Shrink plastic is the latest craft trend taking over TikTok
You’ve probably seen a video or two on shrink plastic while doomscrolling on your social media. Although it has existed for many years, the homemade craft idea has recently seen a resurgence, with many tutorials on how to create your own shrink plastic accessories popping up on platforms such as YouTube and TikTok. So, what exactly is it?
What is shrink plastic?
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Otherwise known as shrinky dinks, these are flexible sheets of plastic that magically shrink in size and harden when tossed in the oven. These sheets are readily sold online and available from retailers such as Shein and Shopee. Or even better yet, scour through your cabinets for reusable plastic containers with labels #1 and #6 for a more eco-friendly option.
The main perk of making charms with shrink plastic is definitely the entertainment value derived from watching the plastic crinkle up in the oven before it shrinks and flattens again.
How do you customise your own charms with shrink plastic?
Working with shrink plastic is an affordable hobby that allows you to explore your artistic side and customise your own charms.
To start off, draw or trace a design with a coloured pencil or marker onto the sheet of plastic. Use coloured pencils on the rough surface, or markers on the other smooth side. Next, cut out your drawing into your desired shape. You can even hole-punch the plastic if you intend to make your design into a cute keychain.
Here comes the exciting part: place your plastic cut-out in the oven at around 150 degrees Celsius for 2 to 3 minutes and the plastic will shrink to around one-third of its original size.
Take it out while it’s still hot and flatten it evenly with an object, such as the base of a cup, so it doesn’t set unevenly. You can also opt for a heat gun. Lastly, coat your design in resin to seal in the drawing. And, as simple as that, you have your own customised charm!
Shrink plastic are the latest craft trend taking over TikTok
Watch on TikTok
An affordable yet innovative way to spend your leisure time, working with shrink plastic serves as a therapeutic arts and craft session and a great way to spend quality time with your friends. You can make keychains, pins, or magnets designed to your liking. Some have even explored other creative ideas, such as making pop sockets and accessories that can be used on the daily.
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