I couldn’t let St. Patrick’s Day go by without making something, right?

If you’re having a few friends over for corned beef and cabbage, cheeky little shamrock pins would be perfect gifts. Since my mixed-breed self is most certainly not Irish-looking (but I married into a very Irish name) I thought a take on the usual “kiss me I’m Irish” button would be comically appropriate… “I’m not Irish, but kiss me anyway!“

Using shrink film is (1) super easy and (2) makes the buttons thick and sturdy without the need for plastic button covers. I like the texture of the final pieces – but you could spray them with acrylic to make them a little more durable and waterproof. Don’t get these wet without sealing them!

You’ll need:

• Inkjet Shrink Film – you can also usually find it at craft stores and Target/Kmart/Walmart
• Design – download mine here
• Inkjet printer
• Scissors
• Glue – you need one that works on non-porous surfaces, like E6000
• Bar pin backs, 1 inch or so

And it’s super easy to do:

• Follow the instructions with your shrink film for printing out the design, cutting, and baking (my design makes two pins per sheet)
• Lower the color saturation/vibrancy when printing (as per instructions with the film) as colors get richer as the film shrinks
• Make sure to bake at the lower temperature to reduce the possibility of distortion, and put a piece of heavy parchment or vellum on top of the pieces while baking
• Apply/spray acrylic coating if desired and glue on the pin backs
• That’s it – wear and prepare to be kissed!

I wanted to see what it would like with just the shamrock outline, so I cut one down before baking – I don’t recommend this unless you’re feeling like a challenge (but it’s cute).

Have a fun St. Patty’s Day!