DIY Shrink Plastic Snowflakes

I'm very excited about the current challenge at Jingle Belles. It's their THIRD ANNUAL EARTH DAY CELEBRATION and we are encouraged to use a recycled element on our cards.  So I created snowflakes from recycled plastic.   I have been collecting #6 plastic (the kind bakery items are sold in here in the US).  I have a stash of this lovely plastic. Using a heat gun and this plastic gives me an inexpensive version of SHRINK PLASTIC. (Hint: if you don't own a heat gun, you can shrink the plastic on a baking tray in a low temperature oven.)  

I began by running a piece of this # 6 plastic through my die cut machine, using a snowflake die.  My machine doesn't always punch all the way through so I pass it through the machine a few times. Next comes the fun and magical part.  I lay the snowflake on an old cookie sheet, grab my heat gun and a wooden skewer.  I hold the heat gun about 4 four inches away from the plastic snowflake and heat the plastic.  I use the skewer to hold the snowflake so it doesn't blow around the tray and to help shape when necessary. As the plastic is heated it starts to shrink. I love this part. It is just so fascinating to watch!!!  It starts to shrink and almost looks like it will shrivel up and be ruined, but once it shrinks all it can, it starts to unfold itself. Sometimes I use the skewer to encourage the plastic to lay flat or in a certain position but generally if I work slowly and don't rush the process the results are fabulous.  Here are a few photos to help you visualize the process. 

These is the full size snowflake just after it was cut from the #6 plastic with a die machine.

I move the heat gun around making sure all parts of the plastic are heated evenly.

Once it flattens make sure it is cool before touching it! It's very hot and sticky!

This photo shows the snowflake during the final stage. It is starting to flatten out. (Sorry for the blurry photo.)

As my snowflakes started to cool, I loosened them from the tray with the wooden skewer....(DON'T be tempted to touch it....it is VERY HOT).  Next I adhered my snowflakes to a green embossed panel using a glue gun. I wrapped the bottom of the green mat with three strands of silver thread and added a handwritten sentiment. I attached this to a white panel with lightly green inked outer edges. I adhered this to the cardbase and also inked around the edges of the cardbase.

Supplies:

Cardbase: Paper Studios, Cardstock: Recollections, Die Cut/Machine: Fiskar's Fuse, Embossing Folder: Darice Swirls, # 6 Recycled Plastic, Silver thread,Ink: Memento Bamboo Leaves, White gel pen: Sakura, Adhesive: AdTech Glue Gun/Sticks, Scotch ATG, Wooden skewer, Baking sheet, Heat gun

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