Well, I always thought this stuff was pretty neat when I was a kid. It was called Shrink A Dink. You would color this stuff and then it would shrink in the oven. Well, I found a material that can do that. It is called PolyShrink: artist’s grade shrink plastic. I used the Translucent variety to create my business card. It shrinks to 45% of its original size.
My PolyShrink Business Card
1. Make A One Of A Kind Business Card For Your Blog
I thought it would be cool if I had a business card that I could use as an advertisement and was made out of something unusual. I found that if I used a 8″ x 6″ rectangle piece it would shrink to 2 1/2″ by 3 1/3″. I little trimming is involved afterwards, depending on the amount of heat given. I’m still playing with the materials. Save the extras (keep reading for why). Here are my steps for using this material.
Steps
- Cut out the size you want, remember it shrinks
- Draw your design with a sharpie marker
- Cut out any shapes you want, I used an exact’o knife.
- Add acrylic paint (really nifty texture when you shrink it)
- Use an oven or a heat gun to shrink the material to the size you want it
- Hand out to others
Here is my Youtube video on using the PolyShrink material.
2. Make Your Own Stuff
Remember saving the extras, here is why. I give my extras sections to my daughter so that she can design her own pictures and then shrink them. I help with the shrinking part.
Couple of tips when using these materials
- If you want to have a hole to hang your artwork, punch a hole in it with a hole puncher and put your material through, before shrinking. It will shrink around it.
- Use a permanent marker, the colors will get darker once you shrink it.
- Don’t touch it when it’s still hot. What a minute or so.
- If you want it flatter, put it between a piece of paper and squish it in a book while it is still hot. Just don’t touch.
- If you don’t have a heat gun, use an oven.
3. Visit a Poly Shrink Website
PolyShrink can be found at www.luckysquirrel.com. This website is nifty because there are all kinds of projects to use with this material. The possibilities are endless. There is also a gallery section for student work. My next order of business is to try the jewelry they suggest. They give directions on how to create your own beads.
4. How Many Shrinks
A challenge for you, count how many times I used the word “shrink” in any form in this blog. Post your answer in the comment section. Or let me know of your blog with your shrinks.
-Mrs. Berry
