Shrinky Dinks are probably one of the most classic craft projects and likely one you’ve heard of. I remember making Shrinky Dink charms in middle school for keychains and jewelry making, and it’s a craft that I still enjoy today as an adult.
It’s fun for crafters of all ages, so long as you can use an oven, OR if you are making Shrinky Dinks with young children, you can bake the pieces for them.
Shrinky Dinks can be used for jewelry, keychains, pins, and lots of other projects. I’m going to share how to make them from recycled plastic as well as my favorite kits and papers to use. Everyone can have success with this project!
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I created this Shrinky Dink charm necklace with some of my favorite book covers. In case you are curious, the books are: The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart, Never Let Me Go, The Stepford Wives, Pride and Prejudice, Murder on the Orient Express, The Night Circus, and The Poisonwood Bible.
The green necklace has the cover of Kitchens of the Great Midwest on it. Next, I want to make a necklace or maybe bracelet with all the Harry Potter book covers. Lol.
What Are Shrinky Dinks?
Sometimes called shrink art, Shrinky Dinks first became popular in the 1980s and ’90s. The basic idea is you decorate a piece of polystyrene (plastic) and then bake it so it shrinks down in size. The final piece will be smaller, thicker, and more heavily pigmented.
Shrinky Dinks were invented by Betty Morris and Kate Bloomberg, two mothers who created the craft as a project with their sons for Cub Scouts. Later, large toy companies including Milton Bradley created kits and other products for commercial sale.
While most people think of Shrinky Dinks as a kids craft, it has been used for many other applications as well.
Adults can also enjoy creating craft and art projects from this technique. And, Shrinky Dinks have also been used by university students and professors for STEM projects.
Best Shrinky Dink Kits & Papers
- Printable Shrink Plastic Sheets – These are the papers I used for my book charm necklaces. They work with ink jet printers and are semitransparent.
- Printable Shrink Plastic Kit – Same type of ink jet compatible paper, but with jewelry and keychain making supplies in the kit as well.
- Shrinky Dinks Kit for Kids – Princess, Barbie, and Mickey Mouse options. Easy to use and great for younger crafters.
- Shrink Art Jewelry Kit – From Kids Made Modern, great for older kiddos.
There are many options if you want a kit or papers that have pre-made designs you can color in before baking.
If you want papers you can free draw, on I recommend the first option above. You don’t have to use an ink jet printer—you can simply draw on it with felt-tip pens or colored pencils.
Tips for Success
No matter if you are working with a paper, kit, or creating Shrinky Dinks from recycled plastic (more on this below) the most important tip for success is to use an oven or other heating tool (heat gun) that allows you to see the plastic pieces as they bake. So, easy bake ovens without a window or air fryers don’t work as well.
You want to be able to watch the pieces bake as they will curl, and then uncurl when they are done baking. This process will likely take 1-2 minutes, but it’s best if you can watch them as they bake so you can know when they are one.
If you have pieces that are still slightly curled after baking, you can press them flat (while they are still hot) with a book or other heavy object. But take care not to burn your finger as they will be hot immediately after being in the oven.
DIY Shrinky Dinks:
To make your own Shrinky Dinks from recycled plastic you will need: #6 plastic and felt-tipped pens.
While you can try and use other plastics, none will work as well as #6. I have tried! You can identify the type of plastic you have by looking for the recycle symbol which is three arrows creating a triangle. Inside will be a number.
Number 6 plastic is often found on disposable food packages like takeout containers. At least at our house, it’s not very common.
I see much more number 5 and number 1 plastic. I tried these for Shrinky Dink projects and they work OK, but not great.
Color the number 6 plastic with the felt-tipped pens. You can use other items like acrylic paint or markers, but keep in mind you want to avoid things that are super waxy or that will not be able to take the heat of the oven.
Once you have colored your designs, cut them out.
Bake at 325°F for 1-2 minutes, watching the pieces as they bake on parchment paper. You want to see them curl and then fully uncurl, that’s when they are done.
FAQ:
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Shrinky Dink made of?
They are made of polystyrene, which is a type of plastic. If you will want to use number 6 plastic if you want to make your own Shrinky Dinks.
Can you use Sharpie on shrinky dinks?
Yes, permanent felt-tipped pens are the best for Shrinky Dinks. You can also use acrylic paint pens or colored pencils.
How do you stop Shrinky Dinks from curling?
They are suppose to curl and then fully uncurl as they bake. So, if yours are curled, they may have needed to bake longer. If they have a slight curl after baking, you can press them flat while they are still hot with a heavy object like a book.
I prefer to use the ink jet compatible paper I listed above for my Shrinky Dink projects; but if you have number 6 plastic or don’t mind a slightly more homemade look, you can make your own DIY Shrinky Dinks with the tutorial I shared above.
How do you do the sizing for the mini book covers to make them all the same size?
Thank you for this tutorial! I love the items you made and I can’t wait to make some of my own with friends!!
Those Shrinky Dinks are AWESOME 😲😍!!! I was just telling my husband about Shrinky Dinks about a week or so ago. And he didn’t really remember them but I showed him yours and he did, so thank you. I think making the Harry Potter books necklace would be amazing looking! I wish I had a compatible printer to do so… But now at least I know what kind of take out plastics&symbol to look for , for best results..
How large were the books before you shrunk them? After? Provide dimensions please, as I’d like to try this too
If you really get involved, you can take a scrap of your Shrinky Dink plastic, cut it into a large rectangle, and make a “ruler” out of it. Then bake and shrink that. It will give you an idea of how small your project will be when it’s shrunk.
