Shrinky Dink Necklace

Shrinky Dinks aren't just for kids! Just add a coat of gold to transform them into easy, chic accessories

Posted by With Lovely,

About

Remember Shrinky Dinks? I recently rediscovered them, and it turns out they’re just as amazing now as they were when I was five.

I love how versatile this magical material is. It starts out thin and semi-transparent, so you can draw your own creation or easily trace an existing image to make an impressive-looking replica.

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You Will Need (1 thing)

  • Shrink Plastic

Steps (6 steps, 30 minutes)

  1. 1

    Start by choosing a photo of your dog with a good silhouette. Open it in Photoshop (or any photo editing program) and resize it to be about 3″ tall—it will shrink to 1/3 the original size.

  2. 2

    Place a piece of white paper over the your computer screen and trace it with a pencil. For easiest tracing, increase the photo’s contrast a bit and turn up the brightness on your computer screen.

  3. 3

    Next, place a sheet of Shrinky Dink material directly over the paper and copy over the pencil line with a fine-tipped marker.

  4. 4

    When your outline is complete, cut roughly around it to get most of the excess material out of your way.

    Then, carefully cut along the outline using a small pair of scissors or an X-Acto knife.

    Make sure to include a hole where your charm will attach to the necklace, and remember to make it big enough so your metal ring will fit through when it’s 1/3 its current size.

  5. 5

    Preheat the oven to 325°, then place your cut-out in the oven on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for 1–3 minutes.

    If your Shrinky Dink starts to curl, fold some parchment paper over it and set a flat, heavy object (like a large pan) on top for 5–10 minutes.

  6. 6

    Once it’s cool, coat your charm with a few layers of gold spray paint, attach a small metal ring, and slide it onto a gold chain.