Creepy Crawly Shrinky Dinks

While putting together the third installment of skull hemp jewelry, I realized I can improve upon it.  That means finding time to take new tutorial pictures, in the meantime here's a quickie about Shrinky Dinks. 

This is another craft I have to thank Girl Scouts for, specifically one our leaders that organized a Craft-A-Palooza last spring.  Not only did girls in our membership area get to do awesome crafts, but it also served as a drive for the Personal Essentials Pantry.  My daughter and I had to leave early for a prior engagement, but this beautiful sugar skull at the Shrinky Dink table caught my attention on the way out.

I may have missed Shrinky Dinks at Craft-A-Palooza, but I've been having fun on my own.

You will need:

clear Shrinky Dink or other shrinking plastic
permanent markers
scissors*
artwork to trace (optional)
spray acrylic clear coat
glossy acrylic paint

If you want to turn these into charms or pendants you will also need:

1/8 inch hole punch**
jump rings
pliers

For monsters:

3mm & 4mm googly eyes
E6000 glue

*I snagged a pair of scissors similar to these Lexan curved ones from my husband after his RC car phase, and I love them for cutting plastic. He is never getting them back.

** After baking the hole size is large enough to accommodate up to an 18 gauge jump ring. 


Whether you print out an image or draw it freehand, keep in mind the image will shrink down to less than half it's original size. 

Then follow the instructions on the package.  Tape an image underneath the plastic and trace over it. Any line art will work, although I think the simpler the better. Make sure the ink is dry, flip it over and color it in. 

Bake at 325 degrees, on a piece of brown grocery bag on a baking tray or sheet and watch the magic happen.  It's important to know that the plastic will curl up as it shrinks.  This can look a little alarming, but most of the time it isn't and it will flatten out. Let it bake for 30 more seconds and take it out. 

Sometimes bad things happen to good Shrinky Dinks for no reason.  In my experience if it curls up to the point where two sides actually touch, it is not going to uncurl without some intervention.  I have had success gently nudging the piece apart while still in the oven with a couple of forks.  It would probably be safer to attempt this outside of the oven, but I like to live dangerously. 

After baking it is recommend that you cover them and light press to flatten them, I will second that. 

Also note that they don't always shrink uniformly, so don't expect perfection.

I read a lot of different methods for protecting them.  I sprayed them lightly with an acrylic coat to set the ink, one side at a time. I noticed some of the greens feathered out, it's really noticeable on the frog.  I might have used a Sharpie Brush marker for those, but I can't remember.  Then I painted them
with two coats of gloss acrylic varnish.  Only time will tell how well they hold up. 

After the paint dries you can add jump rings or glue on googly eyes.

Besides Sharpies, I used a metallic set of Infinity markers from Target  and I was really happy with the quality.  I also picked up a black Sakura Pigma Micron pen for doing some of the detailed outline work and I liked that better than my ultra fine point Sharpie. For bolder lines I still like my fine point Sharpie.  

Here are the images I used:


Animalstown.com - if you search for animals alphabetically, then click on the animal, all coloring pages associated with it will be listed on the right hand side.  That's where I found the raven, squid and tarantula.







BestColoringPagesForKids.com - The owl and frog. 

ClipArtPal.com - The creepy hand.

Pescno.Blogspot.com - Sugar Skull

DabblesAndBabbles.com - Little Monsters

I also want to make some with Trash Packs, and Aliens