The date information above in the article needs to be edited and corrected. Shrinky Dinks were created in 1973. I am a Gen Xer we made these crafts as a child beginning around 1974-1975. They were very popular then right along with our Lite Brites, Color Forms and our Spirographs. I remember seeing them in the very early 80s, but I don’t remember them being around or popular at all near the end of the 80’s and all of the 90’s. Most of the great things that Gen X’s played with were mostly phased out by the introduction of video games, sadly.
Don’t get me wrong, I loved my Shrinky Dinks. Had I seen them in the 90, I would have had my children making them. If Shrinky Dinks are sold now, I would be utterly amazed that they survived. It thrills me to no end to see some of the toys that we grew up with in the 70’s making a comeback now or still being around like the Sit n spin and even Stretch Armstrong, who isn’t as big as he used to be.
I remember some of the best times we’re making crafts with my friends and Shrinky Dinks were one of our favorite things to do. I managed to keep one over the years, but after moving several times I don’t know what happened to it.
If we can resurrect the popularity, I’m all for it. I feel that kids nowadays should have more hands on fun with things. It helps them to be more creative as opposed to sitting in front of a screen.
I recently saw shrinky Dinks in dollar tree or Walmart where I live. This was in the last year and I couldn’t believe it! I’m a Gen X too and loved doing Shrinky Dinks as a kid and would’ve loved to have been able to do them with my son… Now I’m going to make my own with the kiddos I watch.
Looked up #6 recycled plastic and it says it’s foam plastic aka styrofoam (polystyrene) used for meat trays, disposable cups and plates, egg cartons, take out containers, packing peanuts, etc. That really doesn’t seem like what the hearts are made of in the pics. They look thin and transparent. Are you sure you’re using #6? I’m new to this shrinky dink fun, ordered some sheets but can’t wait to get started!
https://greenoceanside.recyclist.co/guide/foam-plastic-6-polystyrene/
There is also clear #6 plastic, usually it is containers for baked goods, i found them most often at Stop N Shop, but i just keep an eye out and save them when i find them
At our Dollar Tree the disposable aluminum cake pans with a plastic lids are what I buy. The lids are number 6. You have to look really close because it’s easy to miss the number. I also found some actual Shrinky Dinks at Dollar Tree back in the toy department by the crafts for kids. Happy Crafting!
What inkjet printer are you using. My old printer used to work and now it died. I can’t find a printer now to work? Any suggestions? I just bought the brother printer and it doesn’t work. The ink will not absorb at all. Won’t dry after 3 hours. etc.
Are you sure you’re using the right kind of shrink plastic?
I had never thought of thrifting jelewry and repurposing the beads! Great idea, thanks!
How amazing! I’ve seen on Instagram a girl that made buttons for a cardigan using this technique. Don’t remember her name. Thought It was an amazing idea, but I worry about the smell. And using the oven that you use to cook food. Does the smell linger? Is It strong? Am I been paranoid? Haha help!
You can smell it right at the end of baking. It’s not super strong, and is pretty much gone within minutes after you’re done baking. In fact, if you smell a strong burning-plastic smell you’ve probably left them way too long in the oven.
My understanding from everything I’ve read is it’s safe to bake these in the oven (same oven you bake food in) although I would not bake food at the same time and I would take care to protect your baking pans by lining with parchment paper.
Can you put a photo on a Shrinky Dink?
Do you mind sharing more info behind the beads and clasp? Absolutely adorable! I feel like I could make the charms, but I’m not creative enough for the beading! Thank you for you the tutorial.
Thanks! Honestly I buy a lot of beads and this necklace is mostly made of beads from a couple of necklaces I thrifted and took apart. I promise you are absolutely creative enough to make beaded necklaces like this, it’s mostly one color and just has a few gold spacers.
But if you have more questions about jewelry making and what you’d like to learn let me know! I’d love to write more posts about DIY jewelry as it’s a big hobby of mine, but I’m not always sure what would be interesting or helpful to readers so it’s always helpful to hear.
Stinkin’ cute! How do you know what to size the original printed image in order to get the size you want for finished book cover? Is there a way to calculate shrinkage?? Really loved this article <3
The package says it will shrink to 1/5 the size. So it’s 20% of the original size. And as I mentioned, it gets quite a bit thicker and more pigmented as well.
Really though, the best is to test it. I think this can feel like a waste, but if you just test one (if you are making a lot charms a similar size) then it’s really worth it rather than messing a whole bunch up by not testing.
what size did you start with? thanks so much!
Love it! At Christmas, I found #6 plastic cups from Dollar General and we decorated them with Sharpies then baked in the oven. Punched a hole, added a ribbon to use it as an ornament. Kids and Adults alike enjoyed the craft!
Thanks for the tip! I find #6 is kind of hard to find… plastic cups makes sense though.
I’ve used recycled #6 for this project in the past with great success. So glad you’ve shared it! Is it possible to do printed images on recycled plastic?
Tbh I’m not sure. I know #6 works, so if the recycled plastic is the same / very similar I would certainly try it and see. But, I haven’t done it so I am not sure.
Hey Emma, are the edges of your book charms scratchy after baking? Or does the oven round them out? My skin is really sensitive so I’m wondering if that would be an issue. They’re super cute!
They don’t feel scratchy to me. But, I do think you could lightly sand them with a nail file or super fine sandpaper if you had a rough spot after baking.
OMG this is the cutest idea! I love the books! I saw an idea where someone put a bunch of tiny book covers in an ornament to showcase what they read in a year, and it required a bunch of glue, cardboard, and foam stickers. This would be a fun way to do it and showcase it especially if you’re in a book club!
Totally. You could also do album covers for favorite musical artists 🙂
Or cassett tapes.
Looking forward to trying these with my students!
OMG that makes me so proud! I hope they love it
Screaming over the tiny The Stepford Wives xx