Only a few people consider epoxy resin the greatest invention of mankind but this is a huge mistake. it is malleable when working with it, but at the same time, it is a strong, reliable and durable material. At least for creativity and crafts, it is very useful, not to mention the fact that in skillful hands it can turn into various useful things for the house. Long story short, if you still know little about epoxy resin, it’s time to fix it. Bear with us and you’ll know everything you need to know about resin art for beginners.
What is epoxy resin
The material was called resin because of some resemblance to the thick sticky liquid secreted by trees, but in fact, it is a purely synthetic product, which has no natural components.
The main thing about epoxy resin is that products made of it can be successfully used in a variety of human activities – both in handicrafts and in construction.
The epoxy resin consists of two components, one of which is, in fact, the resin, and the second one is the hardener for it. It is necessary to mix the components according to the instructions on the package, but the master should be guided by his needs, selecting the right proportions. This allows you to get a liquid and slow-hardening mixture and at the same time, you can make a thick quite dense mass.
The wide range of applications of resin is due to a number of its useful properties:
high durability;
resistance to abrasion;
transparency;
waterproofing;
absence of toxic effects on humans after curing.
It is important not to confuse the epoxy resin with epoxy adhesive – adhesive is made on the basis of epoxy resin, but it is supplemented by several other components, including plasticizer, solvent and filler. Such a substance becomes hard in a certain amount of time and there is no way to influence the process. It quickly enough begins to turn yellow, losing transparency, but it does not have the same high elasticity.
The adhesive is sold ready-made and is designed only for joining parts – you can’t just make beads or other elements out of it, like out of epoxy resin.
Molds for epoxy resin
If you are just starting to work with epoxy resin and have never had such experience before, it is better to start with molds – these are molds in which you pour the epoxy mixture, and after that epoxy resin will cure there. Molds are good for making costume jewelry, but you can’t use them to make a tabletop.
In modern stores for creativity, the variety of molds is large enough – so you can freely use your imagination. Most often there are molds for making various beads and pendants, charms and pendants, but there are also more interesting ones – such as for the production of bracelets and rings. Molds are very different – good molds are made only of high quality platinum based silicone.
Getting such a mold is a great fortune – it will not be damaged by the epoxy mixture or glue to it. And it will always be easy to remove hardened pieces from the mold.
As an alternative to ready-made molds, you can also use frames. They look like flat metal rings of some shape – with no bottom or lid. It will be harder to work with them because you will probably have to make a temporary “bottom” with the help of duct tape. In the future, the product should not be taken out of the metal frame. It will remain in it because it will help the piece to keep the desired shape.
As the bottom and the top of the piece will practically not be limited by anything, their surface will be uneven and will need sanding.
If complex items, consisting of several stages, is okay for you, and you do not want to limit your imagination with ready-made molds and frames – then you can create your own molds. For making your own molds, the best way is to use polymer clay, wire and wood – choose which option you like best.
Selection, preparation and mixing of epoxy resin
Epoxy resin is a stable material that is about the same around the world. The mixture ready for pouring may differ significantly in thickness, but you should prepare this mass yourself by mixing the resin with the hardener, which you will also buy separately.
The mixing instruction is always written on the resin package, it can also be found on the hardener package. For convenience, use either measuring cups of appropriate size or disposable syringes – the latter is even more convenient. Note that the measuring cups used for mixing epoxy resin can’t be used for other purposes – you won’t be able to wash or remove the resin from them. You will also need something to stir the mixture, so prepare toothpicks or any other sticks. The most important is that they should be of appropriate length and thickness, and of course, they should be clean.
Now, let me tell you several facts about resin for beginners. Mixing should be done at a temperature no higher than +25°C. Do not mix extra mixture “for tomorrow”, because when you mix it – it will polymerize and cure in the cup just as it does in the mold. Stir as gently as possible to avoid adding air bubbles to the mixture.
If, however, because of low experience you created some air bubbles, let the mixture rest for a while and then heat it up. After heating, the air bubbles will disappear on their own.
Safety rules
The final craft made of epoxy resin is completely safe for humans, but the same cannot be said about the uncured mixture. When curing, epoxy resin emits not only harmful vapors, but also heat, so you should follow certain instructions when working with epoxy resin for jewellery making.
First, the resin must never contact with exposed skin. In the good scenario, it will be extremely difficult to wash it off after hardening. So be sure to wear gloves. Secondly, you should not inhale the fumes – you will have to equip yourself with a respirator or a protective mask. When the work is done, you will remove the protection anyway, but the vapors will remain in the room – so it is important to provide good ventilation.
Warn those around you that making resin jewelry will create dangerous conditions, so your close ones must not enter your workshop without your permission.
For a high-quality and beautiful handicraft, it is necessary to organize your workplace properly. Imagine that you are already working, and think about whether you have everything you need right at your fingertips. If not – make sure that everything is in the right place, or such small things will distract you. And trust me, it will not do any good.
If you are a beginner in this business, you probably don’t have a special board for working with epoxy resin. As for the tabletop, for obvious reasons, we can’t allow the resin to spoil it. This problem can be easily solved – take a thick cling film or an ordinary punched pocket and work on it.
Crafts made of resin
Epoxy resin is good because it can be used to make a variety of useful and beautiful things with unique designs. You can use the finished items to decorate your own home, give them as gifts on various occasions, or even sell them if you are especially good at it. After getting some experience, making crafts will become easier and easier. As for beginners, it is worth looking for detailed master classes with step-by-step descriptions. We have collected ideas of what you can make out of epoxy resin.
Jewelry made of epoxy resin
Jewelry resin is the kind of craft that a beginner should start with. The first product that is extremely easy to make and allows you to fully appreciate all the properties of the material is beads. Simple molds for these rounded items are sold everywhere. You just need to pour the epoxy resin into the silicone mold and wait for the mixture to cure. Then carefully take out your first piece and evaluate it – how smooth and neat it is.
Do not worry if the item is not very neat – for the first time, it’s okay. In this case, you can grind and sand the item to try to bring the product to a perfect condition.
Develop your own skills by buying molds of different shapes and configurations. Be sure to try metal frames – beads are not very popular these days and it takes a lot of time to assemble them into a necklace. But as for a stylish pendant, you can make it with one try. At the same time, you can try another technique by pouring epoxy resin on a small flower or twig.
Once you have mastered simple costume jewelry, you can move on to decorating your home. The principle for making a pendant can be tried on a larger scale – take a whole bouquet of wildflowers and pour epoxy on it. Thus you will get an exquisite pattern.
If you are no stranger to working with different materials, and you yourself are able to make complex molds, in the future you will be able to make really impressive handicrafts.
Insects inside the epoxy resin
Small pendants and trinkets are also used as decorations, which may have an insect, a fish or a small crab inside. It can be anything you want. I reckon you have probably seen such crafts somewhere. Not all such items are a sign of a lack of humanity – you can do something similar but using a plastic copy of the insect.
Furniture made of epoxy resin
Men tend to perceive epoxy resin more seriously – it’s strong and durable, which means it can be used to make quality household items. The best-known and best-selling household item is a countertop. How it will look depends only on the imagination of the craftsman and the materials at his disposal.
As you might have already understood, resin for jewellery making is used not only for making jewelry. Very often a tabletop is made from two large pieces of wood that cannot be put together due to the non-contiguous edges. So there is no need to cut or sand anything – they will be joined together by a transparent “crack” filled with epoxy resin. It looks spectacular and will be remembered for a long time.
At the same time, remember that the epoxy resin is also applied in a thin layer over the entire surface of the wood – this is the only way how resin will reliably “connect” the table halves and protect them from moisture.
Countertop made fully out of epoxy resin looks even more unusual and beautiful. To make it look bright and unique, you can mix a lot of glitter into the epoxy mixture. But it should be done before epoxy resin is poured into the mold. As a result, instead of an ordinary tabletop, you can make a beautiful picture of the night sky. And if you add proper illumination, such an interior object can become the main jewel of your entire apartment.
Kitchen apron is not actually a piece of furniture, but the principle of making it is very similar to what I showed you above, so making such a craft is also a good idea. In fact, this is the same countertop – it can be made however you want – from pure resin, with the addition of wood, flowers or whatever. After you finish it, just set this plate vertically in the desired place and attach it to the wall.
The main thing is don’t forget to carefully cover all parts with resin to keep them from rotting. It will prolong the life of your items.
Cookware made of epoxy resin
Given that after curing, epoxy resin is completely safe for humans, it can even be used to make tableware. In fact, you can buy cheap tableware in a store, so in this case, the point of making is definitely not to save money, but to realize your own creative potential and create something unique.
If you love flowers and enjoy their appearance, then you can place them right inside a tray or a salver. If you want to enjoy the beautiful color of your favorite tea even through the cup holder – it can be easily realized thanks to the transparency of epoxy resin.
Some masters even make plates from epoxy resin. But still it is better to use epoxy resin more for decorative purposes because tableware made of epoxy resin can be damaged by cutlery.
In any case, if you did everything well, such a craft will be an excellent souvenir gift.
Other crafts made of epoxy resin
Once you have mastered all of the above and have the skills to work with materials for making molds, you can experiment with other crafts. The process may be difficult, but the end result will be a real masterpiece that you can be proud of.
Probably the easiest thing to make is an epoxy cover for your phone – it will protect it from bumps and scratches. As a relatively inexpensive, but stylish gift, you can create a large table ball on a stand with flowers or other decorations inside. Another option is a transparent photo frame, a flash drive with a stylish design or a badge where you can write all the beautiful things to your dear ones.
No one is forcing you to make an entire piece of epoxy resin – you can just add small elements of epoxy resin to your items, which will make them more individual. You can do the same with caskets, paperweights, vases, and even combs!
An even more complicated craft is a homemade souvenir. For example, a chess or backgammon board can be made transparent, with LED lighting built into it – this is a task for a professional, but imagine the delight of the person who will get it as a gift.
If a person likes wildlife, but can’t have fish as a pet because of a busy schedule – make him an aquarium made completely out of epoxy resin, with bright plastic fish inside. A geology lover will probably appreciate a geode or a cut of rock inside the epoxy resin. It will prevent the rock from crumbling and look good at the same time. Similar to the slice of rock, you can make entire dioramas for the wall.
How do you process cured epoxy resin?
There are two ways to pour epoxy resin into molds. If you are not going to use decorative elements at all or you have no specific requirements for their exact location, then first lay the decoration on the bottom of the mold, and then pour a thin stream of epoxy resin from above. But before that, epoxy mixture should be left in a quiet place for half an hour. Thus all the air bubbles will disappear. Be careful because the flow of epoxy resin may displace some decorative parts into one corner. So if you are not satisfied with it, use another method of pouring which I’m about to tell you about. First, fill the mold with epoxy resin, and then gently using a toothpick dip decorations in the mixture. Place everything where it is supposed to be.
If you work with simple silicone molds, you shouldn’t have any problems getting the pieces out after they have completely cured.
Pouring the epoxy mixture into the mold is only half the job. Even after the resin is cured, the product may need some additional processing – in some cases, edges may be uneven, in others, instead of a transparent material you may find some cloudy and irregularly shaped areas. The main mistake that many beginners make is that they get disappointed at once and throw the item away, although in fact it can be easily fixed.
The main reason why cloudy areas appear is usually the same as why some parts are uneven – because the relief of the surface is too rough. Because of it, it actively refracts light. Another reason is that air bubbles appear inside the mixture near the outer surface. Both problems are solved in the same way – by grinding and sanding. Ladies may have a machine for manicure and it can be easily used for our purposes. But as for gentlemen, they must use the good old sandpaper.
Note in advance that the cured epoxy resin for jewelry making produces enormous volumes of dust during the polishing process. To protect your breathing passages from unwanted dust particles, always wear a respirator.
To protect the interior of the room from contamination, remember to periodically moisten the sandpaper with water to keep the dust from flying around the room.
Beautiful products made of epoxy resin
Epoxy resin is a great material for making small jewelry. Use this material however you want and create whatever your heart desires – you can make buttons, brooches, pendants, earring pendants, or even necklaces made of beads.
You can make very stylish Christmas ornaments out of epoxy resin. Who said that the New Year should be only associated with winter and cold? You can create summer decorations because all of us love summer – especially when it’s so cold outside.
An aquarium made of epoxy resin in general should be considered one of the most beautiful souvenirs, and the smaller it is, the more emotion and admiration it evokes.
Of course, such work is very difficult because of the huge number of small details. But all of them still need to be placed correctly and will take a lot of effort. But I guarantee that hardly anyone will remain indifferent to such a bright decoration which shows your talents. I hope you enjoyed our today’s tutorial about resin art for beginners
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