Shrink plastic is not expensive. Here you get 4 x A4 sheets of plastic for around 4 euros. Basically one sheet per euro. For all the fun and possibilities the shrink plastic offers, I think the price is good.
Shrink plastic comes in variety of colors. I prefer the white or the transparent one. It looks like a regular plastic sheet and it kind of reminds me of a plastic folder.
I only had left overs to spare, so today I went with the transparent one. This is what you will need (+ some baking paper and an oven).
Cut the shape you think you will need (or start drawing right away and cut the peace out at the end). I cut the edges a bit since they tend to be a bit sharp. VERY IMPORTANT: shrinking plastic SHRINKS after it is baked…I would say for about 65% - keep that in mind before you start working.
The plastic is very smooth and If you want to use regular coloring pencils like I did I recommend you sand it. And since I know I will be making a pendant (for a necklace or keychain) it is much easier to make a hole right away (paper puncher works).
I won’t go in the detail of drawing. You can do anything you want. You can write a thought, draw the simplest things and even make a personal tag for you luggage for example. Shrink plastic really offers unlimited possibilities. Make a ring, earrings, hair clip, etc. Even a 2 year old can scribble something on it and it makes a great personal gift.
Do keep in mind: after baking the colors will be MORE concentrated. Meaning it will be much, much, much darker. I used the eraser to remove my finger stains before adding some background.
When you think you masterpiece is done put it on some baking paper. Make sure the oven is on 160 C (it may vary on the oven and I wouldn’t recommend using ventilation since it could move the plastic around).
In the oven you can watch how the plastic bends and shrinks. It looks like a weird dance. The thing is baked when it’s totally flattened. The whole thing lasts around 3 minutes. On the top right picture you can see how thick it is after baking.
At the end I use Diamond glaze to cover the side where I drew on for extra protection. But this is optional. If you don’t have it you can use regular transparent nail polish (but not if you used alcohol based pens – nail polish will smear it).
When I started with shrink plastic I mainly used alcohol based pens (no need to sand the plastic). But from my personal experience the method is not the best, since over time and with body contact (skin oils, perfumes, etc.) the image will wipe off. So with alcohol pens extra protection layer is a must and as stated before, so far I only found Diamond glaze which doesn't smear the whole thing off.
Some old examples:
Happy crafting. :)