shrink plastic ring tutorial
Thank you to everyone who requested a shrinkydinks ring tutorial! I hope this will answer all your questions. Please leave me a comment if you have any questions etc, or link to pictures of your own rings!
I’ll answer some questions from the comments on my previous shrinky rings post before I get started, and add more hints and tips throughout the tutorial.
Shrink plastic, for the uninitiated, was originally marketed as a toy for kids. It starts life thin and flexible. You draw on it and then bake it in the oven, and it shrinks to become about 1/3 of the starting size, but 9 times as thick. This thickness makes it strong and hard. It will not bend after baking, so if you try to pull your ring open, or stand on it, it may snap, but it is strong enough to withstand regular use as a ring.
The last step (bending the ring into shape) is the most difficult, so I highly recommend that 1) you read through all the instructions before starting, and 2) practice on a blank piece of shrink plastic so you can get a feel for it and test your size and bending technique before putting too much effort into your design!
Full tutorial instructions are after the jump…
1. Find your shrink plastic
I use I use Shrinky Dinks Frosted Ruff N’ Ready, which accepts rubber stamped images beautifully. Any transparent shrink plastic will work. If you use the coloured opaque shrink plastic, you would have to decorate the outside of your ring instead of the inside. You could also use the inkjet printable type of shrink plastic.
Note: If you are looking for sources, search for “shrink plastic” (generic term) not “shrinkydinks” (brand name) and you may have more luck. For example, for you UK people, googling ‘Shrink Plastic UK’ (without the quotes) will give you lots of online stores that sell it. You’re looking for large sheets of it, not pre-cut shapes.
2. Measure and cut to size
Note: Different brand of shrink plastic may shrink by different amounts, so you might want to try baking a plain test piece to make sure you’ve got the size right before spending time on decoration.
If you know your ring size, you can use a ring size converter to calculate the desired circumference of your ring. The circumference in this case will be equal to the length of your strip of plastic (after shrinking). Shrinkydinks shrinks by approx 3 times, but I found I had to allow an extra 10% in the length measurement to compensate for the curvature in the finished ring. For my rings (finished size approximately US 6, UK J, and 6mm tall) my starting dimensions are 14.2 x 1.6cm.
To cut the plastic, I like to use a guillotine (paper cutter) to get straight lines, but it’s probably not good for the cutter blade (I use an old cutter blade). You could also use an xacto knife and metal ruler, or just cut the plastic with scissors.
The corners can be very sharp, so I like to round them off slightly with scissors before baking (don’t worry if you forget this step; you can file or sand them down after baking).
3. Decorate shrink plastic
Follow the decorating instructions that come with your shrink plastic. Here are some ideas:
- Rubber stamps + alcohol-based permanent inks (be warned: other types of stamp ink will smudge)
- Fine-point permanent marker (e.g. Sharpie) to draw or trace your designs
- Coloured pencils (use in combination with the above to add colour)
- Print designs directly onto your plastic (inkjet shrink plastic ONLY)
If you’re using the frosted type, remember to decorate the rough (frosted) side.
I used peg stamps to decorate my first rings. The designs are only 1cm tall so fit my rings perfectly. Below I have also tried some other rubber stamps:
Don’t forget to let your ink dry before adding any coloured pencil embellishments, and remember that colours will become more saturated and vibrant after baking, so less is more in this case.
4. Find a suitable form to bend plastic around
Here’s a useful tip to find an object of the right size to create your ring: take an existing ring, and try to slip it over various thin cylindrical household objects, e.g. marker pen barrel, wooden spoon handle, lip balm tube. You are looking for an object that is a tight fit inside your ring. If you don’t have anything suitable, you could buy a short length of wooden dowel of the right diameter. Your object will come into contact with hot plastic, so don’t use any treasured possessions for this step.
5. Shrink your plastic
This is the fun part!
Preheat a toaster oven or conventional oven to the temperature specified on your packaging. Make sure you are in a well-ventilated area so any fumes don’t build up.
