“As a crafting enthusiast, I love exploring new ways to create unique and eco-friendly projects. Carefully place the baking sheet in the preheated oven and bake for 2-4 minutes, or until the designs have shrunk and are flat. Place the decorated plastic pieces on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Be careful not to smudge the markers, as they can smear on the plastic surface. Use permanent markers to color and decorate the plastic pieces. Carefully place the baking sheet in the preheated oven and bake for 1-3 minutes, or until the designs have shrunk and are flat.

Learn More About Polymers

If using a heat gun, you’ll start to see your shrinky dink move and curl, as the first parts of the shrink plastic in the design shrink down. We have had the best results by keeping the bulk of the design as outlines, and only filling some of the shapes with solid colour. Line artwork works best, and we have found that embroidery templates or colouring sheets are a great place to find the shapes that work well as outlines. Use a small pair of sharp scissors to cut out the coloured stamped image. You can give it a helping hand by covering it with the back of ceramic tile, to ensure it flattens out completely. Being neat is not important, as you will cut out the image and shrinking concentrates the colour.

Free Printable Winter Shrinky Dink Patterns Kids Will Love

One important thing to remember is to punch any holes you might need BEFORE baking. Once you have created your design, it’s time to cut it out. Do NOT use oil-based materials such as crayons, oil-based paints or cheap colored pencils.

Options for Buying Shrinky Dink Plastic:

You can also put a layer of parchment paper on top of the Shrinky Dink designs to help to keep them flat. We used colored pencils to color in our design and it worked perfectly. Can I use colored pencils instead of permanent markers to draw on the Shrinky Dinks? Once they are flat again you’ll want to cook for about 30 seconds longer. Once you have contoured the duplicate image, select the first image and change it from cut to draw. Open up Cricut Design Space, select images and search for the images you want.

• Browse to your image to bring it to the “Select Image Type” menu.
• And don’t forget to check out these printable activities.
• Use low-tack painter’s tape to hold fragile shapes flat on the parchment during shrinking.
• To do that, click the go button again and let it go about two more passes, pause the cut, and check again.

Either trace or draw freehand your favourite pictures or images on to the plastic using good quality pencils or permanent markers. First place on a flat surface with rough side up. Once your designs have uncurled and are flat again, they won’t shrink anymore, so you can take it out of the oven.

Winter Shrinky Dink Templates

Now you’ll want to arrange your designs on a sheet pan, with a sheet of parchment paper underneath them. You’ll also need parchment paper so the plastic won’t stick to the sheet pan you’ll bake them on. That’s why you’ll need permanent markers for this project. Kits came with pre-printed coloring sheets of your favorite characters (I was partial to the Care Bears or Rainbow Bright) and a set of colored pencils.

Yes, you can use a toaster oven to cook Shrinky Dinks, provided that it can reach and maintain the appropriate temperature of 325°F (163°C). It’s important to preheat your oven to ensure even cooking, as failing to do so can cause the sheets to warp or curl oddly. Simply cut shapes, add your designs, and use a hole punch to create a place for a ring or string.

DIY Shrinky Dinks Dog Tags

Watch closely as they shrink and curl up, then flatten out again. Use permanent markers, colored pencils, or acrylic paint to decorate your plastic shapes. Here, you’ll find pre-cut Shrinky Dink sheets in custom shapes—think hearts, stars, or even intricate designs—perfect for themed projects. Kids and adults love watching their designs curl, twist, and flatten in the oven, turning a simple drawing into a sturdy keepsake in just minutes. I remember standing by the toaster oven with my shrinky dink crafts sister watching the little plastic sheets curl up and melt.