What is the history of Shrinky Dinks?
Shrinky Dinks were invented in 1973 by two housewives (Betty Morris and Kate Bloomberg) of Brookfield, Wisconsin, as a Cub Scout project with their sons. The first kits were sold at a local shopping mall and became very popular.
What is the name of the compound of which Shrinky Dinks are made?
The sheets of plastic you get in a Shrinky Dinks kit is polystyrene—the same stuff as recycled plastic #6, which is commonly used for those clear clamshell containers you see in cafeterias. When manufactured, raw polystyrene is heated, rolled out into thin sheets and then rapidly cooled so that it can retain its shape.
Can you use Crayola markers on Shrinky Dinks?
Sharpies in a variety of colors. The Shrinky Dink company also recommends Prisma Color pencils or non-water based crayons. We used Crayola Twistables and Crayola washable markers for this project.
Why do Shrinky Dinks curl?
Tips for Baking Shrinky Dinks Check after a few minutes. The parchment helps keep it from happening as much as if you left it out, but it is TOTALLY natural for shrinky dinks to curl up, and as long as it doesn’t fold up and touch itself, it will flatten back out by leaving it in the heat.
Can you use paint on Shrinky Dinks?
Definitely yes! Acrylic paint is a water based type of paint, therefore it can be used on Shrinky-Dink material to make vivid, beautifully colored art.
Can 1 plastic be used for Shrinky Dinks?
Number 1 plastic shrinks a little, but not much and also sometimes just turns white and curls – it’s not a good material for DIY shrinky dinks. The #6 plastic with the ridges has a pretty neat effect when made into a shrinky dink.
What is made of #6 plastic?
Number 6 plastic stands for polystyrene (PS) or styrofoam. This is one of the plastic recycling codes that must be avoided or, at least, reused as it is hard to recycle 6 plastic. 6 plastic is cheap to produce, lightweight and it can be easily formed. We meet it in the form of rigid polystyrene and formed styrofoam.
How do you keep Shrinky Dinks from curling in the oven?
How do you keep Shrinky Dinks from curling up? Preheat the oven at 325 degrees Fahrenheit. At first the Shrinky Dinks will curl up, but they will flatten back out. Once they flatten back out, bake for 30 more seconds.
How do you keep big Shrinky Dinks from curling?
Lay the Shrinky Dink piece onto a cookie sheet. Place a piece of metal screen over the Shrinky Dink. The screen can be cut to fit the size of the Shrinky Dink with a pair of tin snips. The metal screen will prevent curling from occurring while the Shrinky Dink is in the oven.