Adapt this project for any age. The
hand shape looks great with scribbling or elaborate drawn or
stamped designs....
Student age: Any
Difficulty: Easy
Stamps?: Optional
Materials:
- PolyShrink (decide on the type in relation to the technique)
- Sandpaper
- Oversized cardboard to sand PolyShrink sheets on
- Colored Pencils
- Graphite pencils (or ball-point pens for Black PolyShrink) for tracing the cutting lines
Optional:
- Chalk Pastels
- Heat Setting Ink (Crafter's, Fabrico, Brilliance, Inkredible)
- Metallic and/or paint markers (Galaxy, Dri Mark Metallics, Permapaque)
Tools:
- scissors
- Heat tool or oven for shrinking
- Stamps (optional)
Upper pair: Colored pencils on Translucent PS
Right
Pair: Heat set ink stamping on Translucent PS
Lower:
metallic markers on Black PS
*Note: The grit sandpaper you use has an effect on how colored pencils go onto PolyShrink.
Relatively expensive pencils like Prismacolor, are soft enough to go on with good density on a sanded surface where a fairly fine grit sandpaper has been used.
Less expensive pencils tend to have harder leads. Changing to a coarser grit sandpaper will improve the look and ease of application of these pencils on PolyShrink.
Instructions:
1)
Sanding
Sand a PolyShrink
sheet with regular sandpaper in the usual crosshatch pattern,
sanding the short way of the sheet and then the long way.
*See the note below on sanding and colored pencils
2) Tracing hand outlines
Hand tracings can be made on the front (sanded) side
with a graphite pencil.
Another method is to lightly sand the back side of the sheet and make the tracing on the back instead.
Pencil can be a bit hard to see on Black. An alternative method is to trace using a ball point pin on the back side of the sheet. By bearing down as the outline is made, the traced line will be lightly scored into the plastic.
3) Applying Design &
Cutting
Out the Shape
Colored Pencils
Kids
love using colored pencils, and they're a great art material
choice, since they are not messy and are non-toxic. For this
method, shapes should be cut out after coloring.
Rubber Stamping
If you'd like to include rubber stamping, use heat setting ink. Since
there may not be time for the ink to dry, it's easiest to cut out the
shapes before stamping.
To make stamping easier, kids can draw several tabs to the outside edge of the shape. These tabs won't be cut out with the rest of the shape, so that the shape can be taped down to a piece of paper. When stamping is complete, the piece can be carefully removed from the paper, and the tabs cut off before baking.
Background color such as chalk pastels can be applied before stamping if desired.
Metallic & Paint markers
Older children will like the more sophisticated look of metallic markers.
Teens can use solvent type (xylene based) markers. Be sure to follow the
manufacturers recommendations for ventilation.
For younger children, who should not be exposed to xylene markers, try Galaxy or Dri Mark Metallic markers.
Please see the Safe Materials page for more information.
4)
Completing the project
To complete
the pieces, pinbacks can be
attached using UTB. When using UTB, several
minutes cooling time is all that's needed and the piece is ready
to wear. Everyone can wear their creations right away!
Hand shapes are also well suited for zipper pulls or key chains. Sun catchers are another idea- best suited to Clear or Translucent. Remember to punch holes before baking.
Have fun!