Color a design, cut it out, put it in the oven, and watch it pull itself into a hard little charm. Shrink art is the rare kids christmas craft with a real payoff, because what comes out of the oven is an actual object that clips onto a backpack or a gift, not another sheet of paper for the fridge door. That makes it a sound use of a cold December afternoon, a good classroom activity, and a welcome stocking stuffer for the child who gets restless on Christmas Eve. Adult supervision at the oven, as always. If you are planning it as a party craft for a set number of children, ask us for the contents and age recommendation first.
How much does shrink art plastic shrink when baked? Shrink art plastic generally shrinks to roughly one third of its original size and becomes about nine times thicker as it heats and contracts in the oven. Colors concentrate as the sheet shrinks, so designs are usually colored lightly at full size and come out saturated on the finished charm.
