Shrink Design Jewellery

MyStyle Craft Design & Make Shrink Design Jewellery from Interplay is a craft activity that uses shrink plastic as a medium for making ultra trendy and edgy accessories. Seven pieces of jewellery can be created including angel wing earrings and a text necklace. The full colour instruction booklet teaches the techniques required, and there are enough of the materials to make your own additional pieces.

The technique you use to make the jewellery is quite simple.  You choose a design from the booklet and trace it onto the shrink plastic sheet, colour it in and cut it out. Using the hole punch, you make a hole which will be used to thread the charm onto the string or jump ring.  Once the charm is prepared, you pop it into the oven on a cardboard sheet at 160 degrees for just a couple of minutes until it shrinks down.  Once cooled down, you can use the charm to make jewellery using the other components included in the kit.

The finished charms were really cute and the colours concentrated to make them look very impressive.  The shrinking process makes them thick and sturdy and ideal to use on necklaces, bracelets and earrings.  Kizzy also made some of her own designs and created some of her own accessories including a beaded phone charm with my name on it!

My favourite thing that she created was a necklace inspired by Daryl Dixon of The Walking Dead fame.  It has a Zombie charm along with the angel wings that Daryl has on the back of his waistcoat, attached to a cord with jump rings.  I loved it. It looked really professional and very cool!

The angel wings also featured on a pair of earrings that looked really stunning and unique.  There is an additional downloadable PDF, which has extra designs including cute cupcakes, ice creams, lettering and a moustache.

I was impressed at just how many pieces could be made using the shrink plastic sheets, clasps, beads, cord, rings and earring hooks. Kizzy was able to work independently and really enjoyed the creativity that this kit allowed her.

At £9.99 it is a great value set, which makes plenty of charms and finished jewellery pieces.  It is aimed for girls aged 8 and over and would be a lovely way for them to make handmade gifts for their friends this Christmas.

Find out more at www.interplayuk.com/mystyle/shrink-design-jewellery.

Teen Bling...Safe Accessories for Tweens!

My 8 year old daughter is at that stage where she wants to wear jewellery but isn't really old enough to be responsible for expensive necklaces which could easily get  broken.  I'd hate to see her upset if she snapped a chain or even worse, got hurt by catching a metal or strung bead necklace round her neck.

Young girls love fashion and creativity but they also need their jewellery to be safe.  That's why when the lovely Lynne from Teething Bling offered us the chance to try out Teen Bling I knew a little girl who would only be too happy to help out!

Teen Bling (or Tween Bling as the Americans call it!)  is made from the same material as the Teething Bling, but it comes in funky vibrant colours perfect for fashionable young ladies!  They are aimed at tweens who want to look stylish, but need to be safe.  The silicone contains no harmful chemicals and are free from BPAs, PVC, lead and latex.  They are flexible, bendable and can even be chewed on...much more hygienic than chewing hair or pen tops!!  My daughter fiddles with everything so this pendant is an ever present object that she can play with without causing any damage or harm, or leaving a trail of fiddled with objects strewn around the house!

The Teen Bling necklace that Kizzy was sent to try was Hot Pink and also was Berry Scented.  The fragrance helps keep the wearer focused!  The 2x2" donut shape pendant is strung onto a black silky cord with a breakaway clasp for safety.  It is fun, vibrant and stylish and very practical for a busy pre-teen!

Kizzy loved the colour, she loved "squidging it" and I caught her having the occasional chew on it!  She liked the scent too...kids love 'smelly' things.  She loves scented felt tips and pencils so this was right up her street!!

She felt very grown-up with her jewellery and it was reassuring to know it was safe (even if little brother Freddy grabbed it!!)  It carries the CE trademark which means it has been tested to the strictest safety standards.  You can also put it in the dishwasher to keep it hygienically clean.

Even when she was playing outside I wasn't worried about necklace related mishaps.  I really think this is a great product.  The quality is great, it isn't brittle and breakable like some of the hard plastic pendants in the shops.  It is soft so there are no hard edges that could snag clothing or stick into the skin whilst playing.  The clasp adds an element of safety that puts mums' minds at rest.  And it really looked good and bang on trend with its oversized shape and low hang.

The necklace sells on Smart Mum UK for £12.95.  Other colours are available including Lollipop and Peachy Peach...perfect for little girls.  Co-ordinating bangles are also available for £8.95, made from the same material.

The Teen Bling definitely fills a gap in the market for safe, stylish fashion accessories for girls aged 8-12 years old.  It would make a lovely gift for any young girl.  Kizzy says "I love it and it is fantastic in all ways possible! It makes me feel very pretty!"  So, I think that is a definite thumbs up!!!!