I finally found my inkjet compatible shrinky dinks paper! I made the key chain I had wanted to make back in December, and I also made a cute dog tag for Murray. I’ve edited the photos of Murray’s tag to remove or blur our address and phone number, but the info is on there.
for my PO Box
Collar from Pattern & Paw. Enter ‘nicoleislovely’ to save 15%!
How To?
It’s a very easy project.
First, you’ll need to come up with a design. I know that not everybody is artistically inclined, so… I created a free Pet Tag Template for you! It’s the tag I used for Murray, cleaned up and simplified for widespread distribution. ;) You’ll need Photoshop to use the template, but I also included a plain jpeg version.
You’ll have to lighten your design at least 50% before printing. The 3″ circle will shrink down to about 1.25″ after baking, and the colors will be much more vivid. After printing, cut your design out and punch a hole now if you want one.
Keep an eye on the shrinky dinks while they’re baking. Mine only took three minutes.
before baking
fresh out of the oven
You can leave them as-is, but a clear topcoat is recommended. I just used clear nail polish.
I left the back of my key chain white, but I colored the back and sides of Murray’s dog tag with a brown Sharpie.
That’s it!
molly
March 21, 2008 at 2:29 pmCute! Murray looks quite dapper in his new collar and tag.
The inkjet shrinky dinks I have are printable on both sides, so I put a patten on the back as well. And I use spray acrylic sealer to coat them.
Making it Lovely
March 21, 2008 at 2:32 pmOoh, where do you get yours? I want some double sided ones!
I was going to use spray sealer, but I couldn’t find it (and didn’t want to make a trip to buy some). ;)
Erin
March 21, 2008 at 2:49 pmFabulous! I’m sure I’ll find some reason to buy this…
molly
March 21, 2008 at 3:07 pmI think I got them at Dick Blick, or maybe Charette.
iloveupstate
March 21, 2008 at 3:49 pmI just squealed…outloud…really loud. Love this!
Michelle B
March 21, 2008 at 4:23 pmNicole,
Thank you for sharing this pattern!
I can think of so many cool ideas to use it for. I love labels of all sorts.
The last picture of Murray is really precious.
I love sleepy doggie and kittie shots!
Valerie
March 21, 2008 at 5:45 pmThe collar and the tags are perfect! I think I may need some for myself….
Kylie
March 21, 2008 at 6:25 pmHow have I never known about shrinky dinks!!! I swear we have NOTHING in Australia. :) Both the tags look absolutely fablous. :)
Joanne
March 21, 2008 at 6:40 pmI haven’t played with Shrinky Dinks in thirty years! I’ll have to try this.
trisha
March 21, 2008 at 7:08 pmi love the collar tags you created, what a great idea!..i don’t want to step on toes but i make/sell collars and leashes and yummy dog treats too..so if your new puppy is in the market for some treats drop me a line! =)
Crow797
March 21, 2008 at 7:51 pmLove the idea! I can’t wait to make my dog Crow a really cool one! Your blog rocks!
Gina
March 21, 2008 at 8:32 pmThis is the cutest idea! I love playing with the shrinky dink stuff but never thought of this. My pets have Lindsay’s cute collars too so I can make them to match.
Lili
March 21, 2008 at 9:11 pmI’ve been planning on doing the same thing for Sugar!
Corie
March 22, 2008 at 9:24 amI read your blog all the time and think you have the most fabulous taste. I love checking in every few days to marvel at your new ideas, you are truly very talented!! You’ve really inspired me to tap into my own creative side, and it’s been a whole lot of fun working on things for my own home.
And where did you find printable Shrinky Dink paper!???
