Shrinky Dink Name Tag Tutorial

Remember how I'm doing crafts for my MOPS group? Yep, it's that time again! This month we're making tags for our kids' bags. (Try saying that ten times fast.) So, essentially name tags - out of Shrinky Dinks! I can't wait to see how it goes having 90+ women trying to cook these things in six toaster ovens. Actually, I'm terrified.

I stole this idea from this wonderful & helpful post. So, you won't hurt my feelings if you want to just skip this tutorial and check out hers. I just made mine a different size, but essentially they're pretty much the same things.

One other fun addition... I made a few templates for the MOPS ladies to use if they want. I'd be happy to post them out here for the world, but I couldn't figure out how to get a PDF on here and I'm tired... so I guess you'll just have to join my MOPS group if you want them.

Shrinky Dinky Name Tags


Materials:

• Shrinky Dink ruff ‘n ready sheet
• craft knife
• ruler
• hole punch
• permanent markers
• dry erase marker
• templates (optional, but you can use clip art and print text to trace)
• ribbon
• oven
• brown paper bag
• baking sheet
Directions:

1. Cut Shrinky Dink sheet (approx. 8"x10") into four (4) equal pieces (approx. 4"x5"); round corners, if desired. Punch hole in one edge.

2. Decorate your Shrinky Dink! You will need to draw on the “rough” side of the Shrinky Dink. For the name, write the name on the smooth side of the Shrinky Dink with your dry erase marker, then turn the tag over and trace the letters (backwards now) onto the rough side of the tag with your permanent markers.

Tip 1: You can use the templates as a guide, inspiration, or just free-hand the tag. I recommend getting the name where you want it first, and then the adding the design around the name.


Tip 2: Everything becomes darker when it shrinks. If you think your colors look a little light, that’s good because it will be just right when it shrinks. Tiny smudges will also get a lot darker when it shrinks, so be careful not toyou’re your hand across the tag.


Tip 3: The great thing about writing the name with dry erase first is you can re-do it over and over again! However,, be sure to completely wipe the dry erase off, because even a fine trace left of the tag will be amplified and show up when it shrinks.

3. Line your baking sheet with a piece of the brown paper bag. Bake your Shrinky Dink in an oven or a toaster oven according to the package directions. (Typically about 325 degrees for 2-3 minutes.) When it shrinks down and becomes completely flat again, take it out and press it down with a piece of paper or oven mit to flatten it completely.

Tip: Watch it closely but don’t freak out when it starts to bend and curl. It will flatten back out. Leave the oven door closed, and don’t be tempted to open – you’ll loose all your heat and have to add a lot more baking time. The only exception: I have had them curl into themselves and stick once or twice, so if you see it getting close to touching you might want to try to save it by sticking your hand in and trying to flatten it down with a hot pad.

4. Thread your ribbon through the hole and tie it around your kids’ stuff!

First Tutorial EVER! Flower Bling

I'd like to preface this by saying... I've never done a crafty tutorial before. So go easy on me!

This year, I'm in charge of the creative activities for my MOPS group. So I've decided that all the crafts we do for MOPS I'm going to post here on my little blog. That way those fancy i-Phone users can pull up extra pictures while we craft, and if someone misses a meeting they can find the craft instructions here too.

So for this month, our craft is this fun little hair pin - or you could make it a brooch for your bag or scarf if you're not into flowers in your hair.

Flower Bling Tutorial

Materials:

• scrap of polyester or rayon fabric (min. size approx. 2 ½” x 6”)

• small bead or button
• small piece of felt (approx. ½” x ½”)
• bobby pin or safety pin
• hot glue
• scissors
• needle & thread
• lighter

Directions:

1. Cut a circle out of the fabric approximately 2”-3” in diameter. Cut two more circles out of fabric, each one should be about ½” – ¼” smaller than the first circle. They don’t need to be perfect!

I used my lens cap as a template here. Oh, and please don't mind all the paint on my cutting mat. That just means it's loved.

2. Using the lighter, lightly touch the flame to the edge of the fabric to melt the edge and seal the fabric. (It might be best to practice this on a scrap piece of fabric if you’ve never done this before.) Once all three circles’ edges have been sealed, stack them from largest to smallest so that it begins to look like a flower.

No, that isn't a lighter. It's a candle. Halfway through the first circle my lighter ran out of juice (too many hair bows, I guess) and so I had to resort to a candle. Which I don't recommend because the wax was dripping everywhere! I often use strike-on-the-box matches when melting the ends of ribbon, but for these circles the nice candle lighters are easier because you won't burn your fingers.

Tip: Start slowly, because it’s easy to melt too much. If you do melt too much, just melt more of the edge to try to smooth out the edge to fix your circle. The circles should start to curl up at the edges, if they don’t you might need to help shape them some with your hands by cupping the edges. You may also need to melt the edges a little more.

3. Using the needle and thread, sew the bead onto the center of the flower.

Tip: Starting with the largest circle, bring the needle through the back of the fabric in the center of the circle. Don’t put the needle all the way through, but then stack the other two circles on top, (this way, you can easily center all three circles) and finally add the bead. Don’t worry about how the back looks, it will get covered.

4. Cut a circle out of the felt.

5. Cut a slit in the felt circle from the edge to the center (should remind you of Pac-Man). Thread the bobby pin onto the felt circle, and glue the circle and pin onto the back of the flower.

Tip: It should look like your bobby pin is interlinked with the felt. Apply glue to the entire piece of felt to stabilize the pin. Be sure to attach the “top” side of the bobby pin to the bottom side of the flower.

6. Viola! Enjoy your flower bling or give it to a friend!