Note: Please read the instructions below all the way to the end before baking your ring – the shaping happens very quickly after baking so you need to be ready…
Place your strip (decorated side up) on a piece of brown paper on an oven tray, and put it in the oven. Keep watching… this is where the magic happens. Your strip will begin to curl up and wiggle about as some parts heat more quickly than others and so begin to shrink more quickly. Don’t worry if it looks like it’s stuck together – in my experience it always flattens out as it continues to shrink. When it has finished shrinking, leave it in the oven for another 30 seconds to heat through evenly.
Here’s an animation of the shrinking process:
6. Shape your ring
When your strip comes out of the oven, you will have to work quickly – you only have about 10 seconds before it has cooled and becomes rigid. Disclaimer: to protect your hands from the hot plastic, you should probably wear a thin glove (for more control) or an oven mitt (for better protection against the heat) but I don’t bother – it is hot, but the plastic doesn’t stay hot for long enough to burn skin.
Remove the brown paper from the oven. Wait for about 2 seconds (so it’s not too hot to touch), then carefully wrap the strip around your forming tool, with your decorated side facing in towards the tool. Hold it in place for a few seconds until it becomes cool and rigid.
I’m not going to lie, this step is tricky. You really do have to work quickly, and not make any mistakes, otherwise you won’t have time to wrap the entire strip around your object before it cools. But don’t lose hope! There is a magic fix for a badly-formed ring like the one below…
Pop your misshapen ring back into the oven on the brown paper, balancing it upright on its curved surface so the join is at the top (as in the picture above). After a minute or so, the plastic will relax back out of its shape, and revert back into a flat strip… I told you this stuff was magic! Let it heat through for about 20-30 seconds, then try to form the ring around your tool again.
Left: unsanded edges; Right: sanded edges
That’s it! You can sand down the edges to give a smoother finish, but this may partially obscure your design. You could also paint the edges after forming for a different effect. For more durability of your design, use a clear coat to carefully varnish the inside of the ring (one coat should be enough).
You can make matching earrings, charm bracelets or necklace pendants – just punch holes for the jewellery findings before shrinking the plastic, and remember that the holes will also shrink, so don’t worry that they will be too large.
Enjoy your new jewellery!
cybilbird said
Thanks for the tutorial. I just hosted craft night with 2 of my friends and we thoroughly enjoyed. Determining the right length was a challenge. We started with the math and conversion chart, they were generally too long and we worked back incrementally from there. We used Shrinky Dink brand plastic. Don’t take “well vented area” lightly- we should have turned the fan on earlier. But I can quote my friend in saying “You know you’ve had a great craft night when your throat burns.”
Chahat said
Is it safe to shrink the rings in the same oven you use for food? Are the fumes toxic?
Leah said
Do you have any ideas for marking black shrink plastic sheets? I would like to make some black rings, but I don’t know if there is any way to make a design on them. Please let me know if you have any ideas.
June said
Ooh, more questions to answer! I’m so happy you guys are still finding this tutorial useful! Here goes:
Nikki: The ink should be permanent after the piece has been shrunk. Having said that, I do try to take my rings off to wash my hands, just in case. At the end of the day, it’s a plastic ring, not a family heirloom – it probably won’t last forever, but it’s easy enough to make a replacement!
Chahat: Yes, it’s safe to use the same oven you use for food. Maybe don’t use it for food immediately after taking out the plastic – give it a few minutes first if you’re worried. Open a window or turn on the hood fan while you shrink the plastic to keep your kitchen ventilated. Shrinkydinks are sold as children’s toys, so they shouldn’t be toxic.
Leah: For black shrinkydinks you can use white or metallic coloured marker pens or stamp pads. Just remember not to use water-based inks, which will smudge. Permanent/alcohol-based inks should work well on the black shrinkies.
sue kremer said
Wow, this is great info!! OH, the places we can go!! (Dr. Seuss,LOL) Thanks for all the great tips & ideas
Sue
Petra said
Thanks for the tutorial!
