Experimenting with Resin
I shared in stories a week ago that I was trying to salvage as many flowers that people sent for Declan.
I think I pretty much scoured the entire internet on how to preserve flowers. If you are like me, you read directions then omit the ones you don't want to do, then you end up with a crap ton of Pinterest fails.
This is how this post is going to start out, but I have learned and therefore will steer you in the right direction.
Things you will need:
Gloves (please don't get this on you skin)
Epoxy Kit (Linked Here)
Old Newspaper/or table liner
Flowers (Will go over this later)
Let's discuss flowers. We, of course, had live flowers, and when I attempted to resin them right off the stem, they floated to the surface prior to the resin hardening making for an odd looking mold. I am certain it did it because of the air, or oxygen bubbles the flower was still producing.
Look, I really don't know the term, scientifically, but the flower was "too alive" to mold, if that makes any sense at all.
Here is my advice:
Dry them out first.
Soak the "live" flower in Resin and allow to harden then proceed to mold it.
**You also have multiple options on how to dry them, one is the microwave. Place the flower between two sheets of paper towels and place a plate on top to smash it, then microwave until fully dry.**
**Soaking the flower is also fairly simple. Mix the Epoxy equal parts hardener/epoxy dip flower until fully coated, then hang to dry/harden for 24 hours. This one will take the longest, but I highly recommend it.**
Both are easy, one just takes longer than the other. I went with the soaking, because I wanted to the full bloom look vs. the smashed look.
If you are using faux flowers, I recommend soak prior to molding as well. Please DO NOT microwave fake flowers.... just don't, trust me.
Step 1
After a full soak or dry please allow a full 24 hours for the flower to cool or harden. Depending on the method you want to give the flower the ability to become "one" with the resin so it does not float to the top.
Sidenote: Make the flower an equal weight or lighter than the resin. I am using so many wrong terms, I know! I promise, it makes a difference!
Once the flower has dried or hardened, you can now start the molding process.
Step 2
I bought a molding kit with a variety of shapes. In my example here I have a square flat mold, and a sphere mold.
Flatter molds are great for dried flowers and the sphere is better for "bloomed" molds.
The directions on the Epoxy kit say to mix equal parts Resin and Hardener. USE GLOVES, and A COVERED Surface. Also use tools such as popsicle sticks and bowl that can be discarded after use. Mix for 3-5 minutes.
You will notice a million tiny bubbles. Here is my secret, a hair dryer.
Put on low heat, low setting to heat the resin until :most of the bubble float to the top and dissipate.
Once complete you can complete your pour. Situate your flower how you want in the mold. then begin to pour slowly. There is a big possibility that your flower will move. Pour an little at a time and re-adjust as needed. You have 40 minutes of play time before the resin begins to warm and harden.
Step 3
As you are pouring, you can stop and apply heat with the air dryer to alleviate any new bubbles. Continue until mold is full. Once done, leave alone for an additional 24 hours.
It is going to take a lot to leave it alone, but please don't touch it. I, also, learned this the hard way. See, I told you, I made some mistakes.
Prior to deciding to follow the resin rules, I stuck a tweezer in to hold my flower down... I also lost a pair of amazing tweezers and 24 hours of my impatient life.
Once the mold has fully developed then you can remove the silicone and ta-da it is beautifully yours forever!
I did a two roses one dried, and one soaked. Both came out just the way I wanted!
If you have any questions or more tips, please let me know below in the comments! I am so ready to conquer this resin stuff!!
Until Next Time,
