How to Make a Monsters University ID Card

Learn how to make a real Monsters University ID card and be on your way to becoming a true scarer!

I am sooo excited to share this fun tutorial with you today.

green Mike Wazowski holding Monsters University ID card

It was inspired by one of my kids’ favorite movies… Disney’s Monsters University!

We saw it as a family in the theater the day that it came out, and we all LOVED it, so I made a fun surprise for my kids.

They each got their very own plastic Monsters University ID cards, complete with their own photos on them!

Now they can be official students at Monsters University!

When I showed my kids their surprise, they couldn’t believe that I had put their pictures onto plastic and that they had their own ID cards!

SO cool.

Monsters University ID Card

Can I let you in on a little secret?

These were so easy to make!

If you have kids, nieces, nephews, or grandkids, I’m sure that they would love their own plastic ID cards, too!

You can keep the cards plain and use as a fun Monsters University ID card for your child to keep, or you can put a hole in the corner and use as a backpack pull, a charm on a bracelet or necklace, attach to a jacket zipper, etc.

The possibilities are endless!

Disney Monsters University Plastic Card

Here are the super easy directions to make your own plastic Monsters University photo ID cards.

You’ll be using printable shrink plastic,

This is a special paper that you can print on, put in the oven to bake, and watch in amazement as the paper twists and curls and shrinks down to a hard piece of plastic.

All this magic happens in about 2-3 minutes!

Watching the “magic” never gets old, trust me!

ID Card Supplies

Printable shrinkable plastic sheets (I used Printable Shrinky Dinks)
Scissors
Hole punch
Ribbon, string, chain, or keyring (optional)
Inkjet printer (do NOT use a laser printer)

Making the ID Card

Go to Pixar Place Monsters University ID Maker, and upload a photo of you or your child, and then add their name.

You can choose from a student ID card or a faculty ID card.

Click “Create and Share” at the bottom of the screen to create the ID card.

Right click on the finished ID card to save to your computer.

Helpful Tip: It looks like Disney took the MU ID creator down, but read the comments below, where I share a couple other alternatives to creating your own ID,

Sizing the Card

Open your word processing software, and insert the ID card.

To make the larger cards that are about the size of a real ID card, I put two IDs on a page, with each ID measuring 8 x 4.9″.

To make the smaller ID cards, I put four IDs on a page so that it filled up the page with a slight empty border around the edge.

computer screenshot with Monsters University ID cards

Setting the Opacity

IMPORTANT! In order for the colors to stay true, you muct adjust the opacity of the cards to between 40-50%, so that it looks like the photo below.

If not, your finished cards will be too dark.

My first set I printed at 50%, and they looked good, but were a little too dark.

My second set I printed at 40%, and they were perfect!

Printing the Monsters University ID Cards

Print the Monsters University ID cards onto the textured side of the printable shrink plastic paper, using the best quality photo setting on your printer.

Cut out the cards, and preheat the oven to between 325-350 degrees.

If you would like a hole in the finished plastic cards, you must put it in now.

Remember that the cards shrink a LOT, so one litle hole punched hole will be tiny.

If you need a medium size hole, you must make at least 4 hole punches all connected in the paper.

Place cut ID cards on a baking sheet, and place in the oven.

four identification cards for Monsters University

Baking the Shrinky Dink IDs

Watch in amazement as your Monsters University ID Card curls and twists.

Try not to freak out when it looks like they’re ruined!

They will flatten out after a couple minutes, I promise.

When all the cards do flatten out, wait a few more seconds, and then carefully pull the baking sheet from the oven.

If a card needs a little flattening, you can place a spatula down on it quickly to flatten it- so it fast, though, because the cards will cool almost instantly.

Once the cards are cool, you can carefully remove them from the baking sheet.

body with brown hair holding Monsters University ID card

Aren’t they neat?!

Your child (or you) now have a hard, plastic official Monsters University ID Card, perfect for keeping in their wallets, hanging on a backpack, wearing around their necks on a chain, or as a charm on a bracelet.

The great thing about this project is that you can customize it however you would like!

Hole, no hole, and you can pick whatever size you would like the finished ID card to be.

green monster holding a Monsters University ID card

My kids are so excited to wear theirs on their backpacks and around their necks- they are well on their way to becoming official scarers now!

For a fun “EYE”-Spy Mike Wazowski Bag tutorial, be sure to check out my tutorial I made a few months ago.

They love searching to find all of the Monsters University characters!

For even more great Monsters University crafts, check out what these talented bloggers created!

Happy scaring!

This article was updated in July 2024 and was originally posted in October 2013.

Comments

Stacy @ She's {kinda} Crafty says

October 23, 2013 at 11:49 am

I had no idea you could even buy shrinky dink printable paper! How cool. I love how your ID cards turned out!

- Laura @ Make Life Lovely says
  
  October 23, 2013 at 7:00 pm
  
  Thanks so much Stacy! Yes, the printable shrinky dinks are amazing! There are SO many possibilities of things you can make!
  
Amy Anderson says

November 25, 2013 at 2:03 am

Very cute idea. I want one! 😀

- Laura @ Make Life Lovely says
  
  December 3, 2013 at 12:25 am
  
  Thanks Amy! I’d make you one- love your site!! 😉
  
ALI says

June 21, 2014 at 11:38 am

instead of oven, can you =bake them in microwave? =D Awesome cards! Thanks Amy! Sooo cute =)

lac says

August 25, 2014 at 7:02 pm

it is not letting me upload or anything 🙁 any suggestions? is there something special i need to do?

Aida says

April 25, 2017 at 2:05 am

Where can I make this? The link you put here doesn’t work for me. Thanks

Nicole says

July 23, 2020 at 6:47 am

Is this still available? Im having a hard time finding it online. I have a seven yr old that is obsessed! He wants an ID card so bad

- Laura says
  
  September 22, 2020 at 1:51 am
  
  Oh no, it looks like Disney took it down! I did some googling and found this blank version you could use. I also found this post with cards for different characters in the movie that could be fun to make. You could also remove the photo and change the name or put a piece of paper over the top with your son’s name on it. Good luck!