shrinky dink charms

Take #6 takeout containers, draw your own unique image and then shrink them down using a toaster oven. This is a fun project that you will want to do again and again.

Shrinky Dinks were invented in 1973 by Betty Morris and Kate Bloomberg, two housewives from Wisconsin as a project with their sons. This activity consists of sheets of polystyrene which can be cut with scissors. When heated, the shapes become about one-third the original size, resulting in hard, flat forms which retain their initial color and shape. They reached the height of their popularity in the 1980s and can be used for a variety of things like charms and pins.

We will be using plastic waste to create shrinky dinks. #6 polystyrene can be found in many forms including Styrofoam (which can be hard to recycle). When used for plastic containers, the containers can be shrunk down in an oven…