Make a Shrink Plastic Pendant

By Kate Pullen, About.com Guide

Shrink plastic is ideal for making pendants. Shrink plastic shrinks when it is heated to about one third of the original size. It also thickens substantially and this means that it is ideal for forming lightweight items of jewelry such as pendants. One of the great things about working with shrink plastic is the flexibility that it gives when creating jewelry. Single color designs (monochromatic) can be created by using a single colored ink to stamp your designs, where as more colorful items can be achieved by using pens or pencils to add color to the stamped image. I used a paisley patterned stamp to create the pendant in the photograph and I used colored pencils to add color before shrinking the pendant. In keeping with the light feel of the shrink plastic pendant, I used ribbon to hang the pendant from, cord or a metal chain would also work well.

Tip: When picking stamps to create a pendant design do remember to factor in the shrinking - if you don't, you could end up with some tiny micro-jewelry!

Glass beads are used to complement the color of the shrink plastic charms. The glass beads add substance to the necklace and help to create the eclectic look of the finished necklace. Other charms or items could also be added.

Materials

• Shrink plastic and heat source (refer to manufacturers instructions)
• Rubber stamps, inks and coloring tools
• Hole punch, scissors and basic craft supplies
• Craft wire (I used .3mm) and glass beads
• Ribbon to hang the pendant from

Note about inks - different types of inks give varying results when working with shrink plastic. Slow drying inks, such as pigment inks, sometimes will not dry, even when heated and some inks may 'bleed' on certain types of shrink plastic. It is therefore a good idea to make a sample charm to see how the ink reacts. I get consistently good results with StazOn ink.

Instructions

Make the pendant following these instructions - How to Make Shrink Plastic Charms. Cut a piece of craft wire and make a small loop at one end to stop the beads from falling off. Wrap the wire around itself neatly and thread the beads onto the wire as required. I used two at the base of the pendant. Attach the wire to the pendant by threading it through the hole and wrapping the wire around to secure it. Repeat for the top of the pendant, however make a larger loop to thread the ribbon through. The necklace is finished - enjoy!

Ideas for Variations

Here are some ideas for adapting this necklace:

• Make earrings to match the pendant
• Color the edges of the pendant with marker pens to give more depth to the charms
• Dip the edges of the pendant in metallic embossing powder and heat this to give a metallic 'frame' to the pendant

Submit Your Photos!

If you have used shrink plastic and have a photo of a finished item that you would like to share, then you are welcome to use this form to show off your work - Submit Shrink Plastic Photos