shrink plastic ring tutorial
Thank you to everyone who requested a shrinkydinks ring tutorial! This tutorial is an experimental method, not an exact science – you should have fun playing with it…
UPDATE: Since posting this very popular tutorial in 2008, I’ve answered every question imaginable in the comments of this post. If you have questions, you’re welcome to trawl back through the hundreds of comments to find my answers, or, to make things easier, I’ve compiled a 3-page shrinky rings FAQ, which is available exclusively when you donate $2 or more towards my tutorial (this also entitles you to further help from me by email, should you need it). Please see the end of this post for more details about this policy 🙂
Please note: if you’ve come here via the lovely bird ‘ring’ picture on Pinterest, read this post to answer your questions.
This tutorial is Donationware – the instructions are available for free, but if you like it please consider sending me a donation to show your appreciation:
Send me a donation and receive the easy-to-print PDF version of the tutorial as a thank you! The PDF also includes a bonus 3-page FAQ compiled from all the tips I’ve shared in the comments since creating this tutorial.
Donations of any size are much appreciated. Just add the amount you wish to donate, and, once you have checked out and paid, your PDF will instantly be available to download from your PlanetJune account.
The complete instructions are available below, regardless of whether or not you choose to pay for them 🙂
This is a PlanetJune original tutorial. Please do not share or reproduce this tutorial; instead post a link to www.planetjune.com/shrinkydinks
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 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.
An alternative source for shrinkable plastic is #6 plastic, commonly used in food packaging. Look for the ‘6’ recycling symbol to make sure you’re using the right type! You’ll have to sand one side before use, as the plastic needs a rough (not shiny) surface so the ink won’t smudge and rub off.
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, if you’re in the UK, 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.
Measure: The best method to find the right length for your strip of plastic is by trial and error.
- A: Simple Method: Use my measurements for your first attempt, then modify the length if they turn out too small or big! My rings fit small ladies’ fingers, and are 6mm (1/4″) tall.
My starting dimensions were 14.2 x 1.6cm (5 5/8 x 5/8″). - B: Attempt to Calculate Size: If you know your ring size, you could calculate the desired circumference of your ring with a ring size converter. (The circumference would be equal to the length of your strip of plastic after shrinking.) However, I found that, although Shrinkydinks is supposed to shrink by ~3 times, my strips needed to be ~10% longer than the length I calculated in this way.
This isn’t an exact science. I recommend you just use your best guess to make a test ring; you’ll soon find out if your strip should have been longer or shorter!
Cut to Size: 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. For other types, consult your instructions.
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’ll 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 very hot, but the plastic doesn’t stay hot for long enough to burn my 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’ll be too large.
Enjoy your new jewellery!
Please note: if you’ve donated for this tutorial and read the included 3-page FAQ, and still have problems or questions relating to the instructions in my tutorial, you’re very welcome to email me for further help; please include your order number in your email.
I do not have time to respond to any other questions – if you look back through my many past answers to questions left in the comments here, you’ll probably find the answer anyway, or you can just donate $2 or more and receive the PDF version of this tutorial together with a 3-page FAQ which should answer any remaining questions 🙂
Happy shrinky ring making!
Please leave me a comment if you enjoyed this tutorial, and consider leaving me a donation. Thanks!
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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?
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!
guy m s said said
whaat a smart idea-good luck
ERIKA said
Great tutorial, thank you so much! 😀
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!
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 🙂
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?
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.
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.
guy m s said said
this is exciting-i’ll go looking
Aksaraini said
Thank you very much much much muccchhhh 🙂
Petra said
Thanks for the tutorial!
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
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.
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.
Chahat said
Is it safe to shrink the rings in the same oven you use for food? Are the fumes toxic?
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.”
Nikki said
Does the ink wear off over time? If you wash your hands with the ring on will the ink wear away? I love your tutorial thanks for sharing.
Pixie said
I am an artist, and I have been looking for a way to make my pieces accessible to more people. I’ve never seen this before. I am very excited to make pieces like these with my own original designs. I had to order the plastic online as my local craft stores didn’t carry it.
I can’t wait to try this out and put some finished pieces in my store. It’s a great way for me to get my original designs out in way that people can carry with them.
THANK YOU!
Pathojen said
I am just awful at this, but thank you so much for the tutorial. I’m working on a set RIGHT NOW, and they just won’t turn out. Try and try again, I suppose. :]
June said
Pathojen, it is a bit tricky to get the hang of the bending part because you have such a short time to work with the plastic before it becomes rigid. But do stick with it – keep trying and you’ll get there 🙂
Seth said
I’m going to have to send my wife this way – those rings are nice. She loves projects like this and is always looking for something different. Definitely giving 1 thumb up on Stumble!
rosa said
Oustanding!!
