Beetles in Resin Jewelry!

by doodlecraft

43K69042

Intro: Beetles in Resin Jewelry!

Beetles in Resin Jewelry, paperweights or even for a prank!
Real beetles and bugs!

STEP 1: Supplies:

First off...you need to acquire some dead bugs.
We found this big brown beetle and the iridescent dung beetle in our swimming pool.

I found tons of black sugarcane beetles dead...zapped by our bug zapper...all over the back patio.

As well as:

Silicone cake pop mold (not to use with food)--the bottom half without a "stick hole"

(Like this one: Rbenxia 20 Silicone Tray Pop Cake)

Clear polyester casting resin

Beetles

Plastic cup

Popsicle stick or 2

Plastic wrap

Baking sheet or board to work on

Tweezers

STEP 2: Mixing the Casting Resin!

Casting Resin is pretty forgiving...the directions are pretty vague.
It has 2 parts...the resin and the catalyst.

I put about 1/2 cup in the plastic cup and about 15 drops of catalyst...stir with the popsicle stick.

Then it is ready to pour!

STEP 3: Pouring the Resin!

Work in an extremely well ventilated area...this has a powerful odor!
Pour a small amount in each of the cake pop molds

(make sure this is designated as a "non-food" mold from here on)

Pour in about a quarter of an inch or so.
This way your beetles will be entirely encased.

Cover with cling wrap and let it gel for a few minutes.
About 10 minutes...until it's gelled a little.

STEP 4: Add the Victims!

Now you will need your little victims...

Using tweezers, or just your fingers..
place the beetles (or velvet ant) in the gel.

Try to get it right in the center.

STEP 5: Casing the Bugs!

Now mix up about the same amount more of resin.

Slowly pour over the rest of the bugs...try not to create any air bubbles.

Once they are encased,
cover with cling wrap again...

and let them set for hours...I let them sit for a couple days...until they no longer smelled like resin.

STEP 6: Pop Them Out!

Once you pop them out of the mold they might be a little cloudy looking...

Quickly buff them in a soft, lint-free cloth...

And they will shine and glow clear!

Perfect at this point for knick-knacks, paper weights or other pranks!

Set them in a place that an unsuspecting person will see them!

Maybe in the fridge, kitchen counters, floor or other strange places!

STEP 7: Jewelry!

But let's go another step forward and make creepy jewelry!
You'll need a drill and a small bit

Jump rings

A chain long enough for a necklace or bracelet

As well as some jewelry pliers

and a board to drill into.

STEP 8: Drilling

Carefully drill a hole in the side of the resin, close to the back.

So it drills through at a shallow angle for the jump ring to fit on.

STEP 9: Add Jump Rings!

Now use some pliers and jump rings and put
them right through the hole you drilled.

Put them on a chain and you are ready to rock the creepy bug jewelry!

STEP 10: Enjoy or Creep Out!

Resin casting is a lot of fun!
This was my first try...and now my mind is

full of other fun things to cast in resin!

Check out my blog Doodlecraft for more awesome projects and lots of fun!

Please vote for me in the Crafting and Pranks contests too! I'll be your best friend! ;)

42 Comments

thumpermancoc 2 years ago

I got an intact dragon fly ill find a mold for and make a neckleace out of and i also have a small wasp species

jessyratfink 5 years ago

This is wonderful! I need to get some resin and molds now :D

Amy D.J 7 years ago

One thing to remember, I learned the hard way, when working with bugs, pour half of your resin in the mold, put the bug in, let it dry over night, and then pour the rest in, because by filling it all the way, the bugs seem to become floaters.

shizumadrive 9 years ago

i recommend making these out of japanese beetles. They're beautiful and there are way too many of them

Amy D.J 7 years ago

AGREED...I DON'T THINK I WILL EVER GET BITTEN BY ONE AGAIN, BECAUSE A LOT OF ITS RELATIVES WITNESSED WHAT HAPPENED!!!!

ArticAkita 9 years ago

Lol! Thats almost as bad as Alaska's mosquitos! :P

Amy D.J 7 years ago

I HAVE BEEN DOING THIS FOR ABOUT 2YRS NOW!!!...I put all of my family and friends in charge of finding bugs..lol...I don't like to kill anything,(unless it's a wolf spider that decides he would rather die than stay outside, I tried to tell them that if they come inside...fair game, and my cat catches them!!!)..I have used everything from ants to yellow jackets, bees, and praying mantis....moths work really well, especially if you can find them in one piece..i even found a dragonfly in one piece last summer...I do put a lot of them in resin, but I also put some in glass lockets..the ones that can be mashed without a bunch of bug stuff inside them...yeah...a great place to find moths is in between window screens and glass and I did find a lot in the pool also..but I find most of them lying around. This past summer, Cicadas were EVERYWHERE...I am scared to death of them alive but they were dying inside my mailbox and all around my neighborhood. I decided that I really wanted to do some butterflies , not in resin, but in my glass lockets, I did use resin for a few and they were gorgeous, I found a few shops on Etsy that sell all sorts of bugs for jewelry, AND IT IS SO REASONABLE!!!...I cannot remember the name right now, but just search bugs for jewelry making.She has butterfly wings also, and a bunch of them whole as well, she even shows you how to spread them out for display!!...I also use a bunch of flowers and leaves and a lot of stuff to either put with the resin or the lockets.I just started my 1st terranium yesterday, it has moss, a little twig, a tiny dried daisy, and a little ladybug on the twig...really , the possibilities of using resin for jewelry is endless, I do recommend painting flowers and bugs too, with sealant, because some of them will lose color when put in resin.I hope this is helpful...and it's great to know that I am not the only one playing with bugs!!!!

HelenaTroy 7 years ago

Thanks! I've been looking for a simple resin-casting how-to for ages, one that didn't involve heat or fumes [as I'm visually impaired and would need to get very close to the work] - I have tons of tiny seashells that I want to cast in blocks for paperweights and ornaments.

jocelynblack 8 years ago

This is a great project and a really unique gift. I didn't realize how large the jewelry would end up being. I bet you could customize this with all sorts of molds or items to put inside. I don't know if my daughter would want a beetle around her neck. This does look like a great activity though. Thanks for sharing. http://www.adelaide-exchange.com.au/BuyJewellery.aspx

Giulia Art 8 years ago

Congrats on making finalist! How was your sleep until now?Are you waiting for the big announcement? What prize would you like to receive? :D

HollyMann 8 years ago

Your daughter is so cute as usual! Great job with this. I am wondering what else can be made with the resin...you could put flowers in it...the total opposite of this! :) Very cool instructable Nat! Learning new things!

Muhaiminah Faiz 8 years ago

This was one of my favorite entries, glad you made it to the finals! :D Congrats!

shazni 8 years ago

Congrats on making finalist! over

1 eye carpenter 9 years ago

I have have done bee's and wasps with wings extended and ice cube trays work perfect for them. You can really use any non-stick container to serve as your mold. My kids love providing all kinds of bugs to use, spiders turn out cool as well.

ArticAkita 9 years ago

Awesome! Those 97ยข plastic paint palettes they have at Walmat in the craft isle might work too for smaller stuff.

doodlecraft 9 years ago

These are awesome! Thanks for sharing!

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