Cutting Shrink Film with a Cricut Die Cutting Machine

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Who here remembers Shrinky-Dinks from their childhood?

(Raises hand)

Well, Shrink film has come a long way since then and it’s just as fun now as it was then…. and as an adult/ mixed media artist, sometimes it’s SUPER handy as a creative medium.

Case in point- I wanted to make some New Jersey charms to make for a present I was working on for our new AFS daughter (she joined us late in the school year but we are thrilled to have her.)

You see, NaYeon joined us just ONE WEEK before Christmas and I had no idea what to get her. So a handmade gift is good, right?

SO! That led me to the idea of a New Jersey-themed present and I wanted a New Jersey charm, stat. And making one seemed like the best idea! Since I’m no metal worker, a shrink film charm seemed like the best and most durable option for a necklace.

Graphix Art Film had sent me a package of their new Metallic shrink films in Gold and Silver- and it was PERFECT for my project.

Of course, I could have taken the New Jersey image, sized it, printed it, then cut it out, then traced it on the film, then cut THAT out, then shrunk it… but DANG that seemed as tedious to do as it was to just type out.

And why have a fancy Cricut machine if you aren’t going to use it?

I was left with the question of how to cut the shrink film, since it’s not listed in Design Space (the online editing software) in the materials list? I did a little tinkering with my shrink film & came up with a solution.