Transparent resin jewelry. Epoxy resin jewelry, master class

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List of everything you need:

Epoxy resin, two-component
Two syringes without a needle (sold at any pharmacy)
Container for mixing resin and hardener ( a plastic cup)
Stick for this mixing (wooden)
Ceramic tiles or cardboard (generally any flat hard surface, preferably on a level table)
Scotch tape (wide, single-sided)
Accessories for jewelry (connectors, earrings, connecting rings, bases)
Mini drill (sold in almost any construction store, take the cheapest one, I personally use DREMEL 300)
A set of attachments for it ( small drill and an emery head for turning)
Good mood for yourself;) Well, gloves with a respirator would be nice

Advice: Before you shop, make sure you have a suitable workspace. If you live in a one-room apartment with your grandmother and mother, you will have to wait a little while making jewelry from resin. At a minimum you need separate room, where you can inhale harmful resin fumes (if you don’t take care of ventilation) in splendid isolation.

This work is dirty, noisy and generally not conducive to health, but a few simple manipulations will help reduce negative influences creativity to a minimum.

Safety precautions when working with epoxy resin:

if you are not a substance abuser, at least open the window
always keep a cloth at hand - believe me, it is much easier to wipe off the resin than to then chip it off the linoleum
don't want a thrill? Then remove all carpets within sight
Have pity on your neighbors in your living space, don’t grind your jewelry while they’re at home. Wear a respirator during this activity.

Speaking of leaves

Leaves (petals, flowers) must be well dried. This is not a quick task (4 weeks), so prepare them in advance. I put fresh petals into the folded one white paper, then into the book (this is so that the letters do not imprint on the flowers). The thicker the book, the better (old Soviet textbooks work great). Magnetic photo albums can be used to store dried leaves.

If you decide to work with buds (for pouring into balls), you will need a dark, dry space, such as a closet. Thread the thread into the needle, tighten a thicker knot at the end of the thread and pass the needle through the stems of the buds (it is for this operation that these very stems should be left). We tie the resulting garland to two hangers and hide it in the closet. Four weeks and the material is ready.

It is worth keeping in mind that many petals visually change during work, and completely cease to resemble what you picked in the garden. Some shrink to something awkward, some turn black or completely discolored. And if you don’t feel sorry for a stupid daisy at all, then ruined expensive hydrangea flowers will definitely make you sad.

Accessories

The lion's share of the pleasure of working with jewelry is the choice of accessories. It's simple: the more expensive it is, the better the quality. You can save money in the entire process of creating jewelry, but not on accessories; this is exactly the case when the stingy pays twice. Not only do fasteners made in China regularly break, but they also look downright pathetic and, most likely, you won’t be able to stick something like that on your painstakingly nurtured leaf.

Resin preparation

Well, all preparations are completed, we can begin. First, read the instructions for your resin - mixing proportions vary from brand to brand. Personally, I use Crystal resin, 4 ml of resin per 1.2 ml of diluent.

We take both the resin and the hardener with syringes without needles, naturally different ones. It’s better to throw them away after using them; they cost pennies. It is better to carefully lower the hardener along the wall of the cup so that it does not splash.

After this we begin mixing. There’s nothing phenomenal here: you can stir it with your finger for 3-4 minutes. Don't be embarrassed by the abundance of bubbles in the resin, let it sit and they will go away.

Stir the resin periodically. The ready-to-use mixture should have a consistency similar to honey. It is difficult to explain with your fingers exactly how much to mix; it naturally depends on the number of prepared petals, their size and, notably, the thickness of the resin. Fresh ones instantly spread and it turns out that you have tarred the tray itself more than the petals. So it’s important to seize the moment here.

While the resin is settling, prepare workplace. Clear the table, take out the tray and flowers. It is advisable to do wet cleaning, because there is nothing more offensive than potentially beautiful decoration, covered in dust.

Preparing the tray

You need a flat table that you don’t mind getting dirty, and a tray. The key point here is the choice of coating, which should have a number of properties, such as:

cheap
affordable
should not stick to the resin
should be glossy (a matte surface makes the cured resin matte)

The store one immediately comes to mind. plastic bag, but unfortunately it does not satisfy point 3 and sticks tightly. At one time I used food bags for baking, but they also periodically failed and ruined entire trays of decorations.

