In this video and tutorial I will be showing you how you can make fun earrings, pendants, and tags using Shrinky Dinks. Shrinky Dinks are sheets you can heat in your oven and they shrink down to 7 times smaller — and produce a nice thick plastic that is perfect for this kind of thing!
You can buy Shrinkies in any store and they
come in three versions – clear, frosted and black. You can print on any version – just make sure to print on the non shiny or slightly textured or frosted side!
Print on your Shrinkies just as you would on paper. You can use various colors of paint and texture tools, stencils and other found objects at home. I used the Gelli Arts® mini
printing tools, bubble wrap, string, sequin waste and some stencils.
Continue to layer up colors and textures
until you have the desired effect.
When your paint is dry, you can cut it into shapes.
Remember the shrink plastic shrinks to 7 times its original size so do not cut your shapes
too small! You can also use a shape cutter (I used a flower,
heart and tag shapes). Don’t forget to use a paper punch to punch a hole
before you shrink it — where you can attach earring hooks or rings for key
chains.
At this point, you can add
details with paint pens or other media to make your designs more intricate.
Draw on the side that you printed on.
Bake in the oven at 175c or 350f. Place the
plastic on a baking sheet or tin foil in a flat tray in the oven. Watch them
twist up then go flat again as they shrink! Once it has shrunk take them out of
the oven.
After they have cooled down (it doesn’t take
long) you can attach earring hooks, or key chains and use these as jewelery,
key rings or tags on bags etc. Super fun!
Here are are the finished pieces!
SUPPLIES:
– 5″x5″ Gelli Arts® printing
plate (or any of the small ones would do)
– Gelli Arts® mini printing tools
– Gelli Arts® acrylic paint set
– Wool, bubble wrap, sequin waste
and other texture tools
– Some stencils
– Shrink plastic
– Scissors or shape punches
– Paper punch in small round
– Earring hooks, keyring hooks or
similar
– Pliers
Gelli Arts® Artist Lucy Brydon’s Blog Giveaway!
© 2018 by Gelli Arts®, LLC Philadelphia, PA
All rights reserved.
What a fun idea! And I like that everything is OOAK!
I love how crisp and sharp the details look so tiny!
This is SOOOOOOOOOOOOO lovely !!!
(love Shrinky Dinks !) Thanks
Interesting
Shrink plastic is a lot of fun! I am glad you thought of it! I am impressed you keep coming up with new ways to use the plate.
What a brilliant idea! I love this!!
Love this project! Great photos and easy to follow directions.
Can't wait to try this with my Grandaughter, Shrinky and Gelli in one project!
Can’t wait to try this! Great idea!
What a great idea – will definately have to give this one a shot!
Lovely products created using the Gelli plate: my Gelli plate rules as the most used printmaking tool!
Very nice!
Love the tutorial!
What a great idea. The color seems to intensify as they shrink also. I would think that it is because the area the pigment is on gets "condensed."
Love working with Shrinky Dinks!
This looks like so much fun! Great Christmas stocking stuffers – I can't wait to get started.
This was great! Thank you! It looks like the paint stayed in place well, in the past my paint would peel off once I shrunk the plastic. Have you ever had that problem?
Such a novel idea and a fun way to create unique jewwllery pieces which are bound to be conversation starters. Would definitely love to make and wear them
these are so cute. Love this idea. Thanks for sharing how to make them.
I’ve had some shrink plastic sitting around my studio for ages. Now I know just what to do with it!
Great for earrings! I had tried making other items but paint chips off with heavy wear/use. Haven't found a sealer yet… krylon doesn't work as it softens finish. Any ideas?
Ah- got hooks, shrink plastic and such things lying around- just waiting for an idea to use it (as I am not brilliant at drawing…). Ingenious idea!
Also- if you use the mini plates, you might not have to cut shapes at all? Or would they be too small?
I just ordered black shrink art paper. I also found some black and some white vinyl today in one of my stash boxes. Going to give that a go too and see what I can do with it
Actually tried this but the paint flakes off. Very disappointing. Any fixes or tips to avoid the flaking?