Peter & Shannyn – Handprint Keychain
Peter & Shannyn – Handprint Keychain
Shannyn stumbled across a great DIY project for your kids for Father’s Day – a DIY Handprint Keychain!
You’ll Need:
Shrinky Dinks plastic (preferably the “crystal clear” kind)
GLOSS acrylic craft paint
Paintbrush
Sharpie
Scissors
Hole punch
10mm Jump Rings
Split Ring Keyring
Gloss mod podge
Parchment Paper (or non-stick silicone baking mat
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Directions
Paint your child’s entire hand. Coat it well enough to be all wet, but not so drippy that you loose the details of the print.
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Gently guide their hand onto the Shrinky Dinks plastic. Firmly press down all their fingers and palm to get a good imprint. Press the plastic against the table with your free hand while you carefully peel your child’s hand off.
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If you mess up, don’t worry! I did too. It took me a couple tries to get the paint thickness just right. Good news is that you haven’t wasted your plastic, just remove the mess-ups with rubbing alcohol and a paper towel.
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After you have good handprints, wait for the paint to dry completely. Then, flip the plastic over and add your kiddo’s name, age or year to the other side with a Sharpie. A child that is old enough can even write their own name. (Do the handprint on the rough side, name on the shiny side)
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After the Sharpie dries, carefully cut out the handprint with small sharp scissors (Cut down in between the fingers, but don’t make them too skinny.)
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Punch a hole before you bake them! One standard size hole punch will shrink to the perfect size for your jump rings.
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Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Place your handprint paint side up (sharpie side down).
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Pre-heat your oven to 325°F (a conventional or toaster oven—do not use a microwave). Once heated, place your cookie sheet and handprints inside. DO NOT FREAK OUT when they start to curl and flip and do all manner of crazy things. This is normal.
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Cook for 2-3 minutes. You’ll know it’s done when the handprint stops moving and has gone mostly, if not completely, flat again. Once the handprint has cooled, it is 9x thicker and very durable.
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Coat the painted parts with glossy mod podge & let dry.
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Use small pliers to loop a jump ring through the punched hole, onto your keyring.