Home Crochet baby clothesCrafting with shrink wrap - instructions, DIY ideas + templates

Crafting with shrink wrap - instructions, DIY ideas + templates

  • Material and preparation
  • Instructions for Shrinkles
  • Instructional Video
  • Shrink film ideas
    • Chain and key chain
    • Rings made of shrink film
    • DIY Earrings
    • Make bookmarks
  • Templates for Shrinkles

Shrink film is absolutely insane - the malleable plastic film can be used in many ways. So you become a jewelry designer, create your own bookmarks or buttons. Shrinkles are just great! In this manual, we explain the crafting with shrink film in detail and provide the necessary inspiration. We offer you creative ideas and templates for making shrink films for home.

Material and preparation

You need:

  • Shrink film (transparent, white, black)
  • Punch or punch
  • pencils
  • scissors
  • oven
  • baking paper
  • nailfile

Shrink film - In the specialized trade for craft supplies you will find a variety of different suppliers of shrink films, including online. You can get the foil in transparent, white and black. The film always has a rough and a smooth side. The motif is always painted on the rough side!

Our film used is frosted by the manufacturer "efco" and transparent. It has a size of 20 cm x 30 cm and in a box are 3 sheets. The film was easy to paint, only fine lines have leaked a bit. But you did not see that after shrinking.

Pens - You can try out as you like and use different pens for crafting with shrink wrap. It is even possible with crayons. However, we recommend you to paint the motifs with waterproof permanent makers. These definitely hold!

Instructions for Shrinkles

Step 1

Shrink Rate - Before you start crafting, it's important to test the shrink wrap. It may be that different slides behave differently. To prevent the shrinkles from becoming too big or too small, you should first calculate the shrinkage rate. Cut a 5 cm long and 2 cm wide strip from the foil. Of course, buttons also need holes. Punch a hole in the center of the strip with the punch. Put it in the oven according to the manufacturer's instructions for the specified time and temperature. After the film has shrunk and cooled, measure the strip again.

In our case, the 5 cm long strip after shrinking only 2.5 cm long and 1 cm high. You always use this scale when tinkering with your foil.

The shrunken hole shows you how big a punched hole is after shrinking. This information is especially important when crafting buttons.

Note: Some film manufacturers indicate on the packaging by what percentage the film shrinks after shrinking. This is always a good orientation, but we recommend the test. This is how you can work exactly.

2nd step

Here we go. If you want to use heads for a piece of clothing, you should first measure the size of the buttonholes. Buttons have a diameter of 2 cm to 3 cm on average. The diameter of the painted buttons now has to be resized according to the calculated shrink rate. Here are the 4 cm to 6 cm in diameter.

Draw circular, square, triangular, or entire motifs of the appropriate size on the shrink film as desired. You can give your creativity free rein, you can black out the buttons and then paint them or start directly with colors. Below, we offer creative templates for signing.

Important: shrink film has a smooth and a rough side. Paint the rough side of the foil. The color holds best on that.

3rd step

Now the shrinkles are cut out. Cut the individual elements clean with scissors.

Important note: Tip contours should be avoided as they shrink after shrinking and you can easily cut them. Corners should therefore be cut round with a pair of scissors.

4th step

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5th step

Now the shrink film is shrunk. Place a sheet of baking paper on a baking tray. Then place the motives with the painted side up and with enough space on the paper. Now put the shrinkles in the oven at 120 ° C for 2 - 3 minutes .

Note: Or you follow the instructions of the film manufacturer in terms of temperature and duration.

The shrink effect brings a lot of fun in any case - do not worry at the beginning, the plastic wrap curls something and is wavy. That settles again. Once the shrinkles are smooth again, they can be taken out of the oven. Let the shrinking pictures cool down a bit.

6th step

Now the fine grinding takes place. If the buttons have sharp edges and corners, you can easily smooth them with a nail file. Ready are the shrink buttons!

This basic guide is important when crafting shrink film in general. Of course there are a few more tricks and variants for painting and shrinking. These we show you with the following ideas.

Instructional Video

Shrink film ideas

Chain and key chain

You need:

  • shrink film
  • permanent Maker
  • scissors
  • possibly a template
  • punch
  • baking paper
  • nailfile
  • Chain, leather strap etc.

Step 1: Decide on a motif that you would like to design as a pendant. Using a permanent marker, draw the image on the rough side of the shrink film.

Step 2: Then cut the motif clean with scissors. Avoid sharp corners and edges.

Step 3: Then you punch the motif anywhere, where later the chain is pulled through.

Note: Be careful not to place the hole too close to the edge, otherwise the trailer could break quickly.

Step 4: Then place the shrink picture on a baking tray with baking paper. The painted side points upwards. Leave the image 120 ° for 2-3 minutes in the oven. You can see through the window how the film curls and contracts. In any case, leave the Shrinkle in the oven until it is smooth again.