Advice: Cover the tray with tape and forget about the problem of decorations sticking forever.

Fill

So, the resin has thickened, the petals are laid out on a surface covered with tape, and we begin to create. We take our fighting stick, dip the tip in resin and apply a drop to the petal.

In principle, you can smear it over it, holding the leaf with your finger (with latex gloves so that there are no greasy marks left), but it spreads quite well on its own. Here you will check how level your table is. Having covered all the prepared petals with the first layer of resin, cover our miracle tray with a lid and leave it all for 24 hours. Then we apply another layer of resin (for now both layers are on the front part).

After a day, turn the petals over and apply last layer, but already on the back sides of our products.

Turning

Now these shapeless epoxy blots with petals inside need to be processed.

It's time to uncover our mini drill. Attach an emery attachment to it and sharpen the jewelry (with a shudder I remember how I sharpened them by hand with a nail file). Keep the edge of the product perpendicular to the drill. After turning, you can coat the edges of the products with varnish or do another fill.

If you are satisfied with the resulting decoration, make holes for attaching rings. We make holes with the same drill, but with a drill (diameter 0.5 mm).

In general, we have done the most difficult work, now all that remains is to attach the fittings. We thread a ring into the drilled hole and a wire into it. Our earrings made from real flower petals are ready!

Rules for storing and caring for flower decorations

Products covered jewelry resin, do not wipe with alcohol or any other solvent, as this may damage glossy surface. Epoxy is generally not friendly with chemistry, so keep it away from detergents, air fresheners, etc.
Wear jewelry after applying decorative cosmetics, perfumes, and deodorants. Do not expose the glossy surface to acetone. It is better to wash off nail polish without rings, since acetone is a volatile substance, and it is not so far from the nail to the ring with a leaf.
Don't wear jewelry while playing sports or go to bed with it on.
Pin brooches to your clothing before putting it on (this will ensure that the pin is securely fastened).
Cured epoxy resin itself is very strong, but with the right amount of diligence, anything can be broken, and in this case it is no exception; store products in boxes.
You should not leave them in the open sun for a long time.

From transparent epoxy resin You can make various products: decorations, flooring, decorative elements, countertops or tables. This material is used to make earrings, rings, pendants, original surfaces with a 3D effect, beautiful figurines or other decorations.

Preparation of resin for products

Epoxy resin floors have many layers, one of which contains a design, usually a color print. The final coating is a transparent epoxy resin through which the design is clearly visible.
To make products, you must use epoxy resin and a hardener. During the process, you need to take into account that if you prepare a large number of material, it will generate heat.
There are types of resin that harden immediately after the hardener is added. When performing work, you must comply the right technology, otherwise the resin may boil and smoke, which will make it impossible to manufacture the product. After hardening it turns out transparent hard material.
To make bulk products, a plasticizer is added to the resin, but first the material must be heated. In this case, the viscosity of the resin decreases; to heat the resin, use water bath. This heating method helps increase the setting time of the material. The resin should not be allowed to boil, otherwise it will become cloudy and you will not be able to make a transparent product.
The main condition is that there are no drops of moisture on the resin or hardener, otherwise the material will deteriorate and become cloudy. A plasticizer is added to the resin and heating is performed gradually. After the plasticizer is thoroughly mixed with the resin, a hardener is added, and the mixture is pre-cooled to 30 degrees. The hardener is introduced very slowly and the composition is thoroughly stirred; an excessive amount of material will render the resin unusable.

Making a countertop from epoxy resin

You can decorate the tabletop using coins and epoxy resin. To do this, you need to prepare pliers, pliers, glue, autogen, water-based varnish, coins, and epoxy resin with a hardener.
When working with wooden surface, it must be thoroughly washed, dried, primed, and painted in the chosen color. To restore an old tabletop, the previous coating is removed and the surface is painted.
The most difficult action is bending the coins and cutting them; this can be done using pliers and pliers. If it is not possible to cope with such work, then it is better not to finish the end sections, and place only whole coins.
First, wash the coins so that they shine, then the surface of the tabletop will be bright and original; for this, the coins must be boiled in Cola. You can use another method by putting a container of water on the fire, adding coins to it, adding vinegar and soda. It is necessary to take into account that foam will rise, so there should not be too much water. Instead of folk remedy You can use special compounds to clean metal products.

