Welcome back to the craft room and today’s Flashback Friday Working with Resin post. Resin crafting is a lot of fun, but it also requires precision. Today I want to flashback to February 2015 where I worked with EnviroTex Jewelry Resin to create three pendants and a badge holder decoration. Let’s check it out, shall we?
Working with Resin
I have been having a lot of fun working with resin and wanted to share my latest batch of pendants. While there are tons of different resin products available, I am using EnviroTex Jewelry Resin.
There are very specific instructions for each brand of resin, and they should be followed precisely. The EnviroTex brand of resin requires an equal amount of both the resin and hardener. The recommendation from the company is to mark your measuring cup with a pen which I have done here.
Before we begin, the resin and hardener should be warmed a bit in hot tap water for 5 minutes. Add the resin to the first line on the cup, and then add the hardener up to the second line. Using one of the provided stir sticks, mix for a total of 2 minutes. After that time, transfer the resin to a second measuring cup and mix with a new stir stick for 1 minute longer. You are now ready to begin.
When I made the resin pendants for Christmas, I started by adding a little resin to the bottom of each bezel before adding the inclusions. This time around I began by gluing the glass glitter to the bottom of the bezels. This prevented the glitter from shifting as I poured the resin into the pendants.
With the bottle cap design, I also added pearls on top of the glitter. Rather than gluing them individually, I took a tip from the internet and strung them onto a piece of string. This makes adding the beads so much easier than gluing individual beads one at a time.
Pouring the Resin
When the glue was dry, it was finally time to begin. I added the resin with the help of the stir stick, adding a little bit at a time so as not to overflow the bezels. After filling each bezel with resin, it is vital to remove any air bubbles that are produced. You can do this in a few different ways. I chose to VERY carefully use a straw to blow across the surface of the resin. It is Vital that you DO NOT inhale through the straw, only gently exhale. A much safer way to remove any air bubbles from resin in to use heat. A Micro Torch or lighter is much safer for your health. Of course, these options have their own warnings and safety concerns.
Once the bubbles have been removed, you will need to cover your items to keep dust off them until they are dry. The drying time is about 24 hours but can vary depending on the temperature and humidity in the room. I usually let my pieces sit undisturbed for an additional 12 to 24 hours just to be sure they are completely cured.
Once I get these pieces finished, I’ll add some more photos of them for you, but until then, I hope you enjoyed this little tutorial.
Thank you for joining me for today’s Flashback Friday Working with Resin post. I realized I never took photos of these finished projects—maybe I was just too eager to share them with friends and family, and to admire them myself. The German Glass Glitter in these pendants creates such a unique sparkle; if regular glitter catches the eye, this glitter absolutely dazzles. If you’d like to explore more of my resin projects, you can find them here: Resin Craft. Have a fantastic weekend, and I look forward to seeing you back in the craft room soon!
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