Jen
March 22, 2008 at 10:30 amGreat designs! I made some collar charms like this a couple of weeks ago to give out as prizes at our dog club event. Alas, my designs aren’t quite as nice as yours…
Erica Burns
March 22, 2008 at 12:19 pmMurray is so precious! Love the Shrinky Dink tags. I must make a set for Lola & Bella. Take a peek at them guarding the house here:
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2363/2279341131_4c5fbc5556_b.jpg
Sarah
March 22, 2008 at 2:44 pmThis is so adorable! And then I found the template and was even MORE excited :)
amanda
March 22, 2008 at 5:35 pmway. too. cute. gotta make some of these for my furbaby!!! :)
Jennifer Pebbles
March 22, 2008 at 7:24 pmLove these!! I have a stash of shrinky dink paper waiting for me to play with, but I wanted the printable kind…now I am off to shop!! Thanks for the info!
Lindsay
March 22, 2008 at 8:05 pmis it crazy of me to want a dog now… just so i can shrinky dink it a collar tag? =)
i’ve got to get my hands on some of that goodness. the possiblities are endless!
thank you for sharing the template. i’m feeling greedy and wishing you’d posted the mailbox one as well. =)
Jen
March 23, 2008 at 11:19 amI’m absolutely trying this. Love the idea!!!
Making it Lovely
March 23, 2008 at 1:06 pmCorie, I linked to the shrinky dink paper above, but here it is again: link.
Erica, so cute! They must be fierce protectors. ;)
I didn’t post the template for the other tag (1268) because that’s an original design of mine that I’m using for several items in the shop. Sorry! A few people have emailed me about it too, but I hope you all understand. If you’d like to try making your own tags, you can search istockphoto.com to find designs!
Lucky
March 23, 2008 at 11:55 pmhi. just found your blog last week :)
i did shrink dink tags a few months ago – and they were no where near as fab as yours! thanks for the tips – makes me want to try again.
Caitlin
March 24, 2008 at 6:45 amSo cute!
Thanks for the template, too! I’ll download it when I get home after work.
Not that I have either a need for tags or even any Shrinky Dink paper, but you never know when it’ll come in handy! ^_~
What size hole punch did you use to make the hole before it shrank?
alis
March 24, 2008 at 6:54 amI can’t believe I hadn’t discovered your blog until now (I did via domino’s “inpiration from domino flickr group” gallery), your blog is amazing, and you are so talented! There is not a tiny bit I didn’t go “oooh” and “ahhh” about your posts. I featured you on my blog, I hope that’s ok.
xx
Alis
Kathleen
March 24, 2008 at 9:35 amThanks for the inspiration and your dog is sooo cute. I hope everything is a-ok with Murray health wise. What an absolute sweety.
Chrissy
March 24, 2008 at 10:15 amThis is just fantastic! Your blog is my new favorite thing in the world, BTW.
Thanks for the adorable template, my kitties will look so pretty wearing your design! :)
xo
SuzyCat
March 24, 2008 at 4:21 pmWhat a brilliant idea!
It’s been almost a year since I moved and I have still yet to change my cat’s tags and this is simple, cheap and you can make it however you want…awesome!
p.s. i’m a new reader, hi!
kara
March 24, 2008 at 5:49 pmOhhh! Those are so cute! I have been making Shrinky Dink tags for my dogs for a few years now (although your patterns are soooo much nicer! Mine are all just made with sharpies, stamps & colored pencils.) I have a bunch of the ink jet plastic too so I am excited to try your templates.
The only thing you should beware of is that with dogs the tags do break off fairly easily (and often!) so you might want to have a sturdier one as Murray’s permanent (or back up) ID tag.
kellie
March 24, 2008 at 7:23 pmi mentioned this on my blog with credit and link to you, of course… i was so excited to remember shrinky dinks… i love these!
murray is such a cutie!
Darren K
March 25, 2008 at 3:53 amI want shrinkydinks, I have never heard of them before, I remember we used to shrink the old aluminium foil chip packets and thy did the same, I am trying to get some shiped to Australia, I hope I can!!!
