Rockin' Resin Jewelry

Make a statement with your own resin jewelry! Choose your charms, pour your molds and ROCK YOUR RESIN!

I love jewelry and accessories and am always on the look out for interesting, one-of-a-kind pieces. It’s even better if I can create them myself. I like beading and braiding but I wanted to really be able to express myself with something I made. After playing around with resin on flat surfaces like the Pretty Pendants in an earlier post I thought I would try my hand at pouring into molds!

The coolest thing about pouring into your own molds for jewelry is that you can put ANYTHING in there! I had a blast just looking around the house to find little things to fit in the molds. The possibilities are endless; I used feathers, matches, sewing needles, beads, screws, charms, leaves, flowers (and flower seeds!). Basically anything you can find that is small enough to fit will work. Oh, and don’t forget the GLITTER.

You can scavenge around your house to find some things to use like I did or you can pick up some charms from the jewelry section of your craft store. Resin and molds are pretty easy to find now, usually at any craft store or I found some great deals on Amazon. I recommend Easy Cast Clear Casting Epoxy for when you are starting out with resin. It is easy to use and comes with easy to follow instructions. As for the molds most are plastic or silicone, either are fine to work with, the silicone molds are a little easier to release from the mold but popping the plastic ones in the freezer for a minute also works perfectly. For my first try I didn’t really have a plan for an end result, I just planned to make a bunch and see what happened..

I find it easiest to place the pieces into the mold first and then pour the resin over. Before you lay out your molds line your workspace with wax paper, it is the only thing that resin will not adhere to. When you arrange your pieces in the molds, you can do multiple pieces per mold or one statement piece. My favorite outcomes are pictured; for the bee bracelet I used the large oval mold and placed the mini plastic flowers with a large bee charm, then for the smaller pieces I used the teardrop molds and placed flower seeds in them. For the earrings and ring I also used teardrop molds, laid the screws, poured the resin and then added the glitter on top of the resin. So lets talk about pouring, you need to work quickly once the resin is mixed so get all of your pieces situated first in your molds. Be sure to follow the mixing directions very closely, I typically use small plastic cups and popsicle sticks for mixing. Another good tool for molds is a disposable plastic spoon, it can act as sort of a measuring cup for the smaller molds so you do not overfill them.

When you are pouring have a toothpick or similar handy in case you need to move something to release a bubble. For the most part bubbles will rise up and you can gently blow on them to pop them but when pouring over objects you want to be careful to check for bubbles that get stuck under an item. Simply lift the mold and look for any bubbles settling under any charms or items, if you spot any take your toothpick and move it gently to release the bubble. I found it very satisfying to use one of those tiny swords that come stabbed into the fruit of a cocktail at a restaurant with camping supplies on the wall as my bubble popper. Stabbing the bubbles with a sword like the evil intruders that they are. Once you are clear of bubbles you can add glitter to the back while the resin is still curing. Next let your resin cure for 24 hours, it is so hard to wait but be strong, I believe in you! After it is cured pop those bad boys out of the mold and do a happy dance! If there was any overflow you can sand it off. Now you can attach your pieces to some jewelry and ROCK YOUR RESIN!!

What you need:

· Resin (I used East Cast Clear Casting Epoxy)

· Resin molds

· Embellishments including charms, beads, nails, glitter, feathers etc.

· Jewelry findings (Earring posts, bails, rings, bracelets etc.)

· E6000 Jewelry and bead glue (or similar)

· Wax paper

· Plastic cups and spoon

· Popsicle sticks

· Toothpicks

What to do:

· Line your workspace with wax paper

· Place your molds and lay your selected items into the molds

· Mix resin according to directions

· Pour resin into molds (tip: use a plastic spoon to better control your pour)

· Check for bubbles, blow to pop or move items to release bubbles caught below surface

· Add glitter (optional)

· Let cure 24 hours and remove from molds

· Use jewelry glue to attach to findings and rock your resin!!!!

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