Shrink Pins with Recycled Plastic step by step

These DIY Pins are easy to make with plastic shrink film and are a whole lot of fun to wear! I’ve been building up my collection of enamel pins and patches lately – it’s so fun to add a little kitschy touch to your jacket or bag – so it was definitely time for a DIY pin project.

Plus, I’m thinking these pins make awesome gifts for friends – just pick your bud’s favorite pin and attach it to one of the printable cards.

You will need:

• White Plastic Shrink Film – PS6
• Black Permanent Marker
• Acrylic Craft Paint
• Round Brush
• Pin Backs
• Hot Glue Gun
• Topcoat

First of all I have to say — save your #6 plastic containers (like the clear containers from the salad bar). Look for the #6 stamp on the bottom of the clear containers.

#6 – PS: polystyrene is used in takeout food containers.

Place the shrink film on top of the images and trace the outlines of each shape with the permanent marker.

When you have your images all traced, it’s time to cut them out. Cut right along the black line so there is no white space on the outside.

Place your cut out shapes onto a parchment lined baking sheet and place in a 250˚ F oven. It will take about five minutes for your shapes to shrink completely. As they shrink they will curl up, but when they are completely shrunk they will be flat again.

After your pins have cooled completely, paint in the designs using thinned out acrylic paint. When you are finished painting, you can add a clear topcoat to make them nice and shiny. I used brush on gloss decoupage, but I think a spray on sealer might work even better.

Finally, after the top coat has dried, use a hot glue gun to attach pin backs to the plastic.

And that’s it! Your new pins is all ready to wear.

I thought these DIY Pins would make really fun little gifts. If you are gifting the pins you make, you may want to print off some of the gift cards. Just poke the pins through the cardstock and attach the pin back to hold it in place.

I am obsesseedd with how this DIY turned out and I love how affordable they were to make because I didn’t have to buy anything!