Aksaraini said
Thank you very much much much muccchhhh
guy m s said said
this is exciting-i’ll go looking
EJ Hall said
Love this idea. My niece are going to make matching jewelry for all the ladies in our family. I found that old fashioned transparency paper, not the kind for printers or copiers, works just great for shrinky dink paper. You just have to rough one side up with sandpaper to hold the color. I found a box laying around the office and tried it on a whim. It worked.
Jessica said
I just love your tutorial, except I use a recyclable #6 plastic, most commonly found in plastic food containers. The plastic does need to have a sanded side for stamping or drawing with non permanent markers.
Christine said
Fantastic! Can’t wait to try this. They look so classy. Just wondering… I’ve never tried shrinky dinks before, and I read a few comments from people saying they’d made shrinky dink keychain charms and pendants and they didn’t last very long before breaking. Just wondering if you’ve had the same problem with these rings?
christina said
thank you so much for this tutorial…I wanted to make some rings, but was at a loss at how to do so…this solved the problem! thanks again
Etsy, Playdough & Shrinkydinks! | Tickly Moo said
[...] to attach the little discs to. I have found some great tutorials for pins from Tutti Frutti, for rings from Planet June and I yet to try anything as complicated as Jessica Poundstone’s YouTube [...]
toni said
Thank you! You are incredible! I’ve been looking for a pictured step-by-step and you’ve done an amazing and clear job. Thank you sincerely and all the BEST to you!
ERIKA said
Great tutorial, thank you so much!
guy m s said said
whaat a smart idea-good luck
Mambo said
Thanks for the tutorial, i have had a go, had a few problems though!!
i have been trying to make necklaces out of these, but the ink from the sharpies came off on my skin and using glaze made the pen bleed into my design. what arethe best inks to use that wont do this?
June said
Mambo:
1. You must use a permanent (alcohol-based) ink. Make sure you’re using a permanent marker, not a water-based marker!
2. You have to draw on the frosted (rough) side of the Shrinkydinks so that the ink will set.
3. If you’ve done both of the above, the ink should be permanent after shrinking, so it won’t rub off on your skin and you can safely glaze it if you want without the ink bleeding.
Hope this helps!
Kelsey said
I’ve had a blast making pendants and charms with my Shrinky Dinks, but the shiny side of my designs always comes out blotchy. The center of the design (the part that stays on the baking sheet when the rest curls) is smooth, but the edges are scratchy. It really ruins the look. Any ideas?
Photojojo » Make Photo Necklaces, Earrings, Magnets and More Using Shrinkable Plastic said
[...] long thin pieces into custom-fit rings as soon as they come out of the [...]
athena said
awesome.
question: what did you use for glazing?
thanks!
Living Locurto – Creative Ideas & FREE Downloads » Blog Archive » Shrinky Dink Jewelry said
[...] Planet June made these awesome rings. [...]
June said
Kelsey: I’ve never heard of this happening, but I’d suggest you try putting your shrinkydinks decorated side DOWN (shiny side up) instead and see if that helps.
athena: I didn’t glaze my rings and I haven’t had any problems with them. I’m thinking that if you do want to glaze yours, the easiest way may be to form the ring with the decorated side facing out – that way you could put the ring over a dowel or similar and use a spray glaze/sealer on the outside. Let us know what happens if you try it!
photo jewelry said
This is a cool tutorial. Your rings are cute! I do photo jewelry on my site also so I am always interested in blogs posts like yours.
Meredith said
Beautiful rings. I was just looking at my pack of shrinky dink paper and wondering what to do with it…
I initially had trouble with the edges rolling in and then fusing together. I think it was because I was using a large oven (no toaster oven) and it was perhaps a little too hot. I ended up reaching in with chopsticks and pulling apart any stuck curls.
I tried again with the oven set a smidge cooler with much better results. Only one ring became stuck. Yay!
Love them! Here’s a link to a pic of my first one http://www.flickr.com/photos/54416353@N00/3699666228/
Monica Marie said
thanks June. I’ve featured your rings on my blog and linked it back to you!
http://www.thecraftjunkieblog.com/2009/07/how-to-make-shrinky-dink-rings.html
Events said
Great little rings!
Fiona said
What lovely rings! I love the idea of using them as wine glass charms as well.
Fiona
Karen said
This is a great tutorial! I have a question: I have problems with making marks on the plastic as it cools with my fingers. What is the best way to avoid this? Thanks!
Christine said
Wow, this shrink wrap ring is a really neat craft. I never thought you could make things out of something like that. The wine glass charm is a really clever idea too!
June said
Karen: do you mean you’re leaving fingerprints on the plastic while it’s hot?! I’ve never experienced this! I’d suggest you try letting it cool for a couple of extra seconds before trying to bend it, or wear thin gloves to protect the piece from your fingers.
Poze said
Very nice tutorial, the ring looks great. Thank you.
Elbie said
You made this look so easy!! Nice tutorial.
Is there any way to join two sheets together? I want to make a 4″ circular(ish) shape but the sheets are too small. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you!
June said
Elbie: I know you can fuse shrinkydinks together by overlapping it and baking it at higher than normal temperatures (then you’d have to let it cool and then reheat at the normal temperature to bend it – you’d run the risk of being seriously burnt otherwise), but it would leave a big bump at the join and probably wouldn’t look very good.
Your best best would probably be to make the piece in 2 separate sections and make the join a part of the design, e.g. for a bracelet you could punch a couple of small holes at the end of each piece, then connect them with jump rings or lacing after baking. Without knowing what you plan to make, I don’t know if that would work in your case! But that’s my best suggestion – hope it helps
And now I really want to try making some curved shrinky bracelets…
Mary said
Thanks so much! We’ve been working with shrinky dink plastic in my Jewelry class but so far we’ve been limited to tassels and jewelry pieces, I wanted to learn how to make rings and the like. Once again, Thank you!
Laura said
I stumbled upon your tutorial with google, and I can’t wait to try it, I do have a question though.
Bangles?
I think a strip cut diagionally form an 8×10 sheet would be long enough (between 12 and 13 inches pre-shrunk) since you would need a siginifacantly larger gap then with a ring. Is my brain functioning correctly, or does that make no sense? Also I was wondering, if I were to try a bangle, would tradition shrink plastic be thick enough or should I opt for the new “SHRINKY DINKS ULTRA THICK MISTY WHITE” (pardon the caps, it was a copy/paste)?
In the end I want to more or less replicate this
http://www.angelicpretty.com/shopping/acce/ka/92ka-13170/92ka-13170.html
and I knew polymer clay wouldn’t haev the right look.
michelle said
does anyone know what type of ink is in that picture?????
I used to have an ink pad just like that and LOVED it but I cannot remember where I got it or what brand it was.
ANY HELP would be great!!!
OneDay said
Excellent tutorial. These look amazing and very fashionable.
Embarking On New Adventures In Life…Like Shrinky Plastic - Stickers and Donuts said
[...] this tutorial as a guide, I first made a ring. IMPORTANT THING TO NOTE ABOUT THIS TUTORIAL: Different brands of [...]
D2 said
This rocks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
katkaif said
Wow! Thats so cool. Thanks for sharing this nice and interesting product.
laura said
that is very cool
Caitlin said
Hey thanks I am 12 and me and my friend are going to sell a whole bunch of crafts we made, mostly jewelry, like friendship bracelets so I made many rings, well like 7 last night until 10 ‘o’ clock and I was having so much fun. The first 2 I made I broke because I forgot to read the tip that said I could reheat them. Oops! Well now I know. THANK YOU!
Katie nebber said
I can’t get the rings molded fast enough. any tips?