February 19, 2026

Shrinky Dink Key Chains

If you like, you can spray the Shrinky Dinks with an acrylic sealer to make sure the images don’t smudge. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place the Shrinky Dinks, ink side up, on the pan. The vintage postcards were perfect for Shrink Dinks, as they have a faded, vintage look. I decided to use some of vintage postcard imagery from the New York Public Library’s digital collection to make my Shrinky Dinks Christmas ornaments. I just loved watching the paper curl up and shrink in the oven. It’s never too early to get a jumpstart on your Christmas crafting.

Supplies Needed:

These little crafts start with a simple sheet of plastic paper that “magically” shrinks up and hardens in the oven, resulting in cute pocket-sized treasures! So, gather your supplies, unleash your imagination, and start creating your own miniature masterpieces! With some care and creativity, you can craft beautiful shrinky dink keychains that stand out and make perfect gifts or accessories.

Step 5: Trace the design

  • Select both the circle and the offset layer of the initial.
  • When you make your own jewelry, you can create something that perfectly matches a specific outfit.
  • Regular water based markers will not stick.
  • Layer multiple pieces to create three-dimensional ornaments that catch light on a tree or window.
  • When you peek into the oven as your shrink film is baking, you’ll see it getting all curled up and warped, and you’ll wonder if this is actually going to work.

I used Sharpie markers to trace and colored pencils to color. If they are still really curled and they won’t press down, you can put them back in the oven to bake a little longer. Kids will love seeing their handprint shrink and this makes a perfect keepsake gift for Mother’s Day too! ‌ You’ve just made yourself a pair of eco-friendly, adorable earrings, perfect for Earth Day — or any day, really. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and place the smiley faces onto the paper.

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Bake at 325°F for 1-2 minutes, watching the pieces as they bake on parchment paper. You want to be able to watch the pieces bake as they will curl, and then uncurl when they are done baking. You don’t have to use an ink jet printer—you can simply draw on it with felt-tip pens or colored pencils. Later, large toy companies including Milton Bradley created kits and other products for commercial sale. Shrinky Dinks were invented by Betty Morris and Kate Bloomberg, two mothers who created the craft as a project with their sons for Cub Scouts.

Step 6: Ornament Hanging supplies

Start by drawing or tracing your design onto the rough side of the sheet of shrink plastic. Shrinky Dink paper is perfect for creating lightweight, customizable earrings. With the right tools and a bit of creativity, you can create stunning, one-of-a-kind plastic earrings that showcase your personal style. If you’re looking for a fun, easy, and customizable way to make your own jewelry, Shrinky Dink earrings are the perfect project. Pick your favorite emoji to wear or give them as gifts with the free printable “flair” cards. Before we start- I did write up a big blog post with the shrink material I bought and how I do it- plus free tracing treats!

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This project is a great way to add some festive flair to your accessories collection and is perfect for the winter season. These earrings are perfect for adding a touch of seasonal charm to your outfit, and they make great gifts for friends and family. These pins are easy to make with Shrinky Dink plastic and can be customized with your favorite emojis to express your mood or personality. This is a fun craft to do with kids, as you can create a keychain with their footprint. This one is perfect for all the donut lovers out there!

Take them out when they are pretty much flat. You can leave a space in the unpainted part to put a hole in case you don’t want to put a hole in your image. But if you are kiddos are little, you might just want to do colored pencils for mess sake!

A. Supplies you need

Then select the Print Then Cut version, and click “Upload.” You can double-check the outline version to ensure all the cut areas are in the right place. Next, you can use shrinky dink plastic sheets the tools on the left to remove the background from your image if needed.

Lastly, follow the instructions on your Shrinky Dinks for cooking your ornaments. But, after a few, I started helping him press his hand on the ornament to get more obvious handprints. I’m a follower of Jesus, a mom to 4 kids, a kitchen mess-maker extraordinaire and a person who thrives in Chaos. This fire flame was double punched and it made the perfect size to place a ball bead key chain through.

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