Making Luggage Tags (from Shrinky-Dink Sheets) - PassPorter - A Community of Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line, and General Travel Forums
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I just did a fun project for my upcoming trip and thought I'd share it with y'all.
I had purchased some clear Shrinky-Dink paper (er, plastic sheets) a few months back (Google for "shrink film", as I don't recall the name of the Web site I got it from). The place I got it from (was trying to reach the $25 minimum the site had, as they had something I really needed and couldn't get elsewhere) didn't have the inkjet sheets in stock, so I got the regular kind to use other mediums with.
I found some Disney and Hello Kitty (my friend loves that) clipart (Google for it) and resized them to 200% of the size I wanted them to be in Photoshop (doesn't matter that the actual print-outs were poor quality, as you're not using the actual print-outs). I printed each character on their own sheet of plain paper and printed the "Walt Disney World" logo on its own sheet, as well.
I took one of the character sheets and placed it under a clear Shrinky-Dink sheet. Then I used thin-tipped permanent markers to trace the image, both outlining and filling in the colors. On the Disney character ones, I decided to also use the Disney logo I'd printed out, so when I was done with doing the character, I switched out the character sheet and put the logo sheet underneath, posing it whereever I wanted it in relation to the character (sometimes under it, sometimes diagonal at the top). I traced the logo onto the Shrinky-Dink sheet.
I cut the Shrinky-Dink sheets to the shape I wanted the luggage tags (boring ol' rectangles for me ) and used a single-hole punch to punch a large hole in the top (punched three overlapping holes - remember, everything needs to be done at 200% of the final size) of each sheet for the place you string the ribbon through to attach the tag to your bag.
Then it was time to shrink them! Note: Definitely do test sheets first!!! I did and am glad I did! I actually only used up one sheet for all the tests I did, as I cut it up into sections so got lots of test areas from just one 8 1/2" x 11" sheet. My directions had said to use parchment or vellum paper on top of the Shrinky-Dink to prevent curling, so I used vellum (didn't have parchment in the house), but I don't recommend it. The vellum stuck to the top of my Shrinky-Dink and even pulled off a small area of the image.
I did use vellum under the Shrinky-Dink to prevent it from sticking to the piece of cardboard, but the vellum also stuck on that side and made for some unsightly white areas on the back (I'm hoping using some Sticky Stuff Remover will help, but haven't tried it yet - I did try using the abrasive side of a sponge, which did remove it but left the plastic all scratched up). Also, don't use the same side of the vellum paper more than once, as it will stick even more if you do. Next time, I will get some parchment paper and try that instead.
Oh - and my image only curled up very slightly at the top and bottom edges without the vellum on top and I just flattened those down with a spatchula as soon as I took them out of the oven (before they cooled, which happens quickly).
Anyway, my directions said to put the oven between 250 and 400 (gee, that's helpful, huh?! ). It also said the lower the temperature, the less distortion of the image while shrinking (and also longer shrinking time). I started at 250 but that didn't shrink anything, so I put it on 350 and that worked well.
The directions said keep it in the oven between 2-3 minutes, so I did 3 minutes, which worked well for me. The directions said to keep the thing in the oven until it became uncurled (said it would curl and then flatten), but I took it out right away (and kept the oven on so I wouldn't have to re-pre-heat it for each tag I was making) and didn't have any problems (what little curling I did have was fixed for the most part by flattening the edges with a spatchula right away [they actually cool to unpliable plastic pretty quickly]). I used a spatchula to remove the tag from the vellum on top of the cardboard (which was on a cookie sheet for easy in and out of the oven - with a pot holder, of course!).
Voila! A bunch of hand-made plastic Disney (and Hello Kitty) luggage tags! (And if you want your address/phone number on the back of them, you could put that on them with an address label or some such thing - just be aware that if you're using clear Shrinky-Dink sheets, you'll be able to see what's on the back of the tag unless you only put it where there is coloring on the front of the tag.)
For my checked luggage, I used Figment. For my service dog's checked luggage, I used Pluto in a happy pose. For my carry-on bag, I used Minnie floating on an inner tube. For the mini backpack I'll be using in the park, I used Mickey relaxing on a hammock between two palm trees. For my friend, I used Hello Kitty and her teddy bear on the Teacup ride and made a second one (not sure how many bags my friend will have) of Hello Kitty driving a car.
I give this activity two thumbs up! It is fun for kids as well as adults, so I think I will have my cousins' three kids do their own Shrinky-Dink creations this summer (I'll just have to be sure they're wearing old clothes or smocks so they don't get permanent marker on good clothes!).
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I wasn't able to get the white stuff from the vellum off the tags using Goo Gone (a different brand but similar to Sticky Stuff Remover). So I guess my tags will just be a bit messed up with white spots on the back (with the Pluto one almost fully white on the back). I'll know to try parchment paper (or maybe those reusable non-stick liners that are meant to replace parchment paper) next time. Oh well! I still like them.
As an FYI, I saw a very similar project on "Creative Juice" (a DIY network show). They used an embossing heat gun to shrink the shrinkydinks so that they could control the amount of shrinkage. I think they were making charms for jewelry, but the same idea applies. Also, they did say that you could use a hairdryer if you didn't have an embossing gun.
Yeah, the directions have how to do it with an embossing gun, as well. I don't have one of those, though, so just used a regular oven. You can also do it in a toaster oven (don't have one of those).
I have used shrinky dink before and hade many things. My favorite is fridge magnets for the kids to give for mom's day or christmas. You can also use coloured pencils instead of perm markers to cut down on the mess.
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Making Luggage Tags (from Shrinky-Dink Sheets)
) and used a single-hole punch to punch a large hole in the top (punched three overlapping holes - remember, everything needs to be done at 200% of the final size) of each sheet for the place you string the ribbon through to attach the tag to your bag.
). It also said the lower the temperature, the less distortion of the image while shrinking (and also longer shrinking time). I started at 250 but that didn't shrink anything, so I put it on 350 and that worked well.
(And if you want your address/phone number on the back of them, you could put that on them with an address label or some such thing - just be aware that if you're using clear Shrinky-Dink sheets, you'll be able to see what's on the back of the tag unless you only put it where there is coloring on the front of the tag.)
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So I guess my tags will just be a bit messed up with white spots on the back (with the Pluto one almost fully white on the back). I'll know to try parchment paper (or maybe those reusable non-stick liners that are meant to replace parchment paper) next time. Oh well! I still like them. 
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