Patience, accuracy and strong nerves: Darina Musikhina knows how to turn fresh flowers into decorations. Flowers made of colored epoxy resin. Photo master class Which flowers are suitable for epoxy resin

List of everything you need:

Epoxy resin, two-component
Two syringes without a needle (sold at any pharmacy)
Container for mixing resin and hardener (plastic cup)
Stick for this mixing (wooden)
Ceramic tiles or cardboard (in general, any flat, hard surface, preferably on a flat 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 (a 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 a separate room where you can inhale harmful resin vapors (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 place fresh petals in folded white paper, then in a book (this is to prevent the letters from imprinting 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 rather 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)

A store-bought plastic bag immediately comes to mind, 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, we turn the petals over and apply the last layer, but 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 bit (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 coated with jewelry resin should not be wiped with alcohol or any other solvent, as this may damage the glossy surface. Epoxy is generally not friendly with chemistry, so keep it away from detergents, air fresheners, etc.
Wear jewelry after application decorative cosmetics, perfumes, 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.

Some jewelry lovers have at least once wondered how and from what they produce such beautiful and original products. The secret of their production is quite simple and accessible to many, because to reproduce such masterpieces it is enough to purchase epoxy resin and some auxiliary products.

And options for your future creations can easily be suggested by numerous photos of epoxy resin crafts posted on websites or in magazines.

If you are a creative person, then you can make unique amazing earrings, bracelets or pendants with various internal fillings with your own hands.

The process of making crafts

The process of making crafts from epoxy resin is quite simple; the main thing is to combine two components in the correct proportions: resin and hardener. You can read the proportions in the annotation attached to them.

You can come up with ideas for creating crafts yourself or look them up on the Internet, but during production you must follow certain instructions.

To start implementing your idea, you need to prepare the following devices: a container for mixing the main components, a wooden stick and pouring molds.

To make the product bright and original, you need to place it inside the mold. decorative elements in the form of sparkles, particles of dried vegetation, beads, seed beads, etc., you can tint the background using a special dye.

To harden the craft, a temperature regime of 25-60 degrees Celsius is required, in which it must remain for 24 hours.

DIY crafts

Anyone can make crafts from epoxy, the main thing is to have the desire and necessary materials. And how to properly make crafts with your own hands, appropriate master classes can help you.

For example, you can make unique earrings from epoxy resin and small parts clock mechanisms. To do this, you should select a silicone mold of the required size in the form of an oval, pour a resin solution into it, then place the prepared watch parts in the intended location using a toothpick or tweezers, and add dye.

A gray-golden background can be obtained if a mixture of graphite and silver is used as a dye. The hardening of the resin can be accelerated if you place the product in the oven, but not hot; at a temperature of +50 degrees it will harden perfectly quickly and without the formation of bubbles.

After this, the products need to be removed from the cabinet, and then from the mold and sanded using coarse (at the beginning) and fine (at the end) sandpaper.

Finally, you should drill a hole for the fastener, cover everything with varnish and fix the fastener. The product is ready for use, wear it for health.

Decoration of crafts with dried plants

For crafts using epoxy resin, dried elements of plants or inflorescences can be used as decorative filling.

But in this case, you will need a certain sized form and pre-prepared decor from dry plants. The principle of making such crafts is similar to the previous one, but it is worth considering some important nuances:

It is strictly not recommended to place raw plants or inflorescences inside the composition, since the product will not be durable, since the natural process of decay will soon begin and the composition will be damaged. Therefore, all decor must be well dried in advance.
The hardening process should take place in a warm place to avoid bubbles. Mix the resin and hardener for 5 minutes with constant stirring.

Insect decor

Unusual and interesting idea The design of a decorative composition inside a craft is the use of various insects: beetles, scorpions, dragonflies and other inhabitants. At the same time, insects retain their unique natural appearance.

However, to get this effect you need to dry them properly, i.e. separately in parts (wings, legs, body), which during the work process are glued with resin to the necessary places. But such work is very painstaking and requires a lot of diligence and patience.

The preparation stage can be called the most significant. A regular tennis ball, which is pre-cut into two halves, is suitable as the shape of the product. If the insect is dried in a beautiful, straightened form initially, then you can simply place it inside the resin; if in parts, then they will have to be glued together during the work, which is not at all easy to do.

