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Shrinky Dinks Awol


4x4luv

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Went to Wal~Mart to see if I could get a "Shrinky dink" set so I could make a signature / Travel bug object. I was told by the Toy dept. Manager "He can't keep that stuff in Because of those"GPS People" as soon as I get it in it is out the door" :P

I didn't tell him I was one of those people. He suggested Walmart.COM, I checked there also SOLD-OUT. What can I say Us "GPS People" :P must have a good Idea.

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Went to Wal~Mart to see if I could get a "Shrinky dink" set so I could make a signature / Travel bug object. I was told by the Toy dept. Manager "He can't keep that stuff in Because of those"GPS People" as soon as I get it in it is out the door" :P

I didn't realize there were more geocachers using shrinky dinks than the millions of elementary school and Sunday School kids who routinely use them to make Valentine's Day and Easter presents. When my wife was teaching the little ones, they would typically go through more Shrinky Dinks on any given Sunday than a geocacher could in a year!

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This made me laugh when I saw it. I was at the local Michaels craft store last night to look for geocaching ideas. I asked about the shrink dinks and I also rec'd a "We are sold out, I think?" Apparently they had a run of sales as of late. HMMM..wonder why? I found a bnch of other things to make signature items and a neat cache container. See what you started!!!!

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Went to Wal~Mart to see if I could get a "Shrinky dink" set so I could make a signature / Travel bug object. I was told by the Toy dept. Manager "He can't keep that stuff in Because of those"GPS People" as soon as I get it in it is out the door" :P

I didn't tell him I was one of those people. He suggested Walmart.COM, I checked there also SOLD-OUT. What can I say Us "GPS People" :D must have a good Idea.

we are just good people :P:P

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Has anybody tried putting the shrinky-dink film through a inkjet printer then shrinking it, or does it need special markers? I would be interested in knowing the results.

I've printed on them. I had to use the "transparency" setting. It printed thin lines, which smoothed out when I shrank it.

 

edit: BTW

The ink still ran when wet. So I spray painted a clear coat over the printed side. After it was shrunk of course.

Edited by leatherman
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Kindergarten teacher here... :P

 

I love Shrinky Dinks. I usually buy them at Hobby Lobby, but I've also found them at Dollar Tree (cheap, cheap, cheap!), although they had designs already on them. And, in past years we've ordered off-brand shrinky dinks through art supply catalogs, but you need to be careful. Some aren't pre-scratched, so you're supposed to get sandpaper and scrub them all. PAIN IN THE NECK.

 

What medium you use to decorate them depends on what kind you get. At Hobby Lobby, it lists what you can use on the packages. Colored pencils are the most common medium (some sets even come with them) but I love using acrylic paint markers for the vibrant color, and I prefer the kind that ends up solid white instead of opaque.

 

It's so easy to do in the oven (they take a few minutes) that I'd never spend the money on a Shrinky Dink machine.

 

With all that said, I've never used them for geocaching... yet. Hobby Lobby, here I come!!

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Okay. Everone with questions go right

 

HERE

 

This will answer all those questions you have about shrinky dinks, and there are some pictures, of my sig item, as well as a few others.

 

It talks about inkjet printing also.

 

Also, I heard the shrinky dink oven sucks a lot. I have never used it though.

There is mention of it in that thread i think also.

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Has anybody tried putting the shrinky-dink film through a inkjet printer then shrinking it, or does it need special markers? I would be interested in knowing the results.

They do make a special ink-jet shrink paper. It's slightly thinner than regular. I did some experimenting with oven times, etc. I've found that if you leave it in the oven for too long, it doesn't hurt. You'll just need to flatten each piece with a spatula just before removing from the oven, and it doesn't hurt to flatten it again as soon as you take it out. The plastic doesn't get hot enough to damage your countertop, but you could use a cutting board if you're nervous.

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I love Shrinky Dinks.  I usually buy them at Hobby Lobby...

:P Shrinky Dinks and Hobby Lobbies! Nothing like that in the UK as far as I'm aware of!

MarcB

You can get a similar (I think) product in the UK, It is called fantastic plastic and is made by Avery , The same people who make all the printer labels etc, I have made a couple of travel bugs from the stuff. You can draw on it or print on it using an inkjet printer and then shrink it in the oven. I bought it from pc world and I think it cost about £10 for 5 A4 sheets

 

I posted this in the other topic but here it is to save you scrolling through it to find my post

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We got our shrinky dink supplies at the local craft store. I hear Michael's carries them as well. As for using them in ink jet printers, it worked for us just fine. I dont know about color or not. I used the printer to do the outline of my logo. Then I colored them in using my own (non) water soluble pens. Then shrunk down without any problem. No smearing at all.

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How well do Shrinky-dinks withstand the elements, like water and temperature and the usual wear and tear of being outside?

 

I ask because I am considering using them in a multi-cache. I would write the coordinates to the next stage on the shrinky-dink and then attach the shrunken shrinky-dink (a shrunky-dink?) to some natural object, like a rock or fallen tree or something like that.

 

Do you think that would work?

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You will definitely have to spray the dink with a clear sealer, otherwise the ink will come off. Overall though, I bet a laminated card would probably withstand the elements better.

 

Yeah I guess it would. My point is to try to make it as small as possible and still be durable and legible.

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Back at Summer Fun we used to use the styrofoam trays supermarkets use to pack meat (white tray), fish (blue tray), chicken (yellow tray) to make "Shrinky-Dink-like" items. I'm pretty sure we just used regular coloring pens and then we put them into the toaster oven and watched them shrink before our eyes. Of course, if you weren't careful with them you could snap them in half.

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I was going to suggest Shrinky Dink's web site as well. I also found a kit on target.com that includes a small oven.

I wouldn't mind having the oven. Half of the s-dinks I try to make don't come out well. :smile:

The oven is basically an EZ-Bake oven (you know, the ones kids use to make awful tasting desserts?). The problem with the oven is it only makes one at a time ... probably not what most people here want.

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