Make Your Own Shrinky Dinks

Recycle styrofoam trays while enjoying this old fashion craft.

Sep 11, 2006 Belinda Mooney

Remember the days of Shrinky Dinks? Kids can color and make their own miniature works of art by recycling styrofoam trays.

Remember the days of Shrinky Dinks? Now your cans can make them too and you can recycle those styrofoam trays!

Styrofoam Tray Shrinks

What you need :

Styrofoam tray or

clear plastic bakery container

brown paper bag

What you do :

1. You will need to work in a well ventilated room when you do this craft - you may want to open the windows or do this outdoors.

2.Draw and cut out shapes from meat Styrofoam trays that are clean or from clear plastic bakery containers.

3.Cut the brown bag into squares to fit into a toaster oven. Place on piece of brown paper bag and put into toaster oven.

4.Cook at 300 degree F for a few seconds. (You may need to adjust the time or temperature.

5.You can also do this in a regular oven. Experiment with what works best with your oven. Start at a low temperature, around 200*.

You can watch the shapes curl, distort and eventually flatten (& stop their transformation) through the window. Then take them out.

Kid's Crafts Index

General Crafts

Coloring Sheets

Language Arts & Phonics Crafts

Animal Crafts

Math & Science Crafts

Holiday Crafts

History Crafts

The copyright of the article Make Your Own Shrinky Dinks in Kids Crafts is owned by Belinda Mooney. Permission to republish Make Your Own Shrinky Dinks in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

Comments

Sep 14, 2006 10:08 AM

Tracy Askilsurd :

While I think this sounds like a really fun thing to make, I urge those who decide to try it to make sure they have adequate ventilation when heating plastics or styrofoam in their homes. Heating these types of materials produces potentially harmful gases.

If you are unaware of the risk on heating styrofoam, you might consider doing a little research yourself to learn about it.

tracy

Sep 14, 2006 4:30 PM

Belinda Mooney :

I agree. I stated in the article you need plenty of ventilation. My personal recommendation is using a toaster oven and plugging it in outside.

Belinda

Sep 15, 2006 6:03 AM

Sharron :

What would studens use to color on the styrofoam?

Sep 16, 2006 8:53 AM

Belinda Mooney :

They could draw on them with permanent fine tipped markers.

Belinda

4 Comments