Back to School Shrinky Dinks

Make sourdough bread…and learn some colonial history and modern science in the process! Learn more about the imposing tsunami with this worksheet about the science of tsunamis. Learn more about the swirling, whirling science behind tornadoes with this wild worksheet. For science lovers and chemistry geeks alike, here are some sweet science valentines to print for friends and family! This is the same process used to “shrink wrap” items like food containers or other products that have protective plastic wraps. The cool thing about thermoplastics is that upon reheating the plastic, it reverts to its original state, in other words, it shrinks.

Real Shrinky Dinks shrink to about 1/3 of their size when placed in a 350 degree oven. Think you can save your crafting dollar by using take out boxes for Shrinky Dink crafts? As you can see, it didn’t go well. Mitch’s Minecraft figure turned white on one side and barely shrunk. Our first attempt on recycled plastic didn’t go so well.

• Make your shrinky dink, then hot glue it to a shoe charm back add them to your favorite footwear to give them one-of-a-kind bling, made by you!
• The shrinky dinks are still cut-able, sand-able, drill-able, glue-able, and plenty more.
• She showed me one of the product in her store, the “Shrink Plastics”.
• Next they were cooled rapidly while still box shaped in order to prevent distortion from the take out container form.

Shrink to About a Third of Their Size

Leave enough space at the edge for it to stay strong (at least the size of the hole). Punch a hole (the backpack doesn’t need it if you cut out inside the top handle.) I do recommend using a regular sized hole punch – not a small one. Remove the images from the background, and make sure you didn’t miss any important spots. You can make this as a bracelet or ring if you manage to size it right – and curl it around something while still hot (wear heat-proof gloves to do this.)

They’re my favorite, with one side that has a sanded surface, which, takes mediums really well! It’s like a magic art project – you draw on the shrink film, heat it up, and watch it shrink! Label the type of plastic if you’re using more than one kind to avoid confusion. Use small bins or drawers to organize markers, colored pencils, scissors, and hole punches.

Work in a kitchen with an exhaust fan or open window to keep air fresh. Smudges happen when inkjet sheets move through rollers with wet surfaces. Let pieces cool naturally rather than rushing them under cold air, which stresses plastic. Use low-tack painter’s tape to hold fragile shapes flat on the parchment during shrinking. Hairline cracks appear when narrow sections cool at different rates from bulkier parts.

Shrinky Dinkys Necklace Ideas

Kids can create charms for Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Christmas, or end-of-year teacher gifts. They’re fast—most kids can finish their drawing and cutouts in 10–20 minutes, and the baking takes less than 3 minutes. Shrinky Dink crafts check so many boxes for caregivers, teachers, and parents.

Related learning resources

Trying to fix samples that shrunk unevenly is difficult since they become tacky (sticky) when hot and would stick to an iron’s surface. So THEN I used my brain and we cut out a sheet from each side of the box (giving me now 250 shrinky dink plastic sheets! WOOT! I do love a bargain) and shrunk those with absolute perfection. We added a jump ring to some of our shapes and strung on cording along with beads to make necklaces. Next cut out the shapes and bake at 325 degrees Fahrenheit for about 1-3 minutes. When cool (it doesn’t take very long to cool) add lobster clasps and jump rings.

We don’t share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we don’t sell your information to others. To add the following enhancements to your purchase, choose a different seller. Shipping cost, delivery date, and order total (including tax) shown at checkout. From Sharpie markers and acrylic markers to chalk pastels and cheap colored pencils, different tools work better depending on your plastic sheet and design. Shrinky Dinks are a fun and creative craft that allows you to design and shrink plastic creations into durable charms, decorations, and keepsakes.

I used a 50% off coupon and walked out with my kit for just about $4.00. Small tweaks like better ventilation or slower cooling keep each batch flawless. Your crafty conscience and wallet both benefit from mindful material use. Leftover trimmings accumulate fast during busy crafting sessions.

They’re durable enough to become keychains, jewelry, backpack tags, Christmas ornaments, zipper pulls, or even educational manipulatives. Shrinky Dink projects are easy to prepare, budget-friendly, and customizable for any theme you’re teaching. Whether you run a child care program like I do or you’re looking for something fun to do on a rainy afternoon, Shrinky Dink crafts are a winner every single time. Kids watch their artwork shrink before their eyes, becoming vibrant, sturdy charms they can wear, hang, or collect.

Watching them shrink and curl was mesmerizing, making crafting feel more like a science experiment you could hold in your hand. Have fun crafting with shrinky dinks! Can I color shrinky dinks with colored pencils? We used colored pencils to color in our design and it worked perfectly.