It is better to lubricate the inside of the mold with oil to make the hardened epoxy ball easier to remove. Epoxy is poured into two halves, the insect is in one of them. Then the halves are tightly connected, and the joining seam is covered with tape to make it invisible.

After hardening, the mold is removed, the product is ground, polished and varnished. Beautiful craft made of epoxy resin is ready.

In addition, you can make other crafts with your own hands using various elements and materials for internal decorative filling.

Photos of crafts made from epoxy resin

There is a great variety of ornamental plants on the planet. However, not all of them can be used for drying and making dry bouquets. Listed below are some plant species that are suitable for this purpose.

These are annual and perennial plants, which are mainly cultivated as annuals, and have inflorescences with dry, brightly colored petals. Some of them are also used for bouquets of fresh flowers. Plants are propagated by seeds and sown directly into the ground in May. To obtain high-quality material for bouquets, it is necessary to cut off the shoots with inflorescences in time and dry them properly. To do this, the leaves are removed from the cut flower stalks, the plants are tied into bunches of 15-20 pieces and hung in a dry, ventilated room with their heads down.

Often in New Year's compositions They use the original fruits of some garden plants. They are recommended to be collected after full ripening and in dry weather. The fruits of plants such as hogweed, ornamental onions, garlic, dipsacus (moonweed), muscari, dictamnus (ash), asparagus, nigella, sedum, and physalis are often used. Boxes of tulips, leafy fruits of peonies and columbine plants look colorful in bouquets.

Aquilegia -

perennial plant belonging to the ranunculaceae family. Its homeland is Europe and America. Flowers and leaves of the plant are used for drying. It is best to use the pressing method for these purposes.

Aconite -

perennial ornamental plant found in nature mainly in Europe. For drying, whitish-blue flowers are used, which are stored for a long time and after drying do not lose color or their decorative qualities. Aconite flowers will be a worthy decoration for a winter bouquet.

Pansies -

biennial plant found naturally mainly in America, Australia and New Zealand. It has large bright flowers. Typically used when composing winter flat compositions.

Astilbe -

perennial plant, wildly distributed in China and Japan. When making dry bouquets, bright panicle inflorescences are usually used. It is recommended to dry flowers pre-collected in small bunches and fastened with metal wire in a hanging position.

Hogweed –

perennial herbaceous plant, the inflorescences of which and parts of the hollow stems serve original material when making dry bouquets. To do this, the plant is cut off late in the fall.

Vinka -

perennial ornamental plant, found in nature mainly in Europe and the Caucasus. For drying and arranging winter bouquets, small and large vines are used. Vinca minor has an erect, long stem and small, pale blue flowers that retain their color after drying. Vinca has large large flowers and leaves.

Dutch carnation -

a biennial plant native to the Mediterranean coast. Cloves are often used for drying and in winter bouquet arrangements due to their large, brightly colored inflorescences.

Dahlia changeable -

perennial ornamental plant found naturally in Central America. It is poorly stored, and therefore is extremely rarely used when composing dried flowers.

Gypsophila –

perennial and annual plant. Perennial gypsophila has small, numerous flowers of white or single color. After the bulk of the flowers bloom, the inflorescences are cut off and placed in a vase without water.

Gomphrena –

The inflorescences are cut off when fully bloomed.

Delphinium -

an annual plant, wildly distributed in temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere and the highlands of Africa. It has beautiful tall panicle inflorescences. It is rarely used for making winter bouquets.

Oregano -

perennial plant, common in Europe, Central Asia and the Caucasus. It has a dense inflorescence, collected from many small flowers, painted in a soft purple color. Usually used in winter arrangements to create a background.

Calendula -

an annual plant, distributed wildly mainly in the southern regions of Europe. The flowers of the plant are used to compose dry flat compositions. Drying is done by pressing.

Clover -

annual and perennial plants, widespread in Europe, America and Africa. Often used to make small flower arrangements. At the same time, flowers and leaves are dried. After drying, the color of the plant does not change.

Lavender -

perennial plant native to the Mediterranean coast. It has decorative bright pale blue small flowers collected in inflorescences and a sweetish aroma.

Lunaria (lunar) –

biennial herbaceous plant known for its thin pearlescent partition plates. After the plant blooms, fruits develop on it in the form of flat oval pods. The stems should be cut in early September and stored in a cool room. Then the valves of the dried pods are removed and the seeds are poured out, as a result, partitions remain on the stem, shimmering with mother-of-pearl and giving the plant a decorative appearance. They do not require special drying.

