DIY Shrinky-Dink Necklace Pendants

I wasn't raised with the joy of shrinky dinks, so I had no idea what a fun, simple, and cheap craft they make until my friend Emily's Craft Night at her bar Underbelly.

1) Design Your Shrinky Dink

We used a clear "shriny dink" paper you can get at any craft store, usually in the scrap book paper section. It's easy to trace so if you don't draw you can trace any design you like. I drew a few quick thumbnails on scrap paper then traced the final designs unto the shrinky dink paper with sharpee. My Sexy Scientist and Robot "line" I'm working on is called Computer Blue (After the Prince Song, of course!)

It's incredibly easy to draw on this paper, it has a velum like texture. You can create bright colors with simple crayola colored pencils.

There are different types of Shrinky Dink paper available, even some that you can print on which can create beautiful designs. Personally, I can't wait to Make my own with regular plastic! Expect the tutorial here when I make some with recycled plastic!



2) Pop it in the Oven

Careful cutting out your design, this paper rips easily! And use a hole puncher to make a little hole if you want to wear your shrinky dink as a pendant. We used a craft oven but you can use a regular one, follow the instructions on your paper. The paper may curl up while it shrinks, it's easy to flatten out immediately after you remove it, though. Keep an eye on it!

3) Apply a Thin Coat of Glue to Seal it

Fresh out of the oven it should be safe to apply a thin coat of glue to "seal" your shrinky dink. Here we used Mod Podge. If your edges are not as perfect as you'd like, you can sand them down with a little sand paper.

By the way... be mindful that these will shrink greatly! Look how much this owl shrank!

4) Finishing Touches

We added rings so these can be worn on a chain. You can also use string, ribbon, or any other materials you have around. You can add some paper to the back with modge podge to make them pop or even paint them or add glitter.

I'm a fast sketcher so this is a perfect instant gratification craft. I'm addicted and I'll be making more of these in the near future!

This Post is Linked to: Frugal Friday / Feature Yourself Friday / Furniture Feature Friday / Finding Fabulous / Tidy Mom / Favorite Things Fridays / Flaunt it Friday / Fun to Craft