Shrunken Charms Technique

Please forgive the low quality lighting on my photos today -- These little tag charms are far cuter in person! And they are so easy to make! They make great additions to charm bracelets and earrings - they are light weight and you can put any picture on them.
1. Get great artwork - on etsy, or if you like items here check out Dover Publications and their dozens of CD's filled with artwork (cheap!!). Then size in a basic art program, keeping in mind shrinkage.

2. Print onto shrink paper made for inkjet printers - available at most craft shops. Go ahead and print on both sides - I like to put a picture on one side and a pattern on the other (makes it easier to align for cutting) Let the sheets dry well before running them back through the printer and be sure to follow the directions - lighter amounts of ink and No Black (use grey instead).

3. Punch with cardstock punches - I love the large ones - because the paper shrinks so much you want to start big - I like tag shapes and hearts! Be sure to punch a small hanging hole too.

4. Now shrink 'em and try to not to giggle too much as you watch them bubble and bend into tiny adorable charms. Tip - keep two glazed tiles on hand to pull them out of the heat and press between - this makes them perfectly flat.

5. Spray both sides with a coat of Krylon's triple thick clear glaze - finishes them like glass, but it also makes them water resistant - inkjet ink will smudge when wet. If you want you can also use a bit of acrylic paint (gold looks fabulous) to dab around the edges if you don't like them white.

6. String into your fabulous spring creations - artwork to go!