Shrinky Dink Jewelry

I just had to share this AWESOME craft that Ava got for her birthday from a school friend.

SHRINKY DINKS JEWELRY!!!!

I can't even remember the last time I did Shrinky Dinks...maybe when I was 7 or 8 years old??  The magic of how this thin piece of flimsy plastic can shrink down into a fat, tiny exact replica of itself can only be appreciated by adults.  I was totally mesmerized by the process.

But the main bonus is how long this project kept my girls busy! ALL DAY!  They got right to work coloring the Shrinky Dinks with the colored pencils that were included in the box.  

Then I got to work shrinky  Dink-ing!  I cut up a brown paper bag to fit over my baking sheet. I have AirBake Insulated Baking Sheets (which I was told - and can confirm - works well with Shrinky Dinks). You can use the same piece of paper bag over and over.  They say to space them three inches apart so I only did 6 or 7 on a baking sheet.  Then it said to bake the Shrinky Dinks for 1 - 3 minutes.  This is what they look like mid-shrink:

 They curl up a bunch and then start to flatten out.

After the Shrinky Dink has flattened out, leave it in the oven for another 30 seconds and then remove.  I let them cool on a cutting board.

It only took them a minute or two to cool down and then the girls could turn them into JEWELRY!!!  Ava immediately made BFF necklaces for her and the friend that gave her this birthday gift.

This was by far the best arts and crafts project we've done in a long time!  I will be keeping my eye out for more Shrinky Dink crafts from now on!