How To Make Photo Earrings
How to make photo earrings using heat-shrinking inkjet printer film turns your favorite photographs into a personal fashion statement. Earrings made from personal photos express your personal individuality, which will attract many compliments because it so unique and hand made. This is an inexpensive a fun project for youth clubs, school projects or to just style up your wardrobe.
Materials needed:
- Choose photos that will look good reduced two to three times.
- Ink jet printable shrink plastic sheets. Shrinky dinks or other brand of biaxially oriented thermoplastic polystyrene.
- Scissors or Xacto knife
- Parchment paper
- Oven or toaster oven
- Hole punch
Procedure:
- Scan images into the computer. Use Photoshop or other image editing software to crop or edit the photograph into ovals, circles or other geometric shape. Silhouetting also allows for a unique earring shapes. Increase the end size by two or three times. For example, if you want a 0.5-inch earring, you will need a 1.5-inch image printed onto the plastic. Round shapes typically shrink more evenly than square or pointed shapes. Colors intensify when shrunk. Don't be discouraged if the photo color prints light onto the plastic sheet. Arrange multiple pictures on one sheet.
- Print your photos onto the plastic. Allow ink to thoroughly dry before handling the plastic.
- Cut the object into geometric shapes or cut the silhouette.
- Use the hole punch to make the hole for inserting jewelry links, key chains or earring hook. Use a knife for larger holes, if needed.
- Preheat oven or toaster oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Place parchment paper onto the cookie sheet and then place the plastic pieces onto the parchment paper. Cardboard may be substituted. Be careful that it does not catch fire. Place another piece of parchment on the top of the pieces.
- Shrinking takes two to five minutes. The pieces will curl up then flatten out. Watch closely.
- Remove from oven when shrinking is complete. You may use spatula or frosting knife to flatten stubborn ones that are still hot and pliable.
- Allow to cool.
- Put earring hooks, feathers or other accessories to make your new earrings