Morgan
March 25, 2008 at 7:18 amMake sure you use a sealant…I made a tag for my dog a while ago and the first time he went outside in the snow the image ran all over his fur. So now I always use an acrylic spray to seal everything!
shetat2s
March 25, 2008 at 8:45 amLUVLUVLUV IT!!
i just re-discovered shrinky dinks, and as a tattoo artist it is a wonderful medium to reprint and share my tattoo inspired paintings. conjurs up good convos and business has picked up! everyone wants to know who the artist is and where they can get their own. they love it when they find out they are talking to her!!
great job!!
i too use clear nail polish, i find when i put it on right out of the oven and the plastic is still warm the ploish just glides right on.
Heather*
March 25, 2008 at 1:26 pmI am loving that shrinky dinks are making a comback. I haven’t played with them in years. I am going out to get some today!
BTW~ Love your cards too!
maize
March 25, 2008 at 3:27 pmHi there,
Thanks for this. I thought I should also tell you that when you open up the template there is one which shows your personal info on the dog tag. Thought you might want to delete it.
:-)
Barb
March 25, 2008 at 8:39 pmVery cool. I tried one of these recently, but I used a pic of the dog. For some reason, when I used the nail polish, it blurred the image. Maybe I didn’t let it cool enough. I still want to play around with it. I was thinking of doing two circles (one with a pic, one with the address) and gluing them back to back. I know if you color it (with pencils or something), sometimes it’s recommended to sand the plastic first so it all adheres better.
diane
March 26, 2008 at 3:26 pmLOVE this!
I’ve been meaning to purchase some shrink paper and I think I finally got the little push to go get it!!!
Thanks for sharing this :)
*diane
designShrine | HOW TO - Make Shrinky-Dink Keychains | Interior, Architecture and Web Design Blog
March 27, 2008 at 10:45 pm[…] Nicole from Making It Lovely has written up her method for making these stylish little keychains (which you can also use as a tag for your pet’s collar). She even provides a handy downloadable template you can use with inkjet-compatible shrink film. Shrinky-Dink Keychains […]
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April 1, 2008 at 5:09 pm[…] there of a poochie named Murry who is sporting one of Pattern and Paw’s collars plus a custom dog tag that his mom made for him. (Hint: That link is a tutorial!) I should get some collars for our […]
Jessica
April 1, 2008 at 6:56 pmI love this project! My friends and I are going to have a shrinky dink party soon after seeing your post…
http://blackwhiteyellow.blogspot.com/2008/03/shrinky-dinks.html
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maura
April 16, 2008 at 3:26 pmOMG! I love it! so cute! thanks for a great idea. maura
Mandy
April 22, 2008 at 7:43 amCan these be two-sided to where I could put contact information on the back?
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May 21, 2008 at 8:13 pm[…] saw this post by Nicole over at Making It Lovely awhile ago and have been eager to try my hand at modern day shrinky dinks, meaning I can design […]
kelly
May 22, 2008 at 8:36 pmI just made a dog tag and it’s super cute! Thanks for the great idea. Also, Readymade (www.readymademag.com/store/) is now selling shrinky dinks that are printable on both sides, however they seem to be a little more textured that the ones shown.
Nicole Pratt-McDermott
July 10, 2008 at 7:39 amHi! I just LOVE this!!! I will be buying some Shrinky Dinks this weekend and look forward to attempting this craft. I have attempted several times to download the template but have had no luck in doing so. I’m wondering if I am doing something wrong or is the link no longer working. I’m sure it’s me, but wondering if there’s anything you could email me directly, as I’m so excited to get started. I came across this when searching out shrinky dinks however now I’m addicted to your site!! Thanks.
PS: Your garden looks great!! :)
Marcy
July 20, 2008 at 7:50 pmThanks for this great tutorial and template! I bought some regular shrinky dink paper today in the hopes that I could just print on it anyway? But no? My dog has like 5 collars and the other has 3 (he’s only 4 months old!!) so I didn’t want those stupid metal ones for each one. So I opted to do this!!
