Crafting Shrinky Dinks: Upcycling Plastic Containers

You can use permanent markers for bold lines and colored pencils for shrinky dink paper softer colors. The Shrinky Dinks will curl up as they shrink, then they’ll flatten back out. It kind of curls up and flattens out once it done.

Supplies needed

Use these designs to create earrings, keychains, zipper pulls, charms, necklaces, magnets, and more. Feel free to mix and match or create your designs on the blanks. Since I could not find what I wanted, I created templates, which I now pass on to you. I am not great at drawing, so I need a template.

While your plastic art is baking, you’ll see the edges curl up, but don’t panic! Also, keep in mind whatever colors you use will appear darker after the plastic shrinks. You can draw your design lightly with a pencil then go over it with a permanent marker or colored pencils. You could also do album covers for favorite musical artists 🙂 I saw an idea where someone put a bunch of tiny book covers in an ornament to showcase what they read in a year, and it required a bunch of glue, cardboard, and foam stickers. Is it possible to do printed images on recycled plastic?

• This project is a great way to add some festive flair to your accessories collection and is perfect for the winter season.
• Is it possible to do printed images on recycled plastic?
• Shrink plastic will curl up in the oven, but it should flatten out as it bakes.
• If you need to press the piece flat, cover it with parchment and use a heat-resistant spatula, keeping hands clear of steam.

Shrink plastic sheets

The ridges did keep the shrinky dinks from becoming truly flat. Once they are flat, leave them in the oven about 30 seconds more. First, they will shrink and wrinkle up and get sort of curly!

Attach the Frame:

Carefully place the baking sheet in the preheated oven and bake for 1-3 minutes, or until the designs have shrunk and are flat. Make sure the designs are not touching each other to prevent sticking during the baking process. Place the decorated cardstock paper on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Once you’re satisfied with your designs, use a hole punch to create a hole in each piece.

Offer templates for those who might not feel confident drawing freehand. Pre-cut shapes and let younger children decorate with stickers, stamps, or stencils. Let kids focus on the drawing and coloring while you manage cutting and baking. Let the pieces cool completely before handling, or press them gently flat using a spatula or smooth object while still warm if needed.

My very favorite thing to do is to sweat, and when I’m not DIYing, I’m likely to be at the gym. Cut in half, this cookie container provides a drawing space for two students. At checkout, you can add a custom message, a gift receipt for easy returns and have the item gift-wrapped To add the following enhancements to your purchase, choose a different seller. Shipping cost, delivery date, and order total (including tax) shown at checkout. You can draw anything you want while designing your plastic shrink film.

The rough ones work wonderfully with colored pencils, while clear sheets tend to be best for markers. You don’t need a big supply list to get started. 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.

MATERIALS REQUIRED FOR THE SHRINK ART FRAME:

To get started, simply draw or trace your design onto the sheet and add some color to bring it to life. One of the most delightful ideas is to create custom shrink dinks that showcase your creativity. That’s why it’s exciting to explore new ideas, themes, designs, styles, colors, and techniques to bring our imagination to life.