Shrink plastic is such a versatile medium. With very little in the way of special equipment (you'll need a heat source for the heating and shrinking), you can create beautiful elements which can be used to make jewelry, decorations, and accessories. While shrink plastic is often thought of as a craft for kids, it shouldn't be overlooked when it comes to a craft for grownups - as the following pages demonstrate! In addition to the ideas here, sign up to get crafting inspiration delivered to your inbox each week.
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Planning Your Shrink Plastic Projects
Before you get started browsing projects and tutorials, here are some tips for using shrink plastic in your craft projects:
- Remember to take the shrinkage into account when you are planning your projects. As you will see in the photo above, the shrink plastic will shrink to a fraction of the original size. Do a test piece first to check the shrinkage of the brand of shrink plastic you are using.
- The colors will change when the shrink plastic is heated and shrunk. Again, I recommend doing a test piece first to check the colors come out as you expect.
- You can use a heat gun or a toaster oven to heat and shrink the shrink plastic. Check the manufacturer's instructions before you start.
Now browse the projects and tutorials on the following pages to get inspired for your next shrink plastic craft project!
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Make Shrink Plastic Earrings
Use your favorite rubber stamps as a design to make cute earrings. Remember that the finished project will end up at a fraction of the original size, therefore, you can create earrings with an intricate decorative design.
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Make Shrink Plastic Washer Pendants
These washer pendants are surprisingly easy to make. Learn how to make your own and make some extra to give as gifts!
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DIY Shrink Plastic Ring Tutorial
Use shrink plastic to create attractive rings. The trick to making shrink plastic rings is bending the shrink plastic while it is still hot and malleable.
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Shrink Plastic Stud Earring Tutorial
Finished shrink plastic is hard wearing and light. This makes it a great option for making jewelry items such as earrings. Learn how to make these pretty stud earrings with this photo tutorial.
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DIY Shrink Plastic Leaf Pendant Necklace
Create a beautiful fall-inspired necklace using leaves made from shrink plastic.
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Hand Doodled Statement Necklace Tutorial
This hand doodled statement necklace combines some hot techniques. Doodling, coloring and shrink plastic are combined to make a one-of-a-kind feature necklace
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Zebra Ring Tutorial
Draw animal prints onto shrink plastic and then shrink it to create stunning rings. This tutorial you how to make these at home.
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Shrink Plastic Charms
Make shrink plastic charms which can be used to make jewelry and accessories. You could also add these lightweight charms as embellishments to handmade cards and scrapbook pages.
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Shrink Plastic Bird Charm Tutorial and Free Template
If you fancy something a little different then how about making an eye-catching bird charm feature necklace. This tutorial also includes a free printable template to get you started.
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Embroidered Shrink Plastic Pendant Tutorial
Add some embroidery to shrink plastic to create additional surface design and texture. This technique could be used to create matching pins and other items of jewelry.
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Shrink Plastic Tips and Tutorial
This tutorial is in Spanish and English and shows how to make cute little pins by drawing characters onto shrink plastic.
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Make a Statement Necklate
Printable shrink plastic is at the heart of this project. A vintage rose design is used to create the elements of a stunning piece of statement jewelry.
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Shrink Plastic Bangle
This isn't a tutorial as such, however, it clearly shows how to make this type of filigree bangle using shrink plastic and a little careful cutting.
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DIY Upcycle Food Containers to Make Shrink Plastic
While you can buy shrink plastic in a variety of colors and sizes, did you know that you can also recycle plastic food containers and use as shrink plastic? A great way to recycle and save money!
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Make Shrink Plastic Ring Bowls
This project entails working a little larger to create a pretty ring bowl. This would make a great handmade gift.
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Faux Fused Glass Techniques
This tutorial shows how to achieve unusual and eye-catching faux fused glass effects using some clever techniques working with shrink plastic.
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Geometric Shrink Plastic Pendant Tutorial
Here's proof, if any was needed, that incredibly stylish pieces of jewelry can be made using simple craft techniques and shrink plastic.
Go To Project Page
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Color Shrink Plastic With Alcohol Inks
Use alcohol inks to add vibrant color to shrink plastic. This is perfect for creating elements to make jewelry and accessories.
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Add Paint to Shrink Plastic
This detailed tutorial examines in-depth adding paint to shrink plastic to add both color and texture to the finished piece.
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Cat Pendant Tutorial
This tutorial is in Spanish, however, the photos are clear and demonstrate how to make these cute cat pendants.
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How to Weave Shrink Plastic
What a great idea! Learn how to weave shrink plastic to create a wonderful textured surface. The technique has been used here to create a soap dish, however, it would also make a great element for jewelry and accessories.
I hope that the projects and tutorials in this roundup have demonstrated some of the exciting ways that shrink plastic can be used. Do pin and share this craft roundup and remember to come back and see what else I have for you! Kate