I doubt i’ll take the time to do this but is good to know i can with your instructions!!
Thanks.
June said
Claudia, check the instructions on the shrink plastic packaging – it may vary from brand to brand and I wouldn’t want to give you the wrong information! For Shrinkydinks brand, the temperature is 325F.
claudia said
That was a very good tutorial but i have a question.what temperature does the oven have to be at?
lisa said
nice !! I am adding your tutorial to my blog 😛
Shabbar said
Excellent. Thanks for sharing.
Regards
Shabbar
ashleigh said
this is a great idea. I have a friend that has a really old family heirloom ring made out plastic, but part of it is broken. I was curious if you thought that this shrink plastic technique could be used to try to fix it. Thanks for your help!
rick said
What a great tutorial. Your skills are saving money for the bills.
Arzu Musa said
very nice tutorial. Thank you so much for sharing….
Ryan G said
Great idea for effective yet inexpensive presents.
Shirley said
That is the coolest thing! I would have never thought of shrinky dink rings!
k. said
This is great :}
A friend of mine got a shrink plastic kit and we made pendants.
pencils work equally as well on the plastic :}
Tina said
OMGasher!! OMGashers!! OMGashers!! I totally love this I am definetley making one of these this weekend I love LOVE LOVE this idea!!!!
THANKS! Can’t wait to make a ring 🙂
babychan said
very cute 😡
Talli said
www.flickr.com/photos/kukeit/2943840571/
with a quote from alice in wonderland.
Thank you!!
Caroline said
This looks like so much fun.
caro said
where i can finde the plastic ?? and if dont find it can i use other ??
LollyChops said
Wow! This is really cool. I cannot wait to give it a try!
Lolly
Madeline said
That’s so cool! I bought the Shrink Dink Jewelry book and was going to try and make the rings except I lost my ring roller! I love the rings they are so pretty!
Here are some pics of earring I made!
s210.photobucket.com/albums/bb90/beadexchange1/?action=view¤t=msoF33A5.jpg
s210.photobucket.com/albums/bb90/beadexchange1/?action=view¤t=msoE14B2.jpg
s210.photobucket.com/albums/bb90/beadexchange1/?action=view¤t=mso9C164.jpg
s210.photobucket.com/albums/bb90/beadexchange1/?action=view¤t=mso1B832.jpg
P.S Is that a OPI bottle? That’s genius!
Judy Frizell said
Thank you for the great idea, How about using glue to add a rinestone or big bead to fill in the gap,
Marcy said
This looks fantastic. I can’t wait to try it.
Thanks for sharing your technique
June said
Cindy S: yes, if you have one, a ring mandrel would be the best tool for the job! I just assumed that most crafters (like me) don’t have such specialized equipment.
The only thing limiting a cuff bracelet is the size of shrink plastic you can buy. A strip cut from a regular 11″ long sheet will shrink to under 4″ in length. But you need to leave room to get the bracelet on and off, so it should be fine!
Cindy S said
You’re a peach for sharing this tutorial! They look so elegant and not “kiddie”. There’s no reason you couldn’t make a cuff bracelet. Will a metal ring mandrel work? I also have a metal bracelet mandrel. Thanks again!
sam said
WOW – i would love to try this !!!
where can i get this stuff from, i live in the uk and have never heard of this shrinky stuff before???
Thanks 🙂
Joey said
I have heard that #6 recyclable plastic works too.
Iris said
I finally tried these today and had a blast doing it!
At first I had some trouble with the forming. Perhaps I’m more sensitive to heat than others but by the time I could touch it without hissing with pain, it was too late to form properly (there’s a very short window, as you mentioned). Finally I had an epiphany and dug out my cotton gloves – they’re the kind you use at night to hold in lotion. They’re easy to maneuver with and made shaping much simpler!
Thanks for the tutorial!
the lost_poet said
Pretty nifty hack. Very creative. Kudos. 🙂
Madison Avenue said
I LOVE Shrinky Dinks. My kids and I played with them when they first came out but I recently rediscovered how much fun shrinking is. I made some pin-head covers for bulletin/notice boards. Fun!
Jeannine said
I have just found your site via an entrecard user who had your link on her site. I am so happy to have found your site. I totally enjoyed this shrink art ring tut..So well done!
rachel said
it looks easy and fun! i will try it ater today though it is probably harder than it looks!