diy craft: shrinky dink jewelry
my addiction to crafting started at a young age and one of the first crafts that got me seriously hooked was shrinky dinks. many years have passed, but my intense love for the magic that happens inside an oven turning my art into a hard thick charm or pendant is as strong as ever. want to get back to your crafting roots and get your shrink on too? follow these super simple instructions.
what to get:
shrinky dink plastic (craft stores have this but I’ve also heard you can use pet 5 plastic though I have yet to try it-if you have I’d love to hear about how it went)
jewelry findings (necklace chain, jump rings, lobster clasps etc)
needle nose pliers
various colored sharpies
scissors
what to do:
1. draw your design on paper
2. put shrinky dink paper on top of your drawing and trace over it onto shrinky dink paper
3. cut it out (be careful shrinky dink paper tears and rips very easily)
4. use markers to color it in
5. use a hole punch to punch a hole in the spot where you will be attaching jump rings or necklace chain
6. put your pieces colored side up in an oven at 325 degrees on a piece of a brown paper bag on top of a cookie sheet
7. bake for 1-3 minutes (it will curl up and then flatten out again
8. let them cool for about 15 seconds
9. attach pieces together with jump rings and necklace chain
10. put on your new creation and marvel at your craftiness!
I loved doing these as a kid and have had my kids make fun things with them. Great to see them grow up. Will be encouraging my daughter to make some jewelry of her own. Thanks for the inspiration.
molly, you’re welcome! i remember doing them as a kid, then when i taught craft classes to kids i brought the project in. they were so excited and actually started chanting ‘shrinky dinks’ then next day when i came in to teach!