DIY Shrinky Dinks Magnets – Great Rainy Day Weekend Kids’ Craft Project

I was recently inspired by some lovely, handmade shrink film jewelry I discovered through Painting Bliss blog. It in turn led to my son and I crafting our own DIY shrinky dinks magnets for the fridge!

Ashlie Blake, author of Painting Bliss blog (since defunct) is also the designer behind the lovely necklace pictured above. She makes a variety of beautiful, shrink film necklaces and earrings that I have just fallen in love with. I am really hoping she decides to put these beauties up for sale in her Etsy shop.

In the meantime, I was so inspired by Ashlie’s work, I decided to pull out some shrinky dinks paper I have had stashed away and give my son a little weekend project. He used this concept to make me some new refrigerator magnets.

Because I love dragonflies, he made me a dragonfly in a jar magnet. (He also crafted a butterfly magnet for my fridge and a bracelet for his girlfriend by punching holes in the shrinky dinks paper before shrinking then stringing together on string.)

If you were a child of the 80s then you may remember just how awesome shrinky dinks were. Well, they still are. Except rather than coloring in pre-printed designs, now you get to design your own!

This is a terrific kids project and adults love making shrinky dinks too! There are so many applications from jewelry and magnets to mobiles and herb markers!

DIY Shrinky Dinks Magnets

Here’s what you need:

Frosted Ruff & Ready Shrinky Dinks Paper
Colored Pencils
Imagination
Oven
Brown Paper
Cookie Sheet
Scissors
E6000 Glue
Rare Earth Magnets

Here’s what you do:

1. Either trace an image you like or design your own image and draw it onto the rough side of a shrinky dinks plastic sheet using colored pencils. Regular colored pencils work fine, but if you want a really rich color, opt for PrismaColor pencils. They’re pricey, but they’re good!

2. Color your image in completely. Don’t be afraid to press hard. The richer the color on the plastic, the more vivid your final piece. You can outline the edges with a permanent black marker for a bolder look if you like.

3. Cut your image out of the shrinky dinks plastic with scissors.

4. Place the shrinky dinks image on brown paper – I used a brown paper bag – on a cookie sheet.

5. Bake the shrinky dinks in the oven at 325 degrees Fahrenheit for 1-3 minutes. If the edges curl badly, you can quickly flatten them down with a spatula or chopstick.

6. Remove your shrunken art from the oven and allow to cool for a minute. Then remove your shrinky dinks from the paper and pan.

7. To turn your shrink dinks into DIY shrinky dinks magnets, simply glue a rare earth magnet onto the back with some E6000 glue. Allow to dry.

8. Then stick your new DIY shrinky dinks magnets on the fridge or other magnetic surface to enjoy! These are not only fun for everyday, but also make great gifts from the kids for Mother’s Day!

For more kids craft projects and ideas, be sure to check out my Kids Craft Projects board on Pinterest.