Botanical Resin Jewelry
Introduction: Botanical Resin Jewelry
Hello Everybody,
During lockdown, i was exploring new ideas, hobby and activities, it when i fall in love with resin. I have posted an instructable in which i would have explained the basics of Resin art. Now after lot of trail and error somehow i jumped from beginner to Intermediate level. For while now i had my eyes on making resin jewelry especially Botanical collection. In this instructable, you'll be seeing jewelry making from beginner level to intermediate level.
Step 1: Supplies
1) Resin
2) Hardener
3) Earring & Pendant Silicone mold
4) Open bezels
5) Cachabon bases
6) Paper cups
7) Dried flowers collection
8) OHP Sheet
9) Silicone pouring cup
10) Mini Butane torch
11) Twezzer
12) Seashells
13) Jumprings - 6mm, 7 mm, 10 mm in gold and silver colour
14) Earrings hooks in gold and silver colour, stud with rubber base
15) Round nose plier, square nose plier and wire cutter
16) Weighing scale
Safety gear
16) Respirator mask or KN95 mask
17) Gloves
Step 2: Make Your Own Dried Flowers
This part is more like DIY, you can skip this if you have bought dried flowers they are available in online websites too. You can dry your hand picked flowers and leaves in your home with this technique not to mention that this ingredient which be your kitchen, Interested to know what it is....? It's ..........Semolina (granulated wheat)
Take cup, fill the bottom with semolina for 1 inch and add the flowers that are to be dried, add put more semolina and cover it.
After few days (7 - 10 days) they get dried without losing much of their original color, but still the flower will not be in perfect shape, you have to press them with something heavy , Of course my engineering books have been a big help here :P they are big and heavy.
Put the flowers in the wax paper lie them with proper distance without over lapping , close the wax paper and the book and keep it under weight (other engineering books) for couple of days
Semolina is an economical idea and it can be used repeatedly. Professionally people use silica gel to dry their hand picked flowers
Step 3: Resin Mixing
Resin mixing should be done with precision as per manufactures instruction. Mix slowly to avoid more bubbles, but there is no short to avoid bubbles completely. You have wait for few mins to gets the bubbles to pop by rising above after mixing or you can torch it, for beginners i don't recommend torch they are slightly tedious technique to pop the bubble like using tooth pick.. Initially go with that only.
Here I'm gonna start with beginner level Resin jewelry making, no experience needed for this. Just little of creativity and heart to try out is enough
Always before starting your resin work, cover your work area with material that resin doesn't stick to, glove up and mask on
Step 4: Playing With Colors
Shortly ordered for these red foils, they are absolutely gorgeous and as usual gold foil are heart throbber, I Used 30 grams of mixture. 1013
Used resin ratio is 2:1 i.e., for two parts of resin mixed with one part of hardner. So here 20 grams of resin with 10 grams of hardener . Divide in four parts One for mixing Solid matte black pigment, another for white dye and remaining two for gold and red foils.
Foils are very fragile and super light, you need to handle. That too foil sheet comes trapped between wax paper, don't touch with gloves coz they get struck. I used tweezer to tear off required amount of foils
Step 5: Classic Eye Catching Earrings
Presenting you the best combination, black with gold foil. Pour carefully filling the first half of the earring mold and add the gold foil mixture
Step 6: Matching Pendant
Of course how can we move on to next combination making without making matching pendant. Pretty much bring it similar to earring's outlook.
Step 7: Red and White
For this chose rectangle shaped pendant , first half white and second half red foils. Seriously using foils are gives 3D floating effect in objects which is mesmerizing. similar shaped earrings would be.. will see in step down
Step 8: Frame Earrings
These are rectangle too, first half white and remaining half red foils.. Pour resin leftover with different combination to discover another beautiful combinations
Step 9: Open Bezels
Now we are graduating from beginner to intermediate level in resin jewelry, you may wonder why it so? they look easy but making requires quite a lot patience and steady hands like neuro surgeon. 1013