Step 5: Once you have removed the shrinking image and it has cooled down (it only takes 1 minute), you can already pick it up. Refine the pendant by filing sharp edges with a nail file.

Step 6: Finally, the trailer is attached only to the desired chain. Finished!

Rings made of shrink film

Another great idea for crafting with shrink wrap are these DIY rings.

You need:

  • shrink film
  • scissors
  • permanent Maker
  • Corks with circumference of the finger
  • Glove
  • fine nail file
  • baking paper
  • possibly a lighter
  • clearcoat

Step 1: Measure the circumference of the ring finger with a thread. Now remove another 5 mm from this circumference. The ring will not be completely closed at the end, but will have a gap. Then decide which width the ring should have. A width of 1 cm is well suited, because that's where the pattern comes into its own and the ring does not get too wide.

Step 2: Now draw a rectangle with the appropriate dimensions on the shrink film. Consider the shrinkage rate. If the finger has an outline of 6 cm and the ring should later be 1 cm high, the template for 12 cm x 2 cm must be created. Cut out the rectangle with the scissors and round off the corners. If these remain angular, the ring later has very sharp edges on which one could cut.

3rd step: Now draw on it wildly. Whether geometric patterns, lettering, animals or symbols - make the ring to your taste color.

Step 4: Place the shrink wrap on baking paper in the oven as explained above. After a short while, you will see the rectangle shrinking. When the plastic is smooth again, the Shrinkle can be removed.

5th step: Now you have to be fast. Put on a fireproof glove and reach for the rectangle. Now put it in the hot state around the cork and press the ends around it so that the ring takes on its shape. They have to be fast, as the plastic cools quickly and then can easily break by bending.

IMPORTANT: shrink film has a rough and a smooth side. When forming the ring, make sure that the smooth side faces outwards - so the ring shines beautifully.

Step 6: If the two ends are not quite round yet and something sticks out, you can heat them up with a lighter and bend them again around the cork.

Step 7: Now the edges of the ring are filed smooth with a fine nail file.

Step 8: Finally, spray on the inside of the ring, this is the side of the foil you painted with some clear coat. If you do not have a spray paint, clear nail polish will work. This keeps the color longer. The ring is made of shrink film.

DIY Earrings

You need:

  • shrink film
  • permanent Maker
  • two blanks for stud earrings
  • hot glue
  • baking paper
  • clearcoat
  • scissors
  • nailfile
  • possibly a template

Step 1: If you want to make earrings you will of course need two identical pieces. Draw the two pieces side by side on the rough side of the shrink wrap. You can use one of our templates (see below) or you can create very individual pieces.

Step 2: Then cut the Shrinkles clean with scissors. Here you should definitely avoid sharp edges and corners, as they can piercing later when wearing quite.

Step 3: Now put the shrinking earrings in the oven at 120 ° for about 3 minutes. Lay out a baking tray with baking paper and place the motifs with the painted side facing upwards. You can see how the film contracts and curls. Do not worry, it has to be that way.

Step 4: Let the Shrinkles cool down.

Step 5: Then smooth the edges with a nail file. If you want, you can still seal the painted page with clear lacquer.

Step 6: Once the clear coat has dried, the studs are attached to the rough side with hot glue. This means the smooth, beautiful side of the Shrinkles will later point outward. If the glue dries, the shrink-wrap earrings can also be worn directly. Finished!

Make bookmarks

You need:

  • shrink film
  • permanent Maker
  • scissors
  • possibly a template
  • Loche
  • baking paper
  • Thread, ribbon or cord

Making a bookmark is really not difficult. Proceed here, as well as in the other instructions. Create a design - an oblong motif always makes a good bookmark - and think about how big this should be.

Then draw the motif with permanent makers on the rough side of the shrink film. Then it is cut out clean - avoid sharp edges and corners and cut around. Then place a hole in the desired location. For this you take a punch or a punch.

The motif is now placed on baking paper at 120 ° for 2-3 minutes in the oven. It will curl first and then contract again. Once it is smooth again, it can be taken out of the oven. With a nail file, you can round off hard and sharp edges after cooling down. Finally, only a ribbon or cord is pulled through the hole and tied together. Done is the bookmark made of shrink film!

Templates for Shrinkles

Here we have put together a small selection of templates for crafting with shrink film. Whether a unicorn, a fox or even a butterfly - here you can really try out until you develop your own ideas.

  • 1. Template - Crafting with shrink wrap
  • 2nd template - crafts with shrink film
  • 3. Template - Crafting with shrink wrap
  • 4. Template - Crafting with shrink wrap
  • 5. Template - Crafting with shrink wrap
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