Happy Thursday! I hope you're having a wonderful week so far. Lately, I've been immersed in my shrink plastic keychain phase, and I hope you're all embracing it as much as I am. There's something truly delightful about how effortlessly it brings creative ideas to fruition. I'm excited to share this week's DIY tips and tricks with you all. Here's to happy gifting and endless creativity!
- Mel <3
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Soulmate Sandwich Keychain
I'm obsessed with mini bread designs, so why not a whole sandwich ЁЯдЧ
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Dimensions:
- Each charm (approx 1" x 1.5")
- Shrink plastic
- Keychain
Tips & Tricks:
- I used┬аPosca markers┬а(acrylic markers), which I highly recommend! They aren't the cheapest markers, but the quality is unbeatable. It's super bright and pigmented which makes the image look so much better. HOWEVER, it is still possible to make this keychain with regular markers, the colors just won't be as bright and solid.
- I heated the┬аshrink plastic┬аat┬а325 degrees┬аFahrenheit and took it out when I felt like the plastic stopped shrinking.
- Make sure to put┬аparchment paper┬аbetween the shrinking charm and the pan in the oven or else it will burn and make sure the┬аglossy side is facing up. If the┬аglossy side is facing down┬аthen when you go to flatten it, there is a high chance the glossy side will get scratched up by the parchment paper.
- I used a┬аlarge flat object┬аto flatten the trinket right after taking it out of the oven (the shrink plastic hardens extremely fast so you have to be faster). People tend to use large heavy books. I personally don't have any on hand, so I just use some thick cardboard and put pressure down on it with my hand and works like a charm!
- I highly recommend┬аdrawing out a ruler┬аon a test sheet of plastic and shrinking it first for proportional reference. Fair warning, it does shrink A LOT.
- The final keychain IS NOT super sturdy and has to be handled with care.
- Shrink plastic is convenient and easy BUT not reliable.┬аThe sandwich I made is actually stretched and not perfect. Even when taking all precautions, shrink plastic is very finicky and overall will give you decent results, but takes a lot of practice to get consistently perfect results.
- Make sure to have an┬аextra large jump ring┬аfor the sandwich. It has a lot of pieces and will not fit in a standard jump ring.
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Tamagotchi
This was such a huge hit as a kid and I would carry it around all the time, so I thought it would be perfect to remake with lil images that remind me of my partner ЁЯдЧ
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Dimensions:
- Tamagotchi (approx 2.75" x 2.5" x .25")
Main Materials:
- Tamagotchi - Cardboard, copy paper, cellophane (commonly used for disposable product packaging, so I highly recommend just looking around your home for it)
- Images - cardstock
Tips & Tricks:
- I created a┬аheart template┬аwith cardstock and just traced that for all the different layers. It made the process a lot easier and the layers consistent.
- Since cellophane is a plastic, not all adhesives will properly stick to it. I've found that┬аglue tape┬аand┬аdouble sided tape┬аare the best adhesives for cellophane
Since a lot of liked the other grumpy cat, thought I'd make the original grumpy cat ЁЯдЧ
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Dimensions:
- Grumpy Cat Charm (approx 1.75" x 1.25")
- Shrink plastic
- Keychain
Tips & Tricks (mostly same as other keychains):
- I used┬аPosca markers┬а(acrylic markers), which I highly recommend! They aren't the cheapest markers, but the quality is unbeatable. It's super bright and pigmented which makes the image look so much better. HOWEVER, it is still possible to make this keychain with regular markers, the colors just won't be as bright and solid.
- I heated the┬аshrink plastic┬аat┬а325 degrees┬аFahrenheit and took it out when I felt like the plastic stopped shrinking.
- Make sure to put┬аparchment paper┬аbetween the shrinking charm and the pan in the oven or else it will burn and make sure the┬аglossy side is facing up. If the┬аglossy side is facing down┬аthen when you go to flatten it, there is a high chance the glossy side will get scratched up by the parchment paper.
- I used a┬аlarge flat object┬аto flatten the trinket right after taking it out of the oven (the shrink plastic hardens extremely fast so you have to be faster). People tend to use large heavy books. I personally don't have any on hand, so I just use some thick cardboard and put pressure down on it with my hand and works like a charm!
- I highly recommend┬аdrawing out a ruler┬аon a test sheet of plastic and shrinking it first for proportional reference. Fair warning, it does shrink A LOT.
- The final keychain IS NOT super sturdy and has to be handled with care.
- Shrink plastic is convenient and easy BUT not reliable.┬аThe sandwich I made is actually stretched and not perfect. Even when taking all precautions, shrink plastic is very finicky and overall will give you decent results, but takes a lot of practice to get consistently perfect results.
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Materials
Amazon Storefront:┬аI've curated all of my recommended materials here, complete with personal notes explaining why I love them! If you're seeking suggestions, feel free to take a look. However,┬аif you're not into affiliate links feel free to skip it!
xTool Laser Cutter:┬аMy newest addition to my little creative workshop! I'm still learning more and more by the day, but I can definitely say it's my favorite tool by far. I have the xTool P2 laser cutter, but they offer a large range of tools. I highly recommend checking out what they have, especially since they have their St. Patrick's Day Sale going on!
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