When all coins are cleaned, they are thoroughly washed plain water, and dried on a cloth. The process of making a tabletop involves laying coins on the surface and filling the elements with epoxy resin. All work is done sequentially so as not to make mistakes.

Polyethylene is placed under the surface being manufactured so as not to smear the floor or other interior items. Then the resin is poured, but after adding the hardener, the mixture is left for a while so that it thickens a little and does not spill over the edges.
The resin will flow down a little, so it must be periodically picked up with a spatula and applied to those places where there is the least amount of material. You don’t have to do this, and after it has completely hardened, just throw away the polyethylene.
First from wooden material The surface is edged, then the coins are laid out beautifully and filled with resin.
If bubbles appear on the surface from air, they can be removed using an autogen. And then the product is left to dry completely, this will take about two days. Dust and other debris should not settle on the surface.
When the tabletop is dry, it is coated with water-based varnish, dried again, and only then the product is considered completely finished.

Instead of coins, you can use any original decoration, for example, dried flowers or color printing with beautiful design. The tabletop can be made original, it all depends on ideas and imagination.

Making a bracelet

To make an unusual bracelet from epoxy resin, you need to stock up on the following materials: resin with a hardener, a toothpick, a plastic glass, dried flowers, scissors, an ice cream stick or skewer, a disposable syringe, and a mold for a silicone bracelet.

Part of the thickener and two resins are poured into a plastic glass. To ensure that the amount of hardener and resin is accurate, use a disposable syringe. The components must be stirred slowly and thoroughly to prevent air bubbles from forming. If they appear, then the composition should be left for a few minutes so that the air is completely released, but the mixture should not thicken too much.
Then the prepared bracelet mold is filled with a viscous composition, dried flowers are placed in the resin, using a toothpick, you can use it to pierce the air bubbles. Then the bracelet is left to harden for about a day, after which it is removed from the mold and used for its intended purpose. Instead of dried flowers, you can take beautiful buttons, rhinestones or beads.

How to make a brooch yourself?

The brooch can be made in the shape of a butterfly; for this you need to take following materials: Dry butterfly, which is purchased in the store, two toothpicks, resin with hardener, gloves, scissors, aqua varnish, a special clasp for a brooch.
The butterfly must be divided into several parts; to do this, the wings are cut off from the body and coated with aqua varnish on both sides. Then all the parts are placed on work surface, which is pre-covered with polyethylene. First, coat the back side of the wings, lay them on the surface, and then process the front part. While the varnish is drying, it is necessary to make an epoxy composition by gradually adding a hardener to the resin.
The composition must be placed in a dark place to thicken so that it does not flow from the edges of the product during operation. Then all parts are coated with a small layer of resin, and it is carefully smeared on the surface using a toothpick.
Then leave all the parts to dry completely, cover them with epoxy on the back side, and wait for it to harden again. After this, using a plastic solution, all individual parts are glued to the body, creating the required angle. The metal clasp is attached to the resin on the back of the brooch and is left to dry completely. After this, the product is ready for use.

Making a pendant, option No. 1

You can make a pendant from epoxy resin yourself; for this you need to take: a metal mold, a tangerine, scissors, stained glass paint, a mount for the pendant, a silicone compound, sandpaper, a plastic glass, a spoon, and the epoxy itself.
The tangerine must be peeled and the neatest slice selected; using scissors, the skin is removed from one side. On the other hand, you can attach a pin to the workpiece to make a brooch, or attach an eyelet for a chain on top to make a pendant.
The slice is placed in a metal mold, filled with prepared silicone compound, and left to harden. After this, the slices must be removed and discarded, and the mold must be rinsed thoroughly. cold water. The edges can be carefully aligned using scissors.
After a day, the silicone material can be used as a mold for pouring epoxy resin. After the workpiece has completely dried, it must be properly processed sandpaper. Then the necessary clasp or eyelet for the pendant is attached, the product is painted with stained glass type paint in two layers, and varnished.

