Shrinky Dinks Halloween magnets are such a fun way to add as little, or as much, spookiness to your home as you want. Kids and adults alike will love this easy craft project!
This post contains affiliate links which means if you click on a link and make a purchase, I will receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you for your support!
Do you ever feel like some of the best crafts are the most simple? My kids love to craft and create. So as I was thinking of a Halloween craft I could share, Shrinky Dinks came to mind. It’s perfect for kids and adults to do (together or alone)!
Supplies Needed for Shrinky Dinks Halloween Magnets:
- Shrinky Dinks plastic (clear)
- Alcohol based markers, such as Sharpies
- Halloween shapes, printed on white paper
- Masking tape
- Scissors
- Magnets
- Super glue, such as Gorilla Glue
First, you’ll need to print out the pictures you want to trace. I actually used a free Halloween font that has images instead of letters. (You can read about how to install fonts HERE.) Then I enlarged the pictures so they were about 4″ tall (300 pt font size).
*PRO TIP* Shrinky Dinks shrink down to about 1/3 of their original size so keep that in mind when choosing and sizing your images.
Next, secure your paper to the table/counter using masking tape. Place your clear Shrinky Dinks plastic sheet over the top of the image and tape it down as well. I found that if I taped the paper down on two sides and the plastic down on the opposite two sides, that was enough to hold it in place.
Now, it’s time to color your pictures in! I recommend coloring them in with color first, then outlining them in black. This will help your pictures stand out better once they’ve been shrunken down.
*PRO TIP* The colors will get darker once you shrink your plastic down so be aware of that when choosing colors.
What should you use to color the Shrinky Dinks?
The packaging indicates that you can use any alcohol-based permanent marker or pen, acrylic paint and paint markers/pens. Using watercolors, watercolor markers or crayons will not work. Examples of acceptable products:
- Sharpies
- BIC Permanent Markers
- Copic Sketch Markers (often used for hand lettering)
- Uni Posca Paint Markers
Once your pictures have been colored in and traced, use your scissors to cut it out.
Next, preheat the oven according to the directions included with your Shrinky Dinks plastic. (Mine said 325 degrees F) Place the pictures on a cookie sheet lined with tin foil. Space them out a couple of inches apart, as the Shrinky Dinks will curl and can shift as they shrink in the oven.
When the oven is preheated, place the Shrinky Dinks in the oven and turn on the oven light. I like to watch the plastic shrink down to make sure none of the pieces stick together. It takes 1-3 minutes for the pieces to shrink and begin to flatten out.
Once they are flat, or mostly flat, you can take them out of the oven. If there are any pieces that aren’t as flat as you’d like, you can press down gently on the top with a piece of cardboard or even a hot pad. Let them cool before removing them from the cookie sheet.
After they’ve cooled, you can glue the magnets on. Choose a strong adhesive, like Gorilla Glue, so the magnet will stick well. Let it dry and then your Shrinky Dinks Halloween magnets are ready to use!
I’m so excited to join in with Creative Crafts – Halloween Edition and I hope you’ll take the time to see what other great Halloween crafts and projects are being shared all week on each of the four hosts websites.
