Find inspiration for your next resin craft. These are the coolest resin craft ideas!
I recently tried my hand at resin crafts after years of being intimidated by them. Oh my goodness, it was so fun! It was also not scary and not hard and I don’t know why I waited so long to try making something out of resin.
I took a serious deep dive into the world of resin crafts looking for ideas for my next project and I thought I’d share some of my favorite ideas with you today.
I also wanted to share a few tips for working with resin to make the process go more smoothly for you if you are also a resin craft newbie and feeling overwhelmed.
How Does Resin Work?
Resin always comes with two bottles. One is full of the actual resin and one bottle holds the hardening agent. When you mix the resin and the hardener, a chemical reaction takes place and the resin will begin to harden. Usually you mix equal parts (1 to 1 ratio) of both liquids and stir them together vigorously for several minutes before pouring the combined mixture into the mold or form of your choice.
There are different types of resin. For making crafts, you probably are good with using “casting resin.” Resin comes in clear and also sometimes in opaque varieties, so you’ll want to make sure you buy the kind that is right for the project you want to make.
Where to Buy Resin and Molds
Resin is available at Hobby Lobby, Michaels, JOANN, Walmart and Amazon and probably any craft store or big box store that sells craft supplies. I really like shopping in-person because it’s nice to see all of the molds and related products neatly displayed together in one section, but if you search for “clear cast epoxy resin” wherever you like to shop, the right products will pop up.
Silicone molds are available all the same places, but I thought I’d round up a few of the most unique resin molds that I’ve seen because man, it will make you want to craft so hard.
I can’t include any of the ones from Hobby Lobby in the visual collection (technology probs), so you can see Hobby Lobby molds here because there are some really cute ones.
What Other Supplies Do I Need for Resin Crafts?
After you’ve purchased your resin kit and mold, here are the items I recommend having on hand when you make a resin craft:
- Paper Cups – to mix up the solution.
- Stir Sticks – I used popsicle sticks for stirring and scraping off the cup edge after pouring.
- Latex Gloves – the mixture didn’t hurt my skin but WOW was it hard to get off my fingers. Wear the gloves. Trust me.
- Measuring Cup – I used the ones included in the resin kit I bought.
- Drop Cloth – scratch paper, old newspapers, plastic tablecloth, a silicone mat or any kind of protective equipment like that just to keep your work surface clean
- Baby Wipes – for catching any drips
- Heat Gun – helps pop air bubbles in the resin (optional)
The resin definitely has a smell when drying, but I didn’t think it was too bad. I just opened a window while working to prevent any fumes. A mask seems unnecessary to me.
There were a lot of other accessories in the resin section at the store, but I’d only buy them if I decided I would be doing resin crafts often enough. Otherwise, just use what you got and save your money. LOL.
Resin Inclusions
One of the best parts of resin is all the cool embellishments you can suspend in the clear resin! These are called “inclusions”. You can use pretty much anything as inclusions, but double check before you add them because some items (like paper) have special instructions (like adding Mod Podge over photos and paper so they don’t warp or bleed).
Glitter, gold leaf, alcohol ink, acrylic paint, gems, sprinkles, pressed flowers, photos, scrapbook paper and tons more can be used to spice up your resin crafts. You can buy inclusions at all the same places as the molds and resin itself.
Resin Craft Ideas
And now what you’ve really been waiting for… here are the resin craft ideas I’ve gathered from all over the internet. Click on the title of any craft to learn more about each specific project.
Oh, how fun! These resin hair clips feature metallic flakes and are such a stylish DIY accessory.
Preserve your flowers forever by encasing them in resin. Such a cool way to save prom corsages, wedding bouquets, funeral flowers, etc.
Make the most unique, custom guitar picks ever using resin! She shows you how to make a custom mold too.
Get great tips on how to make custom resin keychains, plus some really great mix-in ideas.
Preserve those pretty fall colors in a necklace pendant. What a cool idea!
Okay, my elementary school self would have loved one of these resin notebook covers. What a cool thing to be able to make! Also, I’m a sucker for pink and sparkly. So cute!
If you like decorating eggs for Easter, these resin eggs are even more fun to make and you get to keep them forever! Just look at all the pretty add-ins! I can’t wait to try this.
Use real sprinkles to make these donut-shaped earrings and necklace set. How adorable!
Make Your Own Resin Cabinet Knobs
This idea really got my creative juices flowing. MAKE your own custom furniture knobs? That could be so fun! I’m picturing the cool things you could do to a dresser for a nursery or little kids room.
These coasters look so cool and are useful too. They are colored with alcohol ink! Such a neat technique
This is the perfect keepsake craft for the Lego lover. They look so pretty and architectural inside the resin.
Starry Night DIY Resin Bookmarks
This would be a perfect first resin project because they’re small and thin and hard to mess up. They also turn out really pretty so it’ll get you hooked on resin crafts in no time. LOL.
If you have a D&D fan in your life, these custom game dice would be a great present. Customize them to match whatever theme you want!
Mason Jar Lid Resin Photo Coasters
Reuse a metal mason jar lid and turn it into a sentimental keepsake gift with wedding photos or baby photos or pictures of all the grandkids.
How to Preserve Flowers in Resin
I love the idea of preserving your wedding flowers in resin. I would have loved a necklace or bookends or coasters or anything useful filled with memories of that happy day.
Poured Resin Christmas Ornaments
Pour resin over wood ornaments to make the prettiest designs. This is a great beginner project because you don’t even need a mold.
You can make the most amazing trays with resin and this one is a great example of preserving and displaying these gorgeous butterflies in a useful way.
There are endless possibilities for making custom jewelry using resin. I love the idea of making personalized items to give as gifts.
You can also use resin to make pour art and this ocean scene is one of the classics I’ve seen. Very cool, especially if you have coastal home decor.
You can add any sort of inclusions to customize these resin paperweights, but I absolutely love the buttons! I actually think I might need one of these for my craft room.
So there you go. Resin 101 and tons of ideas to get your creativity flowing. Do you have your first (or next) resin creation picked out now? I hope you’ll give it a try!
Let’s Get Social
I’m sharing tons of fun ideas on my social channels and I’d love for you to join me there.