Nigella Damascus -

an annual plant native to the southern regions of Europe. For drying and making winter bouquets, only seed pods are used, the surface of which is painted golden.

May lily of the valley -

a perennial plant found wild throughout temperate regions. The flowers of the plant are dried. After drying, they lose their aroma.

Liatris spicata -

perennial plant common in America. It has large flowers, colored reddish-purple. Dry the plant in a hanging position.

Poppy -

It can be annual or perennial. For drying and making dry bouquets, open flowers and fruit boxes are used.

Daisy is a biennial plant that grows in middle and southern latitudes. Red, white and soft pink flowers are able to retain color and shape.

Monarda -

a perennial plant that grows wild in North America. For drying, only the flowers of the plant that form inflorescences and have a delicate aroma are used.

Dandelions –

require special attention, from whose fluffy spherical baskets original bouquets are made. To prepare a dandelion for use in a bouquet, you need to collect faded plants with a closed inflorescence and insert a wire into each hollow stem, moving it all the way to the inflorescence and giving the stems different curved lines. Then place the plants in a container without water and place them where there is no air movement. In 10-12 days, dandelions will turn into fluffy balls of fluff attached to the base of the flower baskets. Bouquets of the same type can be made from the inflorescences of salsify.

Ferns –

perennial herbaceous plant, which is an excellent material for winter bouquets. It is cut in any summer month and dried, slightly ironing the leaves with a warm iron, or under a press. Dry leaves are stored in newspapers.

Peony -

perennial plant with large bright flowers. Peony buds and leaves are mainly used for drying and making winter bouquets.

Rogoz –

cut twice. The first time is at the beginning of summer, when the stems of the plant are still thin and graceful, and the inflorescences have not acquired a brown color. When cut this way, the stems will turn brown after drying. The second time the cattail is cut is in mid-summer. When cutting a plant in the fall in a warm room, it will quickly fluff up.

Zinnia -

annual plant with bright orange flowers. Typically used when composing flat floral arrangements.

Asparagus –

perennial herbaceous plant. For a winter bouquet, branches are used that need to be cut before frost, when they are covered with bright red berries. Otherwise, at the end of autumn they will turn black and lose their decorative effect.

Scabiosa -

annual plant with large decorative inflorescences having an elongated oval shape. Red-violet flowers are usually used for drying.

Yarrow -

perennial plant, widespread in Europe, Siberia and China. Small double flowers are dried.

Fragrant dill -

a perennial plant often used in dry flower arrangements. It is recommended to dry using the air method. After drying, plants usually retain their shape and color.

Phlox is a perennial plant found wild in South America. Unopened buds are used in the arrangement. Drying is carried out using the air method.

Physalis –

a herbaceous perennial plant known for its bright lanterns that do not lose their shape and color for months. It has original goblet-shaped fruits formed by thin red, bright orange skin. The stems are cut off when all the fruits turn bright orange. Dry the plants in a dark place, tied in small bunches, hanging vertically by the upper part of the stem, with the ends pointing down. Before drying, you need to tear off the leaves. Also dried in vases without water.

Edelweiss -

a perennial plant native to high alpine regions. For drying and when composing compositions, flowers are used that sit on slightly pubescent short stems.

Cool

One of the largest fashion trends in the fashion and beauty industry is the creation of hand-made jewelry. Therefore, I bring to your attention a trendy technique for creating original jewelry from epoxy resin.

To create epoxy resin jewelry you will need:

Silicone forms (molds),

A variety of natural materials (dried flowers, shells, etc.),

Epoxy resin,

- container for stirring, toothpicks, disposable gloves.

So, epoxy resin - what is it? This is a product that consists of two components: the resin itself and the hardener. When they are mixed, the material hardens and then polymerizes. The hardener is a significant component in the working mixture, so it is added 1:1 in relation to the resin or more (depending on the type of resin). After hardening, epoxy resin turns into a transparent and very hard plastic, externally imitating plexiglass or even real glass, only unbreakable.

Epoxy resin has high strength (much higher than conventional glue), it resists wear better, and its ability to take the desired shape during polymerization even at low temperatures is what is required when making jewelry at home.