Making a round pendant, option No. 2

You can make a round pendant; for this you need to prepare: dried flowers, thickener, sandpaper, polishing paste, scissors, special molds that serve as a mold for pouring. Then you use resin, a plastic glass, tweezers, a felt tip, and an eyelet for hanging.

If there are no molds, you can use a plastic ball, which is cut into two parts, greased with Vaseline from the inside, and after filling with resin, the cut is sealed with plasticine.
You can make gems yourself, from thin twigs, dried flowers from bouquets or small leaves. In this case, the workpieces must be properly dried so that the elements inside the product do not rot in the future. To prevent dried flowers from changing color, use a resin that is resistant to ultraviolet rays.

You can make a small composition from thin twigs and flowers, build a neat bouquet, all elements can be connected using epoxy. After hardening, it is placed in round molds and filled with the prepared solution. After preparation, the mixture is left for a few minutes to allow air to escape so that bubbles do not form on the product. After this, the product is left to harden.
When the ball hardens, it may not have a very even shape; all defects can be removed using coarse sandpaper. And then sanding is done with fine grain sandpaper. Usually this work is done in water, this makes it possible to do everything quickly and without dust.

The next step is polishing the product, for this you can use special remedy for plastic, that is, polish. The product is applied to a felt nozzle, after which they begin to process the finished ball.
Then an eye is glued to the ball, into which the chain will be threaded; usually such a blank has an extension at the end; epoxy resin is applied to it. After this, the ear is tightly applied to the ball with the expanding end.
A lot of products are made from wood and epoxy resin, and it is also necessary to follow a certain technology. If you follow consistency in your work, you can avoid mistakes and make your own original jewelry for yourself and your home. You can make many objects from epoxy resin, it all depends on your imagination.

To do wonderful gift or decoration, you can take various materials and if used correctly, no one will guess that this work was done at home. Crafts made from epoxy resin have long been in fashion and amaze with their variety. This can be not only jewelry in the form of pendants, earrings and rings. Boxes, medallions and refrigerator magnets will look great.

How to work with epoxy resin correctly

This material is two-component and consists of a resin and a fixative. In sets they are usually packaged in two containers. There is also a measuring cup, because the ingredients should be diluted in strict proportions of 1:2, where 1 part is the fixative, and 2 parts are the epoxy resin itself.

Resin is a gel-like transparent mass that is used to cover the desired surface. You should work with gloves, which are included in the creativity kit. Mix the resin with the fixative using a special wooden spatula, which further work apply and distribute the resin over the product. The mixing process must be carried out carefully so that no air bubbles appear. They will disappear, but it will take time.

The proportions should not be violated, because if you add little fixer, the resin will be viscous and sticky, which will ruin the appearance of the product. The resin should be applied to flat surfaces, since this material is liquid and spreads. If you need to coat round surfaces, for example, earrings, then they should have a protective rim or ring that will prevent spreading.

Since epoxy resin is transparent material, it is often poured over dried flowers, dried insects and decorative elements. The decoupage-style magnet, which is coated with a transparent layer of resin on top, looks quite beautiful.

DIY epoxy resin products

We offer you a master class on creating transparent jewelry with your own hands. Decorations are made from epoxy resin and dried flowers. Lovely this method is that you can create absolutely any shape of any size.

