Shrinky Dinks first became popular in the 1980s and 1990s. The basic idea is you decorate a piece of polystyrene (plastic) and then bake it so it shrinks down in size. Prior to heating, the thin, flexible sheets can be colored and cut into shapes. When heated in the oven, the plastic shrinks to approximately 1/3 of its original size, and becomes 9 times thicker and more rigid, 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.
Supplies Needed:
Shrinky Dinks plastic sheets
Colored pencils, permanent markers, or ink jet printer
Scissors and paper punch
Toaster oven, conventional oven, or heat gun
Aluminum foil or brown paper
Instructions:
Design and decorate the plastic sheets as desired. Colored pencils can be used on the frosted (pre-sanded) product. If using the transparent (non-sanded) sheets, permanent markers will be needed. Printable shrink plastic sheet for ink jet printers may also be used.
Pieces can be cut before or after decorating. Cut sheets in circles or shapes as smoothly as possible. Edges become sharper after shrinking, so round corners a little. You can create fancy edges with designer scissors, or use small manicure scissors to do detailed cut work.
Punch a hole before baking. Remember that the hole will shrink, so make it large enough for your application. A standard size paper punch is ideal for most projects.
Bake in a toaster oven or conventional oven. Shrinky Dinks do not work with microwave ovens! Place Shrinky Dinks pieces, colored side up, on tray or cookie sheet covered with foil or brown paper. Heat at 325°F (163°C) for 1 to 3 minutes. You want to be able to watch the pieces bake as they will curl, and then uncurl when they are done baking. After the pieces lay flat, allow an additional 30 seconds of baking time to complete the process. 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.
Remove from the oven and lightly press down to flatten completely. Occasionally a piece may stick to itself. If this happens, reach into the oven carefully, and pull apart gently with a knife.
Allow pieces to cool before handling (about 3-5 minutes).
