There are lots of materials with which you can make beautiful accessories and jewelry yourself. Not many can be processed in as many different ways and shaped according to your own ideas as casting resin. Small accents, whether flowers, beads, fabric or stickers, can be incorporated into the product. Under the crystal-clear surface, they are not only preserved forever, but have already been implemented as a fabulous detail in the decorative item. In the article you will find a summary of what you need to make cast resin jewelry yourself and what should be taken into account.
What kind of resin?
Before you start with theCraftTo get started, you should know that there are several types of resin. You can get epoxy resin and polyester resin at almost any craft store or hardware store. The main difference between them is the time they need to harden. Both are processed by mixing the actual resin and the appropriate hardener. The mixing ratio is particularly important and you should strictly follow the instructions. A kitchen scale or measuring container can be a good solution. Most of the time you get the resin in a huge container and the hardener in a tiny bottle. In this case, a syringe is used that allows precise dosing to the millimeter. Optionally you can get a resin with a 1:1 mixing ratio. You need the same amount of hardener and resin.
Required materials and step-by-step instructions
Another difference between epoxy and polyester resin is the appearance. Epoxy resin is crystal clear and therefore more suitable for making jewelry. Polyester resin hardens very quickly, is very robust and is often used for the production of molded parts - mold making, boat building, profile panels, etc. In addition to the casting resin, a casting mold is also required. The best ones for this purpose are those made of silicone, like these for baking.
Manufacturing will be gradual and slow. Before you start mixing the resin and hardener, you should determine approximately how much liquid the mold will be filled with. Mix half the amount or less and pour it into the mold. Allow to rest for at least 24 hours.
Then you can really pour everything. Stickers, fabric, beads, flowers, even food can be poured. It is worth testing the object for casting beforehand, as some fibers absorb the casting resin and look like water stains. It is best to seal the selected objects with napkin glue and then incorporate them into the piece of jewelry. Some things lose their 3D effect and can only be recognized by their shape. We recommend always doing a test before the actual process.
Whether you have chosen real prepared insects, flowers, glitter, pearls or simply stickers as a motif, the procedure is always the same. We work shift after shift. First, a small amount of casting resin is added to the mold, allowed to harden, then place the object and hold it in position with a thin layer of resin, allowed to harden. Finally, fill the entire mold and let it rest for about 48 hours.
Before you remove the products from the mold, you should note that the resin should not only harden. That will be in the first 24 hours. In the next 24 it will become ripe, therefore stable and can therefore be processed. When you gut the created figures, their surface is matte because of the mold. The outer edges can also appear confusing. You can remove this using very fine-grain sandpaper. To achieve the shiny, crystal-clear effect, all you have to do is varnish the piece of jewelry.
For the perfect finish, we recommend coating the product again with epoxy resin. It shines wonderfully and reflects the light like real glass. Beforehand, you need to carefully roughen the surface so that the final layer can adhere to it. Otherwise it will retreat in places and result in ugly stains.
As soon as the piece of jewelry has hardened to the last layer, it can be processed. You can make a pendant on it and use it as a necklace or keychain. You can also incorporate a nice background. Glitter is very suitable for this, but also pure acrylic paint if the other elements would be better highlighted.
Any small objects, including those that are left over, are suitable for pouring. The parts of broken accessories can be recycled and found new use as such. According to this technique is also createdSteampunk-Jewelry and other truly unique pieces.
Achieve fabulous color effects when incorporating different materials into the same piece of jewelry. You can easily pour dried flowers, stones, shells or photos. Just note that the paper must be brushed with napkin glue beforehand. Otherwise the casting resin will stain the paper.
If you're going for metallic effects and silver & gold, these will be achieved flawlessly. You need glitter or gold leaf or chocolate foil. You can sprinkle glitter and glitter on top 3-4 hours after you have added the first layer to the mold. They are very light in themselves and will only sink into the resin a little. Heavy parts collapse due to their weight at the bottom of the mold, which ends up being at the top of the product and therefore the desired 3D effect is not achieved.
If you don't have gold leaf available, you can simply use chocolate wrapper and cut it into small pieces. Scatter them over the molds after the first layer of resin has hardened. Using a toothpick, try to get all the particles below the surface and distribute them relatively evenly. Allow at least 24 to cure.
You can polish the products instead of coating them again with resin. Suitable polishing pastes and very fine-grain sandpaper are suitable for this purpose. This means that the pieces of jewelry are wet polished. When finished, you can add a ring, stud or ear clip to the back.
To ensure that your products look professional and perfect, we recommend special shapes for rings or necklace pendants. Some of them replicate gemstone cuts and, especially for jewelry lovers, the casting resin can be designed like a real gemstone. In addition, different colors are also possible, which expand the scope enormously.
