Tips & Tricks to Shrinky Dinks

I LOVE Shrinky Dinks!  

  A few days ago while I was getting lost in social media, I came across a blog post about using everyday art by our kiddos as a necklace and even more as a special gift.  Another one of those gifts I love oh so much that MEANS a little extra special something!  While reading this inspiring blog post - a few ideas were running through my head.  I was even making a physical list of items I would need to buy and searching for this special paper on Amazon - because before reading this post I had never heard of shrink paper.... Really.  Check out the post that inspired me here!  She also has lots of other really fun things.

So I purchased Shrinky Dinks paper on Amazon right away...
I purchased it early enough in the morning that I got the paper the very next day!

I got all ready to print on my Shrinky Dinks paper and read the instructions.

THIS FILM IS NOT INK JET PRINTABLE.  

Whoops!  Thankful Hobby Lobby is just down the street and around the corner.  I packed the boys in the car and off we went.  (Got a few other goodies while I was there) And with my 40% off coupon, Shrinky Dinks Inkjet was on sale!  ;)  

**So if you plan to use an inkjet printer to apply your design to the shrink paper - make sure you buy the right one!  

Best part, when we got home everything was ready to print.  

(**by the way I am making inspirational and oh so cute little charms for my work badge, in case you are wondering)  

Supplies needed:
-Design or Idea
-Shrinky Dinks Inkjet or Inkjet Shrink paper
-Parchment Paper
-Hole Punch
-Inkjet Printer
-Oven
-9mm Round Jump Ring
-16mm Split Ring

I printed my design, cut them out, rounded the edges, (my design measured 1 5/8 x 2 1/4 inch) punched a hole and put them between two pieces of parchment paper on a baking sheet and in  the oven at 300 degrees for a minute or two while keeping a close eye on them.
Each time I tried the paper curled to no repair.

I made several attempts to straighten them out, each time was unsuccessful.  I followed the directions on the package perfectly, I googled several tips and was still unsuccessful.  I decided to just start OVER!  






I took like a 2 second break, got the kids a snack and printed my design on my second piece of Shrinky Dinks Inkjet paper.  This time I used a paper cutter and a corner punch to trim the edges of my charms. Lastly, I punched my holes with a regular hole punch and again they were ready to heat!

I preheated the oven to 275 degrees.  I used the same parchment paper I did the first time.  One piece on bottom and one on top of my design on a baking sheet.  I decided this time I would let the design bake for 3 minutes before I tried to straighten it out.  The directions said that it may curl and to help straighten it out if it does.  To my surprise when I opened the oven at the end of 3 minutes, my design was mostly flat - so I quickly removed the the parchment paper and charm and flattened it under a heavy box.  Left it there for about 15 seconds and it was perfectly flat!  I placed each piece in the oven separately to ensure this was going to work this time.  And it worked great for all 15 pieces!  

I guess the trick is NO PEEKING!  OKAY okay... I did PEEK!  But I did NOT touch!  The  

paper does curl a little and then curls back.  When I took the Items out of the oven, the edges were slightly curled up, and quickly placing them under a heavy book or box they flattened right out.  (I actually used a Project Life Core Kit!)

My Final project measured 1" x 3/4".  I inserted the jump ring and attached 3 charms to a split ring and there ya have it, my new super cute charms!

There may be a few of you that can recognize these little charms!  They are a few of the Project Life cards that are truly meaningful to me!  I felt that these cute little charms would be a great addition to my work badge - a little something to inspire me while working long hours in the ER!


    I really do enjoy my new charms!  They sure do add a little something something!                                                                                    Hooray!

Kicking off the New Year!

Happy New Year!  We joyfully welcome 2015 with a new exciting journal!  

This year I will be keeping journals WITH my boys.  

In the past I have kept scrapbooks and in my daily planner I write down their milestones and often silly things they say and do - and try to incorporate these things into their scrapbooks along the way - However, too often I leave out many of these little big things.  So I have come up with a way to create a special little place for all of these items plus more.  (And of course I will still be continuing scrapbooks and Project Life albums!!)

I now have a 4 year old - one that LOVES to LEARN!  He is fascinated with writing his name and other words - He asks how to spell just about everything.   

So here is what we will be doing -  Each day I hope to write down a little snippet about our day

(something silly or something sweet or even an altercation if that is what the day holds)  Or maybe I will include a photo or a project we have done.  

If nothing else, EVERY DAY my 4 year old will write his name (maybe more).  And together, we will watch the progress over the year!