We have found a love for all things shrinky recently. Get our tips and see the results for testing different colored pencils on shrink film plastic.

colored pencils in front of white paper.

We are huge fans of shrink plastic crafts. From a cool notebook paper keepsake design to easy garden markers, we love seeing our plastic shrink in the oven to make cool magnets, charms and keychains.

For Best Results

USE QUALITY MATERIALS – Consider using high-quality colored pencils that have vibrant colors and a lot of pigment.
FROSTED FILM– Color on the rough side of frosted shrink film.
CAN MODIFY SUPPLIES – If you don’t have colored pencils, permanent or alcohol markers are a great alternative.

Supplies You’ll Need

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Scissors
Plastic Shrink Film
Colored Pencils
Hole Punch
Tassel & Keychain (Optional)
Parchment Paper
Baking Sheet
Clear Coat (Mod Podge or Resin)

hand coloring on words peace love on shrink film with colored pencil.

Not Using Frosted Film

If you choose to use clear film (the kind that does not have a rough side), then you will need to lightly sand it with 220 or 320-grit sandpaper. This will give your colored pencil some tooth to stick to.

Testing Colored Pencil Brands

For this test, we are going to show you these materials on frosted shrink film.

4 shrink film plastic colored with rainbow colors. — Left To Right: Erasable, Neon, Crayola, Prisma

Erasable Color Pencils

It is not a surprise that these did not work very well. Just like with coloring on paper, these added a little color, but the harder you pushed the more color was scraped away.

Lyra Neon Pencils

These neon colors are thicker pencils with vibrant colors. We were excited to see what might happen. The biggest con to these was that it was hard to get the color on. Lighter pressure worked better.

Surprisingly, the color is brighter than I expected once it was shrunk.

Crayola Colored Pencils On Shrink Film

These work much better than the other two listed above. You can see the vibrant colors and the ability to blend colors.

Premier Prisma Colored Pencils

We had a feeling these would be the best and they were. The ease of color, the ability to get different values by using different pressures and the ability to blend colors even mattered on shrink plastic film.

shrinky film with colored pencil on it. — After being in the oven for 3 minutes.

Colored Pencil & Shrink Film Craft Idea

We love making customizable drawings on shrink plastic and turning them into DIY keychains.

FAQs

Our test shows that the Prisma pencils work the best on shrink film. However, if we did not have the budget or did not need to blend colors we think that Crayola colored pencils are a great option to use.

Yes if you don’t plan to prep the film. Coloring on the rough side of the plastic will yield the best result. You can use regular shrink plastic with colored pencils if you lightly scuff the surface beforehand.

Now go ahead and be creative making your shrink plastic drawings using colored pencils and more.

Do you like this art project? Please give us 5 stars below 🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩 and have fun being creative with your family.

Prep:2

Creating:5

Total Time:7

Equipment

Baking Sheet
Oven or Toaster Oven

Supplies

Plastic Shrink Film
Colored Pencils Prismas or Crayola work the best
Parchment Paper
Clear Coat Mod Podge or Resin

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
Draw your design with colored pencils on the rougher side of the shrink film.
Lay your shrink plastic flat on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet.
Bake at 325 degrees F for 1 to 3 minutes.
You will see the plastic curl and twist as it heats up.
Wait 30 seconds after the last shrink plastic is lying flat.
Remove the cookie sheet from the oven.
Let the plastic fully cool.
Once plastic is cool, you can add a protective clear coat.
Let dry.
Add jump rings, keychains or tassles to your DIY keychain.

Notes

Use high-quality materials for the best results.
You can also use permanent markers, alcohol based markers or light layers of paint to add color to your shrink plastic crafts.

Author: Erin

Cost: under $5

Tips For Using Color Pencils On Shrink Film (+ Our Experiment)