Metro Parent / December 2011 / Shrinky Dinks Snowman Holiday Ornament Crafts

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Shrinky Dinks Snowman Holiday Ornament Crafts

Add some seasonal spirit to your family tree with these cute snowmen made from the classic plastic. Also: the how-to for snowball garland and ornaments!

Can you believe it's been more than 25 years since Shrinky Dinks were a must-have craft for kids? From your favorite Saturday morning cartoon characters to basic shapes, Shrinky Dinks served up hours of entertainment in front of the toaster oven. Now, this popular plastic is back in full force – and ready to entertain a whole new generation! With a few pieces of blank Shrinky Dinks plastic in hand, your family can get ready for the holidays as they make these easy ornaments.

Shrinky-Dinks Snowmen

Materials

• 1 package Frosted Ruff n' Ready Shrinky Dinks plastic
• Colored pencils
• 3 bowls or containers in different sizes (we used 3-, 4- and 6-inch diameters)
• Scissors
• 1 cookie tray
• Parchment paper
• Brown chenille stems
• Kitchen twine or string
• Paper hole punch
• Black and orange acrylic paint (we used Martha Stewart's paint line)
• Hot-glue gun and hot-glue sticks

Instructions

1. Pre-heat your oven to 325 F. A toaster oven or convection oven work perfectly.
2. Place your containers on one sheet of Shrinky Dinks plastic and trace around the bottoms. All three containers should fit on one sheet.
3. On the rough side of the plastic, color in the circles. You can use basic white for a classic snowy look, or your favorite color!
4. Cut out your circles.
5. Punch one hole in the small circle. Then punch a cluster of holes on either side of the medium circle. Holes shrink, too, with Shrinky Dinks, so you need a big enough opening for the chenille stems.
6. Place a sheet of parchment paper on the cookie sheet. You can use a brown paper bag, too.
7. Arrange your circles on the tray. Don't place them too close to one another.
8. Once the oven is hot enough, place the cookie sheet inside and get ready for the magic! They'll curl, flip and flop as they work. Each Shrinky Dinks creation is different, but it should take 1-3 minutes for the circles to shrink and flatten on the tray.
9. When the Shrinky Dinks are flat, take the tray out of the oven. Pull the parchment paper off the tray and cool on the counter. Wait a few minutes before taking the circle off the paper.
10. Once the circles are cool, you're ready to assemble the body. Apply a generous amount of hot glue onto the biggest circle. Place the medium circle on top and hold together for 30 seconds as the glue makes a bond. Repeat for the smallest circle.
11. Let the glue cool off before you decorate your Shinky Dinks snowman.
12. At this point, it's time to make your snowman look his fanciest. Using the black acrylic paint and a small brush or toothpick, make three coal buttons on his tummy. He'll need two coal eyes and a smile, too! The orange paint is for a carrot nose. If you'd like to add more decorations, go for it.
13. Let the paint dry completely. Once it's ready, cut a chenille stem into 3-inch segments (or longer if you'd like longer arms). Place the stem through the holes you punched out in his mid section and twist together.
14. Cut a piece of kitchen twine to your desired length and tie through the small hole in his head. Tie a knot in the twine.
15. You're now ready to hang up your snowman and admire your Shrinky Dinks skills!

Snowball Garland

Materials

• Frosted Ruff n' Ready Shrinky Dinks plastic
• 4-inch diameter bowl
• Scissors
• 1 cookie tray
• Parchment paper
• Kitchen twine or string
• Paper hole punch

Instructions

1. Pre-heat your oven to 325 F.
2. Using a 4-inch bowl, trace 20 circles on the blank Shrinky Dinks sheets.
3. Cut out and punch two holes on either side of the circle. It's OK if the circles aren't cut out perfectly – they're supposed to look like one-of-a-kind snowballs!
4. Arrange on a cookie sheet (covered with parchment paper) and place in the oven.
5. Once they're out of the oven and cool, thread on to a long piece of kitchen twine.
6. Tie a knot in either side of the twine and position the snowballs as you like. Hang over a doorway, small holiday centerpiece, etc.

Personalized Ornament

Materials

• Frosted Ruff n' Ready Shrinky Dinks plastic
• 6-inch diameter bowl
• Scissors
• 1 cookie tray
• Parchment paper
• Puffy paint, various colors
• Ribbon

Instructions

1. Using a 6-inch bowl, trace one circle on a blank Shrinky Dinks sheet.
2. Cut out and punch a cluster of holes in the top for a ribbon hanger.
3. Arrange on a cookie sheet (covered with parchment paper) and place in the oven.
4. Once the circle is cool, personalize with puffy paint.
5. You can write family member names, the year or just add a favorite doodle.
6. When the paint's dry, add ribbon and hang on the tree.