When I was a kid I loved doing Shrinky Dinks. It didn’t happen very often, but when my mom brought them home it was such a treat. They were so fun to color and even more to watch shrink in the oven. A few years ago I had a nostalgia for these crazy things and set off to find some for my kids. I couldn’t find any. So, I went on a mission to figure out how to make these ourselves. I knew my boys would have just as much with them. They loved making them, and we have continued making them since. Now you can find Shrinky Dinks at stores, but they are just not as much fun as making them yourself. When I brought home store bought ones for my boys they liked them, but would always ask to make their own as well. I wanted to share with you the easy way to make these at home. Unleash your kids creativity and curiosity.
The great thing is you only need a few simple items to make these making them an easy boredom buster. The first thing you need is the right plastic. We always use take out lids. The plastic that is used for lids on take out boxes or pie tin lids are perfect. I now just keep any plastic lids from take out or from the deli at the store. That way I always have it on hand. You will also need some markers. We find that a Sharpie makes a great marker to make outlines for your pictures. Finding markers can be tricky to find ones that work on the plastic. I have found that Crayola markers or colored Sharpies work the best. Make sure you have some parchment paper on hand to place your designs on for the cookie sheet. This way you will make sure they won’t stick to the cookie sheet.
Now the fun part. Have your kids draw their designs onto the plastic and color them in. Make sure that they draw their pictures large enough to get the detail in and so they have some shrinking room. Once the designs are perfected you can cut them out. Lay them out evenly on the parchment paper and put them in the oven set to 350 degrees.
Once they are in the oven watch them carefully. It should only take 2 minutes to shrink. They will start to curl up around the edges. Don’t panic and leave them alone. The first time we did this I freaked out when they rolled up and took them out of the oven. Then they dried and hardened all rolled up. The boys were not impressed. I now know that if you leave them go, they will uncurl and flatten out. Once they flatten out after they curl, they are done. Take them out of the oven and let them cool. Once they are cooled off they are ready for play! Believe me when they come out of the oven get ready to make more. Once the kids see them and see how tiny they and hard they are (so not breakable) they will have other designs they will want to try to shrink!
If you want to make a hole in them to pull a string through for a necklace or ornament, you will need a hole puncher. Before they go in the oven, put a punch in the plastic where they want the hole to be. When it shrinks down it makes the perfect charm for a bracelet or necklace. We like to make Christmas ornaments with these. It makes for a fun activity any time of the year.
I hope you enjoy making Shrinky Dinks as much as we do! Please share your creations. We are always looking for inspiration. Have an epic day!
xoxo- Nicole