Hey guys, it's Megan!
My aunt gave me a Christmas Tree to put in my room last year, but I didn't have ornaments to decorate it. So, being the crafty (and cheap 😅) person I am, I decided to make my own!
These Shrinky Dink ornaments are the perfect craft for a chilly afternoon. This is a great activity for all ages!
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For this project you'll need:
* a book or a printed image to trace (or draw your own design!).
* Shrinky Dinks (I used the clear "Rough and Ready" kind)
* Scissors
* a Hole Punch
* Micron pens or Sharpies
* string
* Mod Podge Dimensional Magic (optional)
First, find an illustration you'd like to turn into an ornament. Children's books are perfect for this project, but you could also print an image or design your own!
I used an image from the book "Eloise at Christmastime", which was my favorite Christmas movie growing up.
Shrinky Dinks end up being about 1/3 of the original size after baking, so larger images work best.
Place your shrinky dink on top of your image with the "rough" side facing up. Use binder clips to secure it.
Trace over your image with various art supplies. I used micron pens for the black parts, and a Prismacolor colored pencil for the pink parts.
Here's what it should look like when you're done:
Cut the image out, making sure to leave room to punch a hole at the top:
Bake the ornament according to the package directions. When you're done, it should look like this:
To fill in the white areas, I covered the back of the ornament with acrylic paint.
When the paint dried, I covered the front of the ornament with some Mod Podge Dimensional Magic.
This will seal in the marker/colored pencil, and give it a more "3D" look.
Once everything is completely dry, just loop some string through the hole and hang it on your tree!
This is such a simple craft project, I can't believe I didn't think of it sooner! It's perfect if you want an ornament of an older/less common character.
If you need more DIY ornament inspiration, check out this video!