To work you will need:

Manufacturing process

On a regular office piece of paper, draw 2 identical blanks for future earrings. You can draw by eye, or you can use any ready-made templates. Cut out the blanks with scissors. It is necessary to prepare the surface on which the resin will be poured. It should be as smooth as possible. Before pouring, it is advisable to degrease the surface with alcohol, otherwise, if you do not remove the dust before pouring, all the fluff and dust particles will end up inside the product. As such a surface, you can use the back side of a silicone textured mat, on which a paper sketch of future earrings is placed.
Take mosaic glue white and applied to the edges of the paper sketch, holding the paper with your fingers so that it does not move when applying the glue. As soon as the outline is closed, carefully pry up the paper sketch and remove it from the silicone mat. Do the same with the second workpiece. This contour dries within 20 minutes, and if you put it on a warm radiator, it will dry out within 5 minutes.
Dilute epoxy resin with hardener in proportions 2:1. The container in which these two ingredients will be mixed must be clean and disposable. The combined components must be thoroughly mixed with a wooden stick for 5 minutes. If air bubbles appear, you can set the container with the components for 10 minutes in a warm place, but the heating should not exceed 60 degrees.

Epoxy resin of different colors is prepared in different containers. It is best to use a special silicone palette with indentations. A little resin is poured into it, a couple of drops of blue stained glass paint are added to one mold, and a few drops of green stained glass paint are added to the second mold and mixed thoroughly. Ideally, you should get delicate shades blue color, symbolizing the sky, and light green color, symbolizing green grass.
After the sides of the earrings have dried, the bottom of these jewelry is created. It will consist of two shades: blue - a symbol of the sky and green - a symbol of delicate grass. Therefore, first pour a little blue resin inside the hollow molds and, using a wooden stick, distribute a layer of resin over the upper wide part of the workpiece to exactly half of the product. Particular attention is paid to the edges. The resin should adhere tightly to the glue sides. Green epoxy resin is applied from the middle of the earring blanks using a wooden stick. The resin is evenly distributed over the workpiece. The filling layer must be thin, since at this stage only the substrate is formed.
Prepare dried flowers. Using tweezers, place dried flowers on the liquid surface of the earrings' base. The resulting workpiece is set aside in a warm place until it hardens completely.
After drying, the products are removed from the surface of the silicone mat and the dried mosaic glue is removed using tweezers.
The resin and hardener are diluted and the blanks are poured from the front side with a thick layer of resin, forming a transparent convex lens. After this, the workpieces are again set aside until the epoxy resin layer has completely dried for 24 hours.

The front side of the earrings is already completely ready. The last thing left is to fill the back side, where you also need to form a convex lens from epoxy resin and let it dry completely.
The blanks for the earrings are ready. Now you need to sand and polish the edges with fine-grained sandpaper, then you need to drill in the top of the workpieces through holes and fasten the earrings in them.

You can choose any product design from the photo. With the help of epoxy resin you can bring any idea to life.

Video on the topic of the article

Today, there are many materials from which you can create aesthetic and practical furniture, and epoxy has recently been one of them. Using wood and this glue, quite interesting designer tables and shelves are made. Next we will tell you everything about the technical process.

Until recently, this two-component adhesive was widely used mainly for reliable connections. various materials, then they began to use it as a component for self-leveling floors. At the same time, such properties as low surface abrasion, high strength, and durability were noted. Further, separate transparent stamps began to be used for very interesting dioramas, where epoxy resin with dyes imitated water. Moreover, the creators made entire tables depicting various landscapes. Perhaps it was precisely such experiments that prompted the creation designer furniture made of wood and epoxy glue.

Epoxy resin can be molded into any shape

The main thing that can be noted as an advantage of the above-mentioned polymer resin is the ability to give it any shape due to its fluidity in liquid state and plasticity at the hardening stage. In addition, the hardened glue is quite easy to process, in particular: it is ground and polished, if necessary, it can be drilled and grooves made in it. There are brands that are absolutely transparent after hardening, and those that have a red, brown, yellowish or whitish color throughout their entire depth. In this case, it is allowed to add in liquid consistency various components, improving or simply changing the properties of the composition. The main positive property of the glue is the absence of shrinkage due to the fact that the composition hardens solely due to a chemical reaction, and, as a result, the even surface plane is maintained.

Now let's talk about the disadvantages. The fact that cured epoxy resin can be easily processed is sometimes also a disadvantage, since scratches easily appear on the surface. The rest is wear resistance of this material very high. Another factor preventing the widespread use of glue for furniture production is its price, which is quite impressive and allows you to create only single designer products. Brands that are absolutely transparent after hardening are considered especially expensive. And, of course, we should not forget about the toxicity of polymer resin fumes, work with which should be carried out in well-ventilated areas and always wearing a respirator.