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Della Lindsey
October 10, 2008 at 10:23 pmNichole, thank you, I have been looking for a way to put my artwork on jewelry. This is definitely inspiring!
grannyj
November 7, 2008 at 12:36 amGod gave me the idea for a key chains business,or at least make them to give away at some of our retreats. You instructions are very simple and I think it would be a wonderful start to my business. A good way to put extra income into the household and everyone can help.
Deb
November 12, 2008 at 5:56 amHi there! I love your blog and your fabulous ideas! As soon as I saw this one in your archives, I found the inkjet shrinky dinks online and have received them today. I’m now ready to create lovely new tags for our dogs. However I can’t open your template. Would you please add the template again or email it to me.
Michelle
December 16, 2008 at 2:36 amThis would be perfect for my dogs. How can I get the template?
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Bexster
July 24, 2009 at 12:35 amYour tags are awesome! I am not artistically inclined, and the link to the template is dead. If you see this, could you please re-link the template? Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Heather
December 16, 2009 at 7:18 ammight be the cutest thing ever! I am going to run to the store to find shrinkydink paper!
Lori
December 23, 2009 at 10:12 pmLove this site. So glad I stumbled on it. Oak Park is one of my favorite places on earth. I cannot wait to visit the store next time I am in town.
I have been searching the site for the dog tag download to no avail! Help
Karen
December 28, 2009 at 7:56 pmLove this, would also like the template. Please send?!
Andrea Withrow
April 6, 2010 at 11:36 amI too would like the template. Gorgous dog btw
TANYA
June 23, 2010 at 10:26 amI love these….so cute. Looks like I’m the only one though that can’t open the template. Am I trying to get it from the wrong spot?
Thanks
Tanya
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Gretchen
January 7, 2011 at 8:24 amWould you please send me the link for the shrinky dink key chain circle. Thank you so very much for a great project.
Sharon Abbey
January 18, 2011 at 6:23 pmHi,
I made these for my dogs (before I found your site). I used the printable shrinky dink plastic as well as the traceable ones. They all turned out well, the traceable ones had better and true colors, the plastic printable ones ‘smeared’ with exposure to water even after coating them.
The BIGGEST problem I had was the hole. I created it according to the directions, and had to remake it when it came out of the oven while still flexible. It was far enough away from the edge and was the perfect size for the ring (however using a regular size hole punch is not recommended in the Shrinky Dinks instructions, because it shrinks to nothing, I found this out) I was happy with how most of mine turned out ( I made 6 for my dogs) but withing a month, the hole had broken on every single one of them. The plastic seemed to be more sturdy than the traceable, but they all broke with normal use and the dogs playing with each other. I still have a ton of pages left so Im going try again. Any suggestions before I do???
Making it Lovely
February 2, 2011 at 11:42 pmI had good results with a regular-sized hole punch, but I did find that it broke after a while as well. Unfortunately, I don’t think they hold up to heavy-use (though mine did last longer than yours). You can try reinforcing the opening with metal, perhaps something from a jewelry supply store?
emily
May 2, 2011 at 4:10 pmthey actually make a thinker one now designed for luggage and pet tags its called ‘ULTRA THICK MISTY WHITE’
however they don’t have any of that size/kind for printers that Ive seen but they do mention that they can be used for designs on both sides, which is nifty. you can make the front pretty with just their name and then your address and phone number on the back.
Making it Lovely
February 2, 2011 at 11:40 pmI’ve updated the post to include a new link to the free Pet Tag Template!
Mary
March 27, 2011 at 11:21 amGreat idea! I’ve also read that recyclable #6 plastic will “shrinky dink” too! – just another idea out there.
paulina
April 14, 2012 at 3:41 pmI loved it! I want to make some for my little Emma, can you please tell me what kind of paper you used?
Thanks!
Making it Lovely
April 14, 2012 at 9:32 pmShrinky Dink paper. I linked to it above.
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Stephi
September 1, 2016 at 9:00 amDo you know if you can print on the ink jet sheets and also color on them with possibly colored pencils? or permanent markers?
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