Handmade Bezel Resin Hearts

Intro: Handmade Bezel Resin Hearts

Make your own heart shaped bezels with easy to find supplies. Fill them with resin, beads, cabochons and broken jewelry pieces.

STEP 1: Watch the Video Tutorial Here!

STEP 2: You'll Need

Aluminum flashing (any hardware store)

Serrated edge scissors (kitchen department at the 99c store)

Glaze Coat 2 part epoxy resin (any hardware store)

18 gage wire

Flat plastic (top of a takeout container will work)

Aleene's Tacky Glue

Jewelry pieces

E-6000 Glue

Clothespins

Needle nose pliers

Book pages or music sheets

Latex gloves, plastic cups and stir sticks

Chain to hang your hearts (got mine at www.ChainGallery.com)

STEP 3: Make the Bezel

Cut 3/8" wide strips of aluminum flashing with serrated edge scissors

(I got serrated scissors in the kitchen department at the dollar store)

Bend into a heart shape

Glue the edges together with E-6000 and then clamp with a clothespin until dry

Trace the metal heart on a thin sheet of clear plastic

*I use the tops of takeout containers

Cut out and glue the metal heart to the plastic using Aleene's Tacky Glue

Add more glue around the outside edges so that it's air tight

STEP 4: Fill and Let Dry

When dry, cut out book page hearts and fill with beads and jewelry pieces

Mix equal parts of Glaze Coat and stir for a few minutes

Fill the hearts and pop the bubbles with a long arm lighter

Let dry overnight in an unoccupied part of the house or outside under a box

Create "S" hooks with heavy gage wire and glue on the back with E-6000

When dry, hang from a chain

Comments

[cprphoto]

Can you explain the lighter with bubble popping? And how to you make holes for charm hanging (instead of a bale)? What do the backs of these look like? Thanks.

[Mark Montano]

The heat pops the air bubbles which naturally occur when you stir resin. You want to make sure there are no bubbles so the resin is clear like glass. You can drill a small hole in the heart when you're done if you don't want to use a bale.

[cprphoto]

What alternative to take-out contianers for "thin sheet of clear plastic" could I use? All our takeouts are in styrofoam.

[ingveig]

Awesome! Am going to make some for my fave charity. Hope they come out as well as yours.

[drmcube]

you can polish the resin and get a brighter look?

[Mark Montano]

You can't polish the resin. It dries very much like glass so it's pretty shiny already.

[Omnivent]

What kind of resin is it then?

I've worked with several and they would all take a polish/buffing (even glass can be polished with lots of patience if needed, what it seldom is, due to its hardness).

I've never seen a resin that was _anywhere_ close to glass in hardness.

For the brave souls with a bit of dexterity, flame polishing is another option - and an oven may be just the ticket, for those who don't want to mess with a blow torch.

[crank_girl]

Beautiful. I have some resin and haven't played with it yet - this would make a nice first project. Thanks for sharing.

[Mark Montano]

You can make circles and diamonds very easily. You don't just have to make hearts. Have fun Crank_Girl!

[Danger is my middle name]

I love resin! I have a couple projects planned with it that I've been working on that should be posted soon! I love this take on it with the metal edge!

[Mark Montano]

I made some diamonds and circles today that really look terrific! Thanks so much Danger!

[Luny]

I love these! Have you made anything similar without the flashing? Or used the flashing as a mold? Or used one of those fancy ice cube trays as a mold? Or, or, or.... you certainly got my creative juices flowing with this one.

[Mark Montano]

You could use a heart shaped mold, but then you wouldn't have the fun metal edge. Also, you might try using a soda can instead of the flashing. Just make sure to cut it with a serrated scissor or the edges will be very sharp.

[Luny]

And one other thing, would it be possible to add the hook into the shape before you pour the Glaze Coat? More questions. :)

[Mark Montano]

Hm.....For this design I would say no. You're working with the heart as a whole and from the top. If you added a hook you would end up seeing the back when you put it on a chain. Does that make sense?

[kylegilbert]

This turned out really nice. My daughter would love doing this project.

[Mark Montano]

Hey Kyle, Try making easier shapes like diamonds and circles. It's pretty easy.

[tomatoskins]

I like the look of the finished product. The resin is a really cool idea!

[Mark Montano]

Hey, thanks tomatoskins. I should have tried some basic shapes, too, but I got stuck on the hearts.