#6 Plastic is Shrinky! A Kid-Friendly Re-use Project
My days of Strawberry Shortcake Shrinky-Dinks are long past (although my childhood Strawberry Shortcake doll is still a prized possession–our household rule is that we are allowed no commercial culture toys in the house, unless they’re “vintage”. Ahem), but wow, were they crazy fun or what?
At last year’s Strange Folk festival, some Girl Scouts taught me and my kiddos the joys of #6 plastic. The basic concept: It shrinks! Like Shriny-Dinks! Equally awesomely! And because you get to draw your own pictures, not fill in some pre-printed coloring sheet, AND you get to re-use before you recycle, it’s a great activity to do with our budding little environmentalists.
There are lots of tutorials on the web for shrinking #6 plastic, all a little different, but here’s how my family does ours:
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You will need: clear #6 plastic, permanent markers, all-purpose scissors, baking sheet, an oven or toaster oven
1. Color and cut your #6 plastic however you want. We find that permanent markers color the best on this somewhat slippery surface (we use Sharpies, but I imagine that any brand would be fine). I have some sturdy craft punches that will punch this thin plastic into decorative shapes, or you can cut out shapes with scissors, keeping in mind that the plastic can tear if you’re not careful. If you’ll want to hang your finished design, punch a hole with a hole punch.
2. Arrange your finished designs on a baking sheet, leaving some room between them. Some families prefer to line their baking sheet with parchment paper or foil–we’ve tried it all, and I don’t think it really matters for us.
3. Using a toaster oven if possible, but your regular oven if you have to, set your temperature to 350 degrees. Once it’s hot in there, put in your baking sheet. I find that it takes about two minutes for our plastic to shrink, but it’s best to just watch it–it’s cool looking! Your plastic will curl as it shrinks and then flatten out–as soon as everything’s flat, it’s time to remove it.
4. Let your plastic cool, and then enjoy!
We made teeny-tiny buttons (inspired by Button it Up!), but you can make anything you want, big or small.
What will you make?
What a neat idea! I’m keeping this for future use!
What sort of chemicals does this release in the air?
Susan this is actually the exact same stuff they make shrinky-dinks out of so it can’t be too toxic. Just turn on the stove fan if you’re worried.
Keeping your oven temperature on the low end is also helpful for minimizing any chemicals you might worry about when you’re kitchen crafting–you want your #6 plastic to shrink, not melt.
I do the same thing when I make vinyl record bowls–the right oven temperature and the vinyl just gets nice and flexible; too high of a temperature, and you can smell it, which is DEFINITELY not good.
what kinds of things come in #6 plastic? since i read about this on your blog, i’ve been checking our containers, looking for some #6, since i know they only pick up #1 and #2 for our curb side recycling… so far, i haven’t found any.
also, if odor is any indication, the sharpies are probably more toxic than the shrinking plastic. sharpies are a staple around my house, but i swear i’ve felt light headed when using them, with my face down close to the marker tip!
Oh but cake, my love, they take ALL the plastics curbside where you and I live–#1-#7. Check out http://bloomington.in.gov/documents/viewDocument.php?document_id=2401;
It goes to a different recycling place, not our Recycling Center, as I found when I actually asked the director of our Recycling Center if I could trash-pick some #6 plastic from their recycling bins…ahem.
Anyway, um…deli containers, like at Bloomingfoods, are often #6 plastic, those plastic clamshell containers in the bakery department that cookies come in are #6, sometimes you get it when you order carry-out from a restaurant–it’s actually kind of hard to come by, really. Those red disposable cups that undergrads always use at their keg parties are also #6, but I’ve only ever tried shrinking the clear kind.
I used to work in the plastics industry.
Most clear blister packs for just about any product are #6. You can heat them slowly in your oven at the lowest setting. They will flatten out before they shrink. Take them out and let them cool at this point and you have flat #6 to work with.
Clear soda or water bottles can be used too. I used to use them to vacuum mold a model airplane canopy or engine cowl. Same thing, remove both ends, split the bottle, and heat gently to make a flat sheet. You will see the blister packs or the bottle plastic, sag as it heats. This will happen just before it can be flattened. Any longer in the heat and it will start to shrink.
I forgot to mention #6 plastic is the generic name for Polystyrene.
Polystyrene is a polymer of styrene. Styrene is a petroleum by-product and the primary raw material from which polystyrene is made. Styrene, a naturally occurring substance, is present in many foods and beverages, including wheat, beef, strawberries, peanuts, coffee beans and cinnamon.
Solid polystyrene is used to make cutlery, yogurt and cottage cheese containers, cups, and video and audio cassette housings. Foamed polystyrene is used to make cups, bowls, plates, trays and protective packaging for shipping fragile items.
Polystyrene products protect against moisture and maintain strength and shape longer than most other packaging materials, such as paper. These products are lightweight, conducive to reuse and can be molded to parts and products, maximizing their cushioning characteristics.
Environmental Issues
* Polystyrene used for food service packaging represents less than one percent by weight and volume of all landfilled materials.
* Generally, the manufacture of polystyrene uses fewer resources, and polystyrene weighs half as much as, coated paperboard products. (That was the big inside industry joke when the environmentalist movement got the fast food industry to switch to paper based packaging. It actually wasted more resources. And took up much more weight in existing landfill space.)
* Polystyrene is not easily recycled because it is lightweight, has a low scrap value and is not generally accepted as part of curbside recycling programs. However, recycling polystyrene is an emerging market; Los Angeles, the second largest city in the U.S., has implemented a curbside program for recycling clean polystyrene products.
Oh, I love the idea of heating the plastic gently to flatten it! I’ve been cutting the fiddly little bent bits off of our clamshell boxes when we make shrink shapes, but I was never really happy with that because then I’d just have to throw away those little plastic bits that I cut off instead of recycling them–I figure that even if it’s #6, if it doesn’t SAY it’s #6, the recycling program won’t know that.
It does sound like those red undergrad party cups won’t shrink correctly, though–stick to clear, I’m guessing.
oh goodness!
the red plastic cups work fine; they’re all i use. although it’s more difficult to get what you want out of the curved shape, they will completely flatten out.
i have put a cup sitting upside down and it will flatten into a circular sheet. i then cut out shapes with an x-acto knife and spray painted the white side. instant earrings!
i made something similar to the earrings below in shiny green paint (metallic - looks like metal!) with white splotches and circular shape.
http://www.walshbrothers.co.uk/Stock001/earring/INBP6015s.jpg
so yeah. jewelry makers: those silly red party cups that i always have tons of make an excellent base.
keep that in mind!!