#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:

• » See also: Something Every Parent Should Have: Removeez
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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?

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