Shrink plastic fusion fish pendant

[thanate]

I got my first ever pack of shrinky dinks a month or two ago, and when I started reading the instructions, I discovered a whole section about fusion techniques... basically you bake several layers of shrink plastic normally, and then stack them up, turn up the oven, and put them back in for 15 or 20 minutes.  So here's my first experiment, far larger than life:


This is made from 7 pieces: a large backing panel, the fish, and five scraps (you know how you always have little bits left over when you cut things out?) that I colored and kind of set up like seaweed. 


See, it's all three-D, and rounded on the edges.  Actually, I had to file down the back/bottom edge a little bit because where it spread out in the pan made a sharp corner.

And here it is with a wrapped wire frame:

(horribly washed out, sorry)


(and slightly out of focus.  There's just no winning with my camera, sadly.)

---and a note for those who want to try this: read the instructions on your shrinky dink package!  All the information I started out with is there.  Or if you've lost the instruction sheet, it's online: here.  And then share your results... 

[kirstilynne]

we were just talking about this over at the OTT shrink swap thread. that piece you made looks very cool. I saw it in a gallery last night and said to myself "SELF you want to make one of those!" I adore it. I've been making a bunch of shrinky fish for the last couple of weeks.

[crochet hooker12]

Wow, this is so cool! The possibilities are endless!

[GumInMyHair]

I thought this was glass when I saw it. I've never seen it layered before; I like it.
Now I want to get some shrink plastic.

[orangeorange]

Cool! I've never seen clear shrinky dinks before - only frosted and opaque white
Great Job

[pirategal]

wow that looks great.  i didn't even know you could do that with shrinky dinks.

[thanate]

Cool! I've never seen clear shrinky dinks before - only frosted and opaque white
Great Job

Thanks.  This is actually the frosted stuff- the texture on the back gets melted out when you turn the temperature up, so it turns clear.

[orangeorange]

Cool! I've never seen clear shrinky dinks before - only frosted and opaque white
Great Job

Thanks.  This is actually the frosted stuff- the texture on the back gets melted out when you turn the temperature up, so it turns clear.

Ooohhh         Cool! I'm definately trying this

[SunflowerSmiles]

that is by far the coolest thing I have seen done with shrinky dinks!  I have got to try it!  Does it smoke at all?  Or burn?  I have birds and worry about the fumes, by turning up the oven?  I'm really into the fancy goldfish right now and I love how that fish looks!!

[thanate]

that is by far the coolest thing I have seen done with shrinky dinks!  I have got to try it!  Does it smoke at all?  Or burn?  I have birds and worry about the fumes, by turning up the oven?  I'm really into the fancy goldfish right now and I love how that fish looks!!

It doesn't smoke or anything, although the plastic does outgas a bit more at the higher temperature.  I'm pretty sensitive to that sort of thing (for a human) and I noticed it but it didn't really bother me too much.  You might want to make sure you've got good ventilation going on, or take a toaster oven outside if you're worried about it.