going to use the chalks I would suggest using the white plastics. I had not used the pastels in ages so forgot this but they really do look beautiful when used right.
I find that if I use a cotton bud and rub the fine powder into the plastic this way I get the best results and can blend the colour nicely. You can apply the chalks straight onto the plastics but I don't really like doing it that way and the results are not as beautiful as blending with a cotton bud.
The design with look crappy before you have shrunk the plastic and you will think it will not work. It will, everything looks different once it's smaller
METHOD 3
The above is pencilled on white plastic. Below is the Tutorial on this method
Basically, you do the same as with the markers above. Trace with a market & then colour with a pencil.
If you are looking for more details, kindly visit shrink plastic size chart.
When pencils & chalks go onto the plastic they are very light and you think that you need to get it darker... YOU DON'T When the plastic shrinks the colour will go bolder and pencil marks should blend together.
Here are some more examples of what you can do with pencils.
METHOD 4
Above is a silver marker on black plastic.
Below is the Tutorial on this method
On the black plastic you really can not trace, so freehand drawing is the way to go. I just keep the designs simple on solid colours. You can also use light coloured pencils or chalk but I like the silver Sharpie the best.
The light colour creates a wow factor and really stands out once the plastic is shrunk
Now cut your little heart out!
Be careful around delicate edges as the clear can tear slightly. The smaller the scissors the better when cutting odd shapes. My scissors above are too big but again my child has lost my tiny craft scissors. I will not start ranting about that, that's a whole new post about people using my crafting scissors &#;
TIP - If you are using these for necklaces or earrings then use a hole punch to cut your hole to place your o-ring in when attaching to the chain etc. Do this before you shrink, that way no drilling into the delicate thin shrunk plastic
Oven cooking time!
The oven temperature would all depend on what brand of shrink plastic you use so check the instructions.
I had the oven set at 150 degrees and placed the tray on the middle rack.
When they have shrunk you will notice they are not flat, they may have a slight bubble. This is easily fixed. With a thick piece of cardboard press down the plastic and keep heating. Be careful not to burn yourself.
I watch the plastic closely and once it's shrunk and curled, I push down fast making the plastic flat. Only use clean white cardboard for this so no print transfers back onto the design
Above you can see the final result and the difference in the size from the original design and how much they have shrunk when cooked. You can also see how dark the colours have become.
You can use these in lots of different ways to create custom and personalised pieces. Keyrings, cute hair-clips, earrings, pendants, rings, brooches & even embellishments for scrapbooking or crafts are a great way to use shrink-plastic
Here are some extra tips & tricks on using shrink plastic for crafts.
Use a sealant on your design. Most colours will set and hold but a spray sealant has never done any harm and it protects the design from fading
Earring designs work best when traced. You get the exact same design in the same size this way.
The simple designs are the most effective. The more detail when large the messier the design will look when it has got smaller.
Solid colours work well with just cutting out geometric shapes with no drawing on them is quick and easy
Stick these charms to brooches, hair & ring findings for unique custom gifts for friends & family
I hope this helped everyone who wondered how to get a good result from shrink plastic, there are not a lot of tutorials on the internet that is easy to find.
I learnt by trial and error as when I started there were no instructions on the internet, which kind of sucked but it did make me experiment and figure out what worked best for me so that's a bonus &#;
Do you have any tips on using Shrink Plastic?
Let me know below in the comments
Happy Crafting!
These have always been a student favorite! It&#;s like a magic art project &#; you draw on the shrink film, heat it up, and watch it shrink! Shrink film is so much fun, there&#;s really a lot of different ways you can create with it &#; it&#;s not just for kids!
What is it? Shrinky dinks are a type of plastic &#; polystyrene. Certain types of polystyrene are often used in food packaging and containers, it&#;s got the number 6 plastic code&#;..which also means if you have a take out container or some other type of plastic with the number 6 plastic code, you can make a shrinky dink out of it!
You can also buy Shrinky Dink sheets. I used the &#;Ruff n&#; Ready&#; sheets. They&#;re my favorite, with one side that has a sanded surface, which, takes mediums really well! However, you can re-create this with recycled plastics too &#; just use some sandpaper to scratch up your plastic!
Shrinky dinks shrink about 1/3 their original size when heated &#; I use a small craft oven; a toaster oven, kitchen oven, or heat gun, can also be used! When they shrink, the colors on your artwork become more condensed, making them darker. I typically use colored pencils or markers on the shrink film. I&#;ve also use chalk pastels and pens. You can cut shapes out of the shrink film before you shrink it, as well as punch holes in it for key chains, etc.
For this project I&#;m making a key chain but check out some other ideas of things you can create at the bottom of the post! I&#;ll also be drawing my own design but as this shrink film is transparent you can also trace a page from a coloring book, magazine or book!
What you need:
- Shrink Film, or #6 Plastic
- Scissors
- Hole Punch
- Colored pencils or Markers & a Sharpie pen
- Pencil
- Paper
- Key Chain &#; unless you plan to make something else!
Step one: Cut your shrink film to the desired size &#; keep in mind it shrinks to about 1/3 it&#;s original size! Trace your piece of shrink film on a sheet of paper.
Step two: Draw your design on your sheet of paper with a pencil &#; once you&#;re happy with your design trace it onto your shrink film with a sharpie pen. You can tape your shrink film to your paper to help keep it from moving!
Step three: Color in your shrink film design &#; I used colored pencils but you can use markers or pens as well!
Step four: Once your design is colored, punch a hold in your shrink film, using a hole punch, so you can turn it into a key chain later!
Step five: You can also cut out around your design if desired!
Step six: Bake your shrink film! 325* F for just a couple minuets &#; You&#;ll notice it crinkles up and then will flatten back out as a much smaller and thicker piece of plastic.
Let your shrink film cool for a few minuets. It&#;s fun to see how much it shrinks compared to your original drawing!
As it shrinks your colors also become more condensed, so they appear darker!
Step seven: Add your key chain pieces to your shrink film!
Trace a coloring book page instead of drawing your own design
Besides a key chain you could also turn your Shrinky Dinks into zipper pulls, magnets, pins, hair clips, jewelry, mini artworks, or anything else you can think of! I use the Shrinky Dink &#;Ruff n&#; Ready&#; variety but they also offer several other types that you can use for different techniques!
Send me your Shrinky Dink creations to add to the Followers Gallery!
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For more information, please visit 40mic PETG Shrink Film.
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