Shrinky Dinks

As a child growing up thirty-some years ago, I was always working on some arts and crafts project, whether it was drawing the planets on copier paper that my father brought home, or playing with Shrinky Dinks. I remember getting my first kit (Christmas 1978?) which was a Super Friends playset. I had a ball coloring Wonder Woman, Bat Girl, and Superman; then watching them shrink in the oven. I had several Shrinky Dinks kits throughout my childhood, including Snoopy and Garfield. There would be often blank scraps left over in which I would draw various doodles on them and watch them shrink. I still have a couple shrunken Garfields, a shrunken Wonder Woman, and a Charlie Brown which are now homemade refrigerator magnets.

My interest in Shrinky Dinks reignited when I saw a craft article in Bust Magazine talking about how to make jewelry with them. I knew I had to try it. I went to Michael's and got some Shrinky Dink paper (both clear and frosted). I created various geometric shapes with designs or with just plain solid colors, and used a standard hole puncher to create holes. I used both colored pencils and permanent marker with the frosted paper and got good results. I could only use permanent marker with the clear paper, but it proved troublesome because the ink had a hard time spreading out smoothly.  This created a textured effect after shrinking, but nonetheless it gives the effect of stained glass.

It was fun watching the cut-out shapes shrink in the toaster oven, it brought back childhood memories. All I got to do is attach jump rings to shrunken shapes. I might use them for bracelet or necklace charms.

The Shrinky Dink charms of various shapes, sizes, and designs.

Close up of the shrunken charms.

Just like stained glass.