Part 3: More experimentation in the Shrinky Dink Test Lab
–Don’t forget! The Summer Doldrums contest – It’s fun to share your stuff!–
Shrinky Dinky Test Lab – Intro
Shrinky Dinky Test Lab – Part 1 – How to make Doodle earrings
Part 2: Experiments
Special Holiday Edition – Glass markers and a Shrinky Party
Tomorrow: How to successfully seal your shrinkies.. maybe…
Part 3 – More experiments:
1) What happens if you coat your shrinky in clear coat, PRIOR to shrinking?
Let’s use the lightening effect to our advantage for an interesting watercolor effect. And create an opaque effect! Note, we did get some cloudyness where the spray top coat was on too thick, but it IS unusual!
2) Let’s color on the back, then spray the back with paint – in this case a black design, sprayed white. Worked really well. If the paint doesn’s protect your design enough, you can now seal it with whatever you would seal the paint with.
3) Let’s color a scrap piece from the side of the box (what a pain!) and make a ring out of it! Fun, silly, and please don’t burn your fingers (follow the same basic instructions as the glass marker project.
4) Let’s see how large a shrinky we can make if we use the whole top of the to-go box, and we’ll use the opaque technique from test (1) to make it an opaque suncatcher. I’m going to hang this with several others as a homemade mobile.
5) Let’s do one with colored pencils! (note: you have to sand the surface to get the pencils to write, I did this with watercolor pencils because that’s what i had on hand.) Not bad, but i don’t like how the clear plastic looks where I roughed up the surface.
Coming Next: How you REALLY should seal your shrinkies.
(See All Shrinky Dinky Test Lab!)
Oh yeah, and you know me, i need validation that I didn’t write all this up for it never to be seen by human eyes… so don’t forget that posting a comment on one of the posts in this series enters you in the drawing to win some of the output of the experiments!
Twitter It!These might be related posts, too:
- Part 2: What would happen if..? (The Shrinky Dink Test Lab)
- Shrinky Dinks Test Lab – The Wrap-up Of It All…
- Part 4 of the Shrinky Dink Test lab: Successful sealing.. maybe
- Shrinky Ornament How To and Template (and IF)
- Part 1: HOW TO- Doodle Charms – Jewelry from recycled plastic
I always read and never validate! I’s like blogging voyerism… anyway… how important is the #6 because we are potty training and the endless supply of Thomas the Train packaging is all #1 plastic and I’m tempted to stick it in the oven for kicks…. probably a bad idea, right? Enjoying the shrinkie-dinking
You can certainly try it, but it probably won’t work. I think i tried #1, just for kicks, and it didn’t. But hey, experimentation is fun!
So, as a kid, I never really got into the whole Shrinky Dink thing. Seriously, why would I want to play with something called a “dink” anyway? lol. Now, as an adult, I’m seeing all this really cool stuff that people are doing with them, I think I might have to start getting take out more often. Thanks for the inspiration!
the robot is awesome!
I’ve been wondering about using the bumpy sides of the containers, cook! You are being really thorough with this experiment, Thanks Dot!
These are so cool!
I am definitely going to try my own. I like the watercolor pencil effect. Have you tried with crayons?
Kayte A.R.: I did not try crayons. If you try, be sure to take a pic and let me know!
What is the plastic material you are shrinking and where can you purchase it? I have been reading back through the articles, but have not found the answer as of yet! Thanks in advance!
What a great idea. I wish I had back every donut container I have thrown away in the last year! I had been looking for the original plastic, but couldn’t find any. I have already read all your posts on this and passed on the link to several friends I think will be as excited about your work as I am!
You go!
I found your experimentation through a link on Flickr. Thanks for sharing your expertise with the world!
My kids made shrinky-dink decorations at a party in December, and we read about the #6 plastic at that time. So every now and then (when we have #6 plastic containers!) I mess around. I learned very quickly that you shouldn’t use washable markers – the color rubs right off (duh!). Since we’d used colored pencils at the party, I tried that, but as you pointed out, you first have to rough up the surface, and that’s such a pain. So I’m sticking to the Sharpies for now.
For what it’s worth, one of the coolest shrinks I’ve had is from a muffin box from our grocery store. I cut out the muffin “cup”. The side are fluted and there’s a neat ridge where the dome changes direction. It shrinks into a flat circle, and the side ridges look like rays around a center. Shrinking seems more uniform when I put it dome up, although both ways work.
Oh I love studio experiments! It looks like you have been having a ton of fun. Thank you so much for sharing! I am going out tonight and it’s kind of funny how much I’m hoping to get some #6 plastic, haha!
LOVING this!! I hadn’t thought of using plastic #6 – I just went and bought a bunch of shrinky dink!
I can’t wait to give this a try 
Thank you!
Kristin
Reclaiming The Home
The plastic tray that comes with Oreos is #6. Also I bought grapes that were in #6. #6 is more flimsy than the #1. I’ve found muffins and deli sandwiches tend to come from #1.
At 250 degrees in my oven, it took myt shrinky dinks about 5 minutes to curl up
Hi Dot! Thank you SOOO much for your tutorial! I am always looking for crafty ways to recycle. As soon as I read it, I started thinking about what shrinky dinks to make. The school I work for had a competition coming up in which we had to show our school spirit, so my first attempts at recycled shrinky dinks were a set of 3 of our mascot. I made a necklace and earings!
I haven’t made much since, but I did try a few experiments of my own. Number 1 plastics will not work, they shrink a little but are way too flimsy. I also wondered what would happen if you tried to use the metallic permanent markers, it doesn’t work. When they shrink, it takes all of the metallic sheen out of it.
I also tried using the side of a box, the bumpy side, it will shrink flat, but you can’t use it for making matching sets, it shrinks very un-uniformily.(if that is a word…
I tried using a part of the box that had a strange shape… it just curled up on me, and never un curled.
So these are the things that I’ve learned in my experiments. And I am sure there will be more! I have plenty more plastic where that came from, (the salads and a couple of other things at work come in #6!! I tell all of the kids to give me their empty boxes after lunch!)
I tried to post pictures, but couldn’t get the link right… Oh well.
Thanks again for the instructions!!
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