One of my favorite activities as a child was to color, cut and bake Shrinky Dinks with my friends. It seemed as though we spent hours huddled around the small window in the oven watching our plastic masterpieces curl and twist into a shrunken trinket. Things have changed quite a bit since those days, but I have to say I have found that shrink plastic can still be just as rewarding, even as a grownup.
Shrinky Dinks are a thin plastic material that will shrink to about one third of its size and become nine times thicker when heated. Before heating the plastic, it is pliable and cuts easily with scissors or an X-acto knife. Afterwards, it becomes thick and hard. Shrinkable plastics are available in a variety of colors and finishes that you can find at your local scrapbook retailer.
Begin creating a design on the plastic by using a variety of mediums and techniques. Images can be stamped or traced with permanent ink and then colored in for more detail. Chalks, pencils and paints also work well. Shrink plastic for inkjet printers is also available, which allows you to work with photos or other digital images.
Next, the images need to be cut out into the desired shape. Most cutting tools can handle this job. The plastic can be cut with ease by scissors, an X-acto knife, punches and die cuts.
The last step to complete the process is to shrink your creation. This can by done several different ways. One option is to use a toaster oven or conventional oven. Place the Shrinky Dinks, colored side up, into an oven that has been pre-heated. Now, just watch your designs shrink. Another option is to lay your Shrinky Dinks, once again colored side up, on a piece of cardboard and heat with an embossing heat tool. Use a Popsicle stick or the eraser end of a pencil to gently hold the shrinky dink in place if necessary. This method works well for crops or other times when the oven is not accessible.
Take it from me, Shrinky Dinks are no longer just for kids! Try experimenting today with your own style and techniques to use shrink plastics in your scrapbooks. Be sure to check out our Premier Store Listing for coupons to a scrapbook store near you.
For more information about Shrinky Dinks please visit their website at www.shrinkydinks.com