Dried flowers, pebbles, shells, beads are original decor, which is used in epoxy resin jewelry. These natural materials add variety and define color scheme decoration

Master class on making a bracelet from epoxy resin

And now I bring to your attention a simple master class on making a bracelet from epoxy resin from needlewoman Ekaterina, known under the nickname Devona Sun Design.

Materials:

Bracelet mold (can be purchased at craft stores or online stores that stock epoxy resin)

Disposable resin mixing cup

Mixing stick

Dry leaves

Toothpick, scissors

So, first, wash and dry the silicone mold. Mix the resin with the hardener (in this case in a ratio of 1:3, but each manufacturer has its own proportions, so you need to carefully read the instructions for the resin). Stir well until smooth and set aside to release any bubbles.

Prepare the dry leaves by cutting off the excess with scissors so that they do not protrude from the mold.

After 10 minutes, when the resin has settled, pour it into the mold. The more carefully you pour the resin into the mold, the less you will need to sand the finished product later.

Then use a toothpick to place the leaves into the resin. Spread them out carefully. In order for the remaining bubbles to come out of the resin and for faster hardening, place the mold with the bracelet in the oven for 10-15 minutes, heated to 80 degrees and turned off. Then you should remove the mold from the oven and leave it to harden for a day. When the bracelet has completely hardened, carefully remove it from the mold.

The sharp edges of the bracelet should be sanded with fine sandpaper. Then the bracelet needs to be opened with varnish (any acrylic will do). The bracelet is ready!

Bracelets made using the same technique.

Besides natural materials you can use photos

and other materials.

Master class on making pendants, rings and earrings with rose buds from epoxy resin

You can make not only bracelets from epoxy resin, but anything you want, any unique jewelry. I offer you a master class on making pendants, rings and earrings with rose buds from epoxy resin from the wonderful craftswoman Rusalina.

Materials:

Silicone forms

Two-component epoxy resin (with hardener)

Dried rose buds

Metal fittings

Hot glue gun

Prepare silicone molds: wash with soap and dry well. Rosebuds should be taken with a color transition or with inclusions - they will not change their color after complete drying. They should be dried with their heads down.

The epoxy resin must be diluted with the hardener according to the instructions using a wooden stick to a uniform transparent consistency. To avoid bubbles in the resin, you need to put it in an oven preheated to 60 degrees for 5 minutes.

Then, using a syringe or using a wooden stick, fill the silicone molds halfway with resin, place the rose buds in them head down and top up with the remaining resin.

Then you need to leave the mold until completely dry in a warm, dry place for a period of 24 to 72 hours (depending on the depth of the mold).

After complete drying, you can remove the product from the mold; this is easiest to do under running water. The edges of the product, where there was open space that was not hidden in the mold, need to be sanded using sandpaper. Then take the hardware you want and use a hot glue gun to glue the epoxy resin product to it.

Master class on making jewelry from epoxy resin with dandelions

And one more interesting master class from craftswoman Anastasia Parfyonova known under the nickname NikaLiza. This time there will be dandelion parachutes in epoxy resin. Dandelions in jewelry evoke associations with lightness and serenity.

Materials:

Two-component epoxy resin (with hardener)

Silicone forms (molds)

Dandelion parachutes

Disposable gloves, cups, syringes, mixing stick

First you need to wash and dry the molds. Then, wearing gloves, pour the resin and hardener into the cups. Having measured out the required amount of resin and hardener using syringes, pour them into another glass and mix together with a wooden stick. You need to knead thoroughly in a circular motion so that all the air comes out - this will take about 10 minutes. After this, you should leave the epoxy resin for half an hour.

Then place the dandelion in the mold and carefully fill it with resin on top. For complete hardening, wait exactly one day and remove the product from the mold. If necessary, sand a little with fine sandpaper.

You can also make similar decorations with sea pebbles, shells, pieces of glass, gold leaf, etc. And if you add a little stained glass paint to the resin, you can get products with a variety of colors.

Jewelry made using the same technique.

List of everything you need:

Epoxy resin, two-component
Two syringes without a needle (sold at any pharmacy)
Container for mixing resin and hardener (plastic cup)
Stick for this mixing (wooden)
Ceramic tiles or cardboard (in general, any flat, hard surface, preferably on a flat 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 (a small drill and an emery head for turning)
Good mood for yourself 😉 Well, gloves with a respirator would be nice

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