Shrinky Dinks are children’s activity that was hugely popular in the 80’s. Special plastic sheets when heated in an oven, shrink to small hard pieces without altering their color or shape. How do you make Shrinky Dinks? Keep in mind, colors will be more intense when the designs shrink up, so use that knowledge to your advantage. I did think the melting plastic left a lingering odor in my oven. Before using my oven for food I turned it on to 400 degrees and let it bake for about 20 minutes to get rid of the smell. Again, a small toaster oven reserved for craft projects and used in a well-ventilated area (like outside) is the safest way to make homemade shrinky dinks!

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. Shrinky dinks are made with plastic you draw on and then shrink in the oven. You can use plastic takeout containers to make homemade shrinky dinks that are just like the ones you buy at the craft store. It’s environmentally friendly to use something you already have around the house instead of throwing it into the landfill. I remember my grandmother melting white Styrofoam cups in the oven enough to make them look like hats. I think she did something for Mother’s Day with them! The kits we used to use as kids came with rough sided plastic that you could easily decorate with the included colored pencils.

Shrinky dinks FAQs and tips

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! 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.

There are lots of ways to shape and add designs to shrink plastic, including die-cutting, hand-drawing and stamping. Adding colour allows you to test out techniques with everything from gel, glitter and felt pens, to alcohol markers, coloured pencils and even wax crayons. On top of creating perfect personalised embellishments, you’ll also discover that the mysterious shrinking process provokes childlike delight every time, whilst producing elegant and sophisticated results! 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! PS: polystyrene is used in takeout food containers. It has been found to leach styrene–a neurotoxin and possible human carcinogen–and has been banned in cities like Portland, Ore. and San Francisco. Okay, so there is a downside to the craft! Using a toaster oven outside might be the best thing to do! Remember to make sure you punch a hole in your item BEFORE you shrink it if you want it to have a hole in the end. I used to forget that as a kid. I’m sure you could drill a hole, but punching before is far simpler.Have you made DIY Shrinky Dinks? What did you do with them? I’d love to hear the answers in the comments! 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. 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. And don’t forget about making handprint keychains! They can make great gifts for mother’s day, father’s day, grandparent’s day, and more! These DIY shrinky dinks work just the same way. Let’s see what you need to get started. Shrinky Dinks Plastic

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.I’ve already told you where to find #6 plastic for DIY Shrinky Dinks, so that shouldn’t be a problem. Now for the fun! You can draw whatever you want. You can even trace designs since the plastic is clear. As I said above, you’re likely to find #6 plastic that can be used for DIY Shrinky Dinks in take out containers. Shrinky Dinks can be made from #6 plastic. #6 plastic is the classification for Polystyrene (aka Styrofoam).