Introduction: How to Cast Flowers in Epoxy Resin - DIY Resin Rose Paperweight!
The only bad (or sad) thing about giving or receiving freshly cut flowers is that they just don't last!
This Instructable covers all the information you'll need to begin drying and casting flowers in resin. The processes and techniques are demonstrated using a Resin Flowers Complete Kit which contains enough materials to cast two resin and flower paperweights.
Preserving flowers is enjoyed by many people using various techniques, all intended to extend the life of the flower - many flowers have sentimental meaning like flowers received on a special occasion, wedding flowers, funeral flowers, home grown and wild.
At GlassCast Resin HQ we receive lots of calls from customers interested in drying and casting flowers in resin, so we're back with our latest project tutorial and accompanying free downloadable eBook and of course this Instructable! We decided to put together an easy to follow tutorial video and free downloadable eBook to cover the basics and enable makers to get professional results first time and put together a great kit perfect for beginners or those wanting to produce a floral paperweight.
The kit has enough materials to cast two paperweights, however the techniques and processes covered can be adapted and scaled for smaller projects like jewellery or larger projects like wedding bouquets and you can of course source the individual materials and equipment needed to get started making gorgeous floral castings and preserving your flowers for many, many years to come.
If you like this Instructable please take a look at our other projects; DIY Resin River Table, Resin Penny Floor, DIY Forged Carbon Fibre and Resin River Table, Neon Plank Table and many more!
Supplies
What you'll need:
Either a Resin Flowers Kit including the following items (or you can purchase items individually):
• Flower drying silica crystals
• Abrasive paper mini kit and polishing compound
• Nitrile gloves, mixing pots and sticks.
What else you might need:
• Eye protection
• Protective apron or old clothing and a protective