Today there are many brands of domestic and foreign production. Essentially any type of furniture is suitable for making furniture, unless you have special requirements for the result, but if you want to combine wood with epoxy resin, you definitely need transparent compositions. Otherwise, you will not be able to show the beauty of the wood fibers in the depth of the pour. As a rule, among imported options it is worth paying attention to the brand YD-128, different high degree transparency. Has also proven itself to be excellent MG-Epox-Strong, used for filling and obtaining transparent optical products. If you need color coating, please use MG Epox White– This type has a milky white color.

To fill, you need glue with a liquid consistency

All of the above options are two-component glue with a liquid consistency, which you, in fact, need for filling, since a paste-like one is not suitable for this purpose. It should be noted that different brands can be quite successfully combined with each other; in this case, milky inclusions of one type of glue can be enclosed in the thickness of a transparent fill. This will look especially impressive when adding dyes and in combination with wood inclusions. The main thing is not to mix too large portions, since in this case the reaction with the hardener heats the composition, which is why it polymerizes faster.

There are 5 states of glue. If he has liquid foundation, its consistency after mixing with the hardener will also be appropriate; such an epoxy resin must have good fluidity. It is recommended to fill it with it when making a furniture panel, be it a shelf shelf or the future wall of a chest of drawers. A thicker version, similar to honey or molasses, is suitable for gluing and for applying fill in layers. Thickened to the point where there is almost no fluidity and the individual parts are difficult to separate, it is sometimes suitable as a putty. Next, the glue begins to resemble rubber or plasticine, although it remains very sticky, which does not prevent you from giving it any shape with a stick or wire. And finally, the last state is completely hardened.

As mentioned above, 2 types of glue are used to make furniture - transparent and matte, and each of them can be colored. Now we will look at both options in more detail. For various combinations with wood or other inclusions, it is best to use transparent mixtures, especially those used for optical castings. In this case, even through a thick layer of glue, every detail of the inclusion will be clearly visible, be it fibers from wood trim or metal elements(such as old icons or gears). When adding a special dye, the transparency decreases somewhat, but not completely, but the fill gets a rich color.

You can create interesting interior items from colored epoxy

If you want to get a high-quality colored mixture, add a color from the same manufacturer that made the adhesive mass.

Colored mixtures are initially somewhat cloudy, they can be called rather translucent, and they are unsuitable as the main fill covering wood. The reason is simple - any inclusions simply will not be visible. But you can do the opposite and fill all kinds of cavities in the cut of wood, voids from knots, and woodworm passages that open on the cut. A luminescent dye combined with glue will look especially impressive. Then the slightest illumination will be enough for the furniture panel or tabletop to begin to glow.

This combination of epoxy and wood has proven itself well for the simple reason that it produces a perfectly smooth surface, and at the same time the filling consumption is relatively small. The main volume is occupied by wood, which is covered on all sides by a thin layer of polymer resin. However, be prepared for the fact that the expense will still be noticeable. It is easy to calculate that 10 square centimeters of fill with a thickness of 1 centimeter will require 100 grams of glue. Accordingly, at 1 square meter You will need 10 liters of the composition, and for a tabletop 1x2 meters - 20 liters. And this is only for the top layer, but if you make a thicker layer of epoxy in order to immerse wooden scraps or boards into it, you will need at least 2 times more mixture.

There are quite a few subtleties of using glue. In particular, an interesting effect can be achieved by adding a little water to the composition. Milky-white stains similar to a nebula form in this place. That is, with small drops of water you can get beautiful inclusions in painted epoxy. You can make a multi-color coating by pouring portions of different colors in portions or separating them with small thin plastic barriers. But such fills should be quite thin, no more than 0.5 centimeters, and another, transparent layer will be needed on top. The composition can be colored with ordinary dry gouache, as well as with ink for writing (including paste from rods ballpoint pens), oil and nitro paints.

Epoxy has very strong adhesion to almost all materials, in other words, if you choose the wrong formwork, the glue will stick tightly to it. The only thing that epoxy resin does not stick to is plexiglass, the main thing is that there are no scratches or chips on it. Also, some craftsmen recommend using strips and sheets of polished aluminum. If you want to finish the table only on top, epoxy resin is poured into the formwork, fixed along the side edges of the panel. Accordingly, the ends of the tabletop will not be covered with glue.

If you need to cover only the surface of the tabletop with resin, you should make formwork

It’s a completely different matter if you need a thickness of transparent polymer, inside of which, like an insect in amber, a cut of wood or its individual fragments will be enclosed. In this case, the inclusions should be secured using ordinary starch paste on a base, which will serve as a large sheet of plexiglass. If you want the wood to be in the middle of the epoxy thickness, secure the inclusion to the sides of the formwork. The walls of the mold must be attached to the base sheet only from the outside so that they can be easily detached after the mixture has completely hardened.

Mix and pour epoxy - make a transparent or colored panel

It is noteworthy that the reaction after mixing the main component of the glue with the hardener is accompanied by heating of the composition. And the larger the portion volume, the stronger the heating, the faster the epoxy sets. Therefore, it is recommended to use only small containers. Some experts advise adding acetone to the main component, about 10% of the total volume, and only before mixing with the hardener. This will reduce heat and prolong the hardening process of the composition. You can also influence the hardening process by slowing it down somewhat by cooling the dishes. With sudden cooling, solidification will then proceed very slowly, over several days.

There are two types of furniture made from transparent epoxy resin - massive cast or assembled from pre-fabricated panels. In the first case, the stools look like pedestals, the tables look more like thick slabs, while the second option is closer to classic furniture designs. But, whichever type you choose, before the wood and the mixed epoxy resin are joined, the base must be perfectly leveled using a level; this is not difficult to do with your own hands. Otherwise, the mixture will flow to the lower edge. To set the horizontal line, you can place wedges under the edges and strips of different thicknesses under the middle so that the plexiglass sheet does not sag. A table made of wood also needs to be leveled by placing thin liners under the legs.

Now we prepare the filling. To do this, you will need a small container, approximately 0.5 liters, maximum 1 liter, as well as a kneading stick. The measurements should be included in the kit; if they are not, prepare cups with divisions marked on them. We take the main component, measure out a certain amount of it, sufficient to obtain a thin layer. If the epoxy resin table will have a large area, prepare several containers at once to mix an amount that will create a layer approximately 0.5 centimeters thick. Open all windows to allow fresh air into the room.

Be sure to wear special clothes from which threads will not fall, tuck your hair under a cap or scarf, and put gloves on your hands. It is extremely undesirable for hairs, eyelashes, and villi to get into the composition. To ensure that products made of wood and transparent epoxy resin are free of bubbles, if you find any excess inclusions after emptying the container with the composition into the formwork, lightly warm up such an area with a hairdryer, the air should escape out. Hardening takes several days, especially if the filling forms several layers. Next, to smooth the countertop, we carefully grind and polish the surface with the finest sandpaper and felt with special pastes.

Jewelry created using epoxy resin and mold is amazingly original appearance. This master class will present step-by-step instruction, supplemented with photographs and detailed description each stage. By repeating all the steps of the master, you can independently create a unique decoration that will attract the attention of others.

So, for work we will need:

epoxy resin;
silicone molds that are combined with epoxy resin;
disposable gloves, plastic cups, syringes, sticks for mixing ingredients;
decorative elements: shells, colored pebbles, dried flowers;
powder, stained glass paints and gold leaf;

In order not to stain the table surface, it is better to do the work on a regular file. A hemispherical pendant will look beautiful if you add dandelions to it. For work, we will need two dandelions, so that later we can compare how they look in the finished version.

Before work, carefully rinse all molds prepared in advance and wipe them dry with a cloth. Wear disposable gloves to protect your skin from unwanted damage. After this, pour resin and hardener into plastic cups. In the future, it will be convenient to draw them into a syringe. Carry out all jewelry making steps in a well-ventilated room.

Measure required amount epoxy resin and pour it into a clean plastic cup. Using a syringe, draw up the hardener and add it to the resin cup. Different manufacturers indicate different proportions required to obtain the result. Therefore, please read the instructions on the package first. It is important to carefully follow all manufacturers' recommendations for work. The quality and beauty of the finished craft directly depends on the accuracy of the calculations. If you mixed epoxy resin and hardener, but the mixture does not harden, then the proportions are off. This can also happen due to insufficient thorough mixing of the ingredients.

If the syringe has a rubber insert, the hardener will not splash. The resulting mixture is mixed with previously prepared wooden sticks. You can use kebabs skewers. The solution should be stirred for ten minutes in a circular motion.

The dandelion fits very neatly into the mold. Parachutes that interfere with work can be removed using tweezers.

After mixing the ingredients, leave the resin for half an hour. This time is enough for all chemical processes to take place. See what's happening chemical reaction, depending on the condition of the glass. It will heat up. It is not recommended to work with epoxy resin in hot weather, as the reaction proceeds quite violently and the resin completely hardens within half an hour. Although, different manufacturers They offer epoxy resins of different quality.

Carefully, in a thin stream, pour epoxy resin over the dandelion placed in the mold.

After hardening, the resin will settle a little. Therefore, it should be poured into the mold with a small margin (convexity).

Now let's try to make beautiful rings from glass washed by the sea.

So, take some resin, lay out the pebbles and fill them with the mixture in the same way as when working with a hemisphere. A small bulge should form.

You can make earrings with dandelion parachutes. Pour a small amount of resin and spread it carefully using a stick. This step will thicken the resin slightly. This will help the parachutes stay in the position in which they were stowed.

Make a bouquet.

Pour some resin on top to create a bulge. If you work very carefully, then minimal sanding of the product will be required in the future.

A truncated ball is created in a similar way. Fill half of the mold with resin.

Using a toothpick or needle, place the required number of parachutes.

Pour epoxy resin into the mold.

Now let's try to make a beautiful bracelet decorated with shells. Pour resin into a special bracelet mold. At this point the epoxy became even thicker. This is what we need. Add pebbles and shells to the mold. The crushed shells will stick to the walls, giving the impression of being suspended.

About half an hour ago a new batch of resin was prepared. It should be poured into the mold from above. This must be done with extreme care to avoid the formation of bubbles. What to do if bubbles appear? Preheat the oven to 80 degrees and place the mold with resin there. Leave in the oven until the temperature increases to 204 degrees. After this, the bubbles will come out.

Make sure that the mold is in a level position during operation. Otherwise, the resin will harden at an angle. Remember that the more carefully you work with epoxy resin, the less sanding you will have to do on the finished product.

Now leave the mold for a day until it dries completely. To prevent debris from getting onto the surface of the future product, cover the mold with a box or lid.

While the bracelet is drying, you can make a pendant. Let's start by creating the main background. To do this, liquid plastic is applied to the workpiece. Cover it up polymer clay, rolled out into a thin layer. The resulting composition is baked in the oven. After cooling, you can start working.

Pour a couple of drops of resin onto the surface. Using tweezers, a composition is made from dried leaves or flowers. In this case, the resin is the glue. She will not allow the composition to budge. Fresh flowers should not be used to create the composition. Over time, they will turn black and lose their appearance.

There is a holder on the back surface of the pendant. It should also be placed in a mold to create a flat surface. It is not necessary to think through the composition in advance. You can create masterpieces by improvising.

The result is a unique picture. The craft needs to be dried. When it dries, a second layer of resin is poured, forming a bulge.

After a day, the bracelet hardened and can be taken out of the mold. This top part products.

Rings, earrings and pendants are created in a similar way.

Beautiful hemisphere decorated with dandelion.

Unusual truncated transparent balls with parachutes.

You can also make small decorative hemispheres.

Previously made rings decorated with sea glass.

To give epoxy resin bright shade, you can add a little powder or stained glass paints. If you decide to use stained glass paints, add very little to the resin. Otherwise, the proportions between the resin and hardener may be disrupted. Ready product will not harden, but will become sticky.