Working with Shrink Plastic

Have you checked out the Shrink Plastic goodies in our shop yet? They are a fun & easy way to create your own unique embellishments! Alter them with colored pencils, regular lead pencils, stamps/ink, permanent marker & acrylic paints! Then shrink them using your oven, toaster oven or heat gun! They reduce down in size by about 1/3 and become 9 times thicker! Colors and designs appear more vibrant & detailed after shrinking!

Here are our complete "How To" instructions including some Tips & Tricks!

Step 1: Altering Your Pieces
Customize & Personalize your pieces by stamping, drawing & coloring on the front (“frosted” side) of your pieces (this is the side that feels rough to the touch).
TIPS & NOTES: Colors will appear more vibrant after shrinking. You can use colored pencils, regular lead pencils, stamps/ink, permanent marker & acrylic paints. Also, a 1/8” hole punch is the perfect size if you want to turn your pieces into charms by adding a jump ring (you must punch the pieces before shrinking).

Step 2: Shrinking Your Pieces
In the OVEN: Preheat oven or toaster oven to 325°F (163°C). Place your pieces frosted side up, onto a piece of cardstock (or paper lunch/grocery bag). Place the cardstock with your pieces onto a cookie sheet, and place the cookie sheet into the pre-heated oven. Bake for approximately 1-3 minutes until your pieces lay flat. Once they are flat, allow them to bake an additional 30 seconds to complete the process, then remove the cookie sheet from the oven.
With a HEAT GUN: Place your pieces frosted side up, onto a full piece of cardstock (or large paper lunch/grocery bag). Using your heat gun on it’s lowest setting, slowly heat your pieces by placing your heat gun about 3”-4” above them. Apply heat until your pieces lay flat. Once flat, continue to apply heat for an additional 3-4 seconds to complete the process.
TIPS & NOTES: While your pieces are shrinking, you will see them "curl" and "dance". Don't panic, this is EXACTLY what is suppose to happen before they lay flat on their own. In the event that a piece should curl and stick to itself, don't worry... carefully use wooden chop sticks or skewers to gently pry the stuck piece apart (while it is still warm), and then continue with the shrinking process. Sometimes, certain pieces may need a little coaxing to settle down completely flat after shrinking. If this is the case, lightly press your pieces flat (while they are still slightly warm) with a piece of paper or cardstock. Allow your pieces to cool (about 30 seconds) before handling. If you aren't happy with the shape of a piece once it has cooled, or it is not quite as flat as you'd like, simply pop it back into your pre-heated oven for about 2-5 minutes (or re-apply heat to it with your Heat Gun) until it re-softens and becomes pliable again.

Step 3: Using your Shrink Plastic Creations
Now your pieces are altered, shrunk, and ready to use! There are many different adhesives which you can use to adhere your pieces to your project, depending on what exactly you are using them for. Diamond Glaze, Glossy Accents, ZipDry, Glue Dots, etc, all work very well. If you've chosen to punch a hole in your pieces before shrinking, simply add a jump ring and attach to your project using ribbon or fiber (just like a charm)!

Have fun & Happy Shrinking!

Working with Shrink Plastic

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