Epoxy Resin–It’s not that scary!
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I’m not gonna lie, working with resin is probably THE craft project that has intimidated me the most before getting started. I’m kind of an expert at scaring myself about these things. Having mixed several batches of it and having made many many things, I’ve realized it’s truly not that scary, and I’m beyond excited by the possibilities. I started out with a small kit from Michaels (I love their coupons!), and I’ve graduated to gallon jugs of ArtResin. I am by no means an expert, but I have learned some things that I think might be helpful if you decide to give it a try.
A few notes before we get started… Only use resin in a well-ventilated area. Even the ArtResin I use, which is non-toxic, is supposed to be used in an area with good ventilation. It’s also a good idea to use gloves. Every time I haven’t used them, I’ve regretted it. Lastly, protect your work surface! Thanks to a helpful tip I read somewhere, I bought an inexpensive shower curtain liner to cover my table with. Nothing can get through it, and you can easily peel any cured resin that spills off of it.
The epoxy resin I used comes in two parts—the resin and the hardener. You need to use equal amounts of them, so it’s important to be as precise as possible. My preferred method is to use a measuring cup and pour one in and then the other. They stay separated until you mix them together. You can also measure them out in separate cups and then pour them together. I use a popsicle stick to mix.
The resin has to be mixed for at least three minutes, but I’ve found that it generally takes longer than that to be ready to go. You can tell it’s done when it’s clear again. The individual parts are clear when you pour them together, and then they turn cloudy as you start to mix them. Once the mixture is clear again you are good to go.
I haven’t yet decided what my favorite mixing vessel is. I’ve used disposable plastic cups, silicone cups, and hard plastic measuring cups. They all work fine; it’s what happens to them afterwards that I’m still weighing the pros and cons of. I don’t like being wasteful, but I’ve had a hard time getting the silicone cups clean, and I think I did something wrong the second time I used the hard plastic measuring cups. Epoxy resin does not stick to silicone or plastic, so in theory you should be able to flip the cups over after you pour the resin and then peel the hardened leftover resin out of the cups once it’s cured. That worked great the first time, but not the second. I sprayed some isopropyl alcohol in the cups to break down the resin, and I just need to keep at it until I get them clean. In the meantime, we’ve been using disposable cups that I had on hand.
So far I’ve mainly used silicone molds, and they have all worked well. Some are made specifically for resin, and others are baking molds that I bought at Michaels. The ones made for resin are super smooth, while the baking molds have a bit of texture to them. They are all very flexible, making it easy to remove the pieces once they’ve cured. Just this week I tried out some IKEA ice cube trays that are less flexible, and those work really well too. It takes a bit more effort to get everything out of them, but they come in some unique shapes that are fun. I’ve read that you can use plastic molds as well, and there’s a product you can buy called Mold Release that is supposed to make it easier to use them.
One tip I recently came across that I think has improved the outcome of my resin projects is this: As you’re mixing the resin, scrape the bottom and sides of the mixing container. But once you pour it into the molds, don’t scrape. If any improperly mixed resin gets into the molds, you can end up with sticky spots in your finished pieces. This happened to me the first couple of times, and though I’m not exactly sure why, I do have a thing about using every last bit of something, so it makes sense to me that I would scrape the container in an effort to not be wasteful. With this current resin kick we’re on, I have not done that, and everything so far has come out perfectly (*knock on wood*).
I think my favorite way to decorate resin so far is alcohol ink. You just put drops into the freshly-poured resin, and it will work its way downward. The effect when you look at it from the other side is awesome. Even looking at it from the side is fascinating. No two pieces will look exactly the same. Tip: white alcohol ink is denser than other colors and can help force the ink down more. Second tip: wear gloves when using alcohol ink or your hands may be colorful for a while.
The kids and I have been experimenting more with coloring resin, and we’ve been using mica powder to do so. The stuff we’re using gives a pearlized look and is very pretty. In the future we’ll experiment with liquid dyes and/or acrylic paint, both of which I’ve seen recommended. Of course coloring hasn’t been enough; we’ve also been using a lot of glitter. A whole lot of glitter. We were putting glitter on after we poured the resin and then trying to mix it in, but we started mixing glitter into the whole batch, and it’s a lot cleaner and looks much better. The combination of colored resin with glitter is stunning.
Whatever you do to decorate your resin, you don’t have a whole lot of time to do it. Every brand of resin has different cure times, but I try to be done messing with mine within a half hour. This just means I fill my molds ASAP, and then if I’m adding alcohol ink, I do that right away in the hopes that it’ll settle down into the resin.
If you have bubbles in your resin once you pour it, you can try to remove them. My preferred method is a toothpick, but I’ve never been able to get rid of all the bubbles that way. You can also use a torch, but a) I don’t have one, and b) I’m too afraid of setting something on fire and/or melting my molds. If you’re braver than I am, this is really supposed to be best way to get rid of bubbles.
The hardest part of this whole project is waiting for the resin to cure. Now that the kids have gotten involved, I hear a chorus of “Is it time yet?!” all day long. I’ve been trying to wait about 24 hours before touching anything, but honestly it’s been more like 20 hours. I’ve read about people leaving it “overnight,” so I think we’re doing pretty well. It’s a good idea to cover the resin while it’s curing to prevent dust/pet hair/etc. from getting into it. Since the instructions for the resin I use say it cures in 24 hours (and is fully cured in 72), I have been insisting that once we admire everything out of the molds, we leave it alone for a while longer.
Aside from the mixing containers, cleaning up everything else is pretty simple. Any cured droplets of resin can be peeled off of the molds or table covering (the shower curtain liner is so nice). I wash the molds out with soap and water, and air dry them. If you need them sooner and must dry them, it’s important to use a lint-free towel. Debris in your mold is bad news.
I’ve really only scratched the surface of what you can do with resin. For all of the projects above I just mixed and poured (and sometimes added alcohol ink), but you can also work in thin layers and get some really neat effects. I actually did this once, so I’ll write up a tutorial about what I did.
Now that I’m gaining some more confidence, I want to experiment more with putting things in the resin like dried flowers or photos or whatever else we can come up with. Fairy lights?!? The kids and I are coming up with ideas faster than we can keep up with. We’ll probably keep going until I decide I’ve had enough and want my kitchen table back, only to do it all again soon.
Have I forgotten anything? Let me know if you have any questions.
