Is Fun Film Available?

Why You Can't Buy Fun Film Anymore

I was just at Michael's Crafts and saw a children's kit of what we did in the 70's as fun film.

I'm looking to buy some larger containers with different colors in each.

Do you know where I can purchase? My daughter also has a very cute dragonfly suncatcher that someone bought her as a gift. The dragonfly's wings were made of this film in the same technique we did in the 70's.

She lives in Rhode Island.

Please advise.

Seth

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I would be interested to know the ingredients of the fun film you found at Michael's and how the package was labeled.

The fun film we remember from the 70's hasn't been available in the U.S. for a long time. Fun film is still available in the U.K.; but the three outlets I found will not ship to the U.S. and could not tell me why.

Does this look like the product you saw: Fantasy Film?

The product is Dip It Fantasy Film and is described as a colored liquid acrylic resin. To dry quickly in the wire loop, it must contain a large proportion of fast-drying solvent, such as toluene.

Remember the fumes from the 70's fun film? That was the solvent; but the fumes dissipated quite rapidly. There was also a flammability warning on the package.

Toluene is highly flammable. The National Fire Protection Association has assigned a flammability rating of 3 (severe fire hazard) to toluene.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has placed limits on toluene exposure in the workplace due to risk of liver damage. The National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) placed limits on it due to the risk of central nervous system depression.

Most solvents carry similar risks and are not anything you would want your kids to play with.

That said, solvents are widely available in the United States. However, by law they must carry detailed information about the hazards. Perhaps the Dip It Fantasy Film does not carry the required labeling.

The other thing which may have put a halt to production and sale of fun film in the U.S. is the self-policing efforts of the art and craft industries through the auspices of the Art and Craft Material Institute (ACMI).

ACMI membership and compliance are entirely voluntary. The ACMI is a highly-regarded international association and is recognized as the leading authority on art and craft materials. It was founded in 1936 to assist its members in providing the public with non-toxic art and craft materials for children and artists. Products which pass their rigorous toxicology tests are granted the ACMI seal of approval.

If you can still find the kit at Michael's (it's not on their web site), please check the label and ingredients. Perhaps some company has come up with a safer formula.

I know at least one other reader who has been searching for fun film and would love to know where to get it.

Read her letter for some alternatives.

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Hi,

For all the people in the United States looking for Dip-It Fantasy Film, you can buy it at ClayAlley, located in Pennsylvania.

It's $9.25 a can with a $10 minimum order, so you would have to get two colors. I don't know how many ounces are in a single can.

Cheers,

Georgia