How to Make a Shrinky Dink Turtle

There are many different varieties of turtles, such as painted turtles, snapping turtles and box turtles. Children may want to explore the various breeds of turtles and then draw pictures of each on a shrinky dink sheet. They can then watch as the turtle shrinks down to half of its size in the oven.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Shrinky Dink sheets
• Cookie sheet
• Pencil crayons

1. Pick up a shrinky dink package. You can buy them at a craft store or online (see Resources below).

2. Lay one sheet at a time in front of you with its rough side facing up.

3. Draw an outline of your turtle as big as you want, but remember that it will shrink later. Use a dark-colored pencil crayon for your outline.

4. Color your turtle. The color will depend on the type of turtle you are drawing. Box turtles are more orange and black, while painted turtles are greener. Make sure you draw some designs on the turtle shell. Some turtles have diamond shapes on their back.

5. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

6. Cut the turtle or turtles out with a pair of scissors. Leave a clear edge around the turtle so it has room to shrink.

7. Set your turtle or turtles on a cookie sheet. Don't let them touch each other or they may melt together.

8. Place the baking sheet in the oven and set a timer for 60 seconds.

9. Use pot holders to remove the cookie sheet and then set the turtle out to cool off.

Tips & Warnings

• Cut a strip of magnet to fit the back of your shrinky dink. Stick it on the back and place it on your refrigerator as a decoration.
• Use a hole puncher to punch a hole in the top of the shrinky dink turtle. Thread a piece of string through the hole and tie to form a necklace.
• It only takes a few seconds of extra cooking to burn a shrinky dink.

Resources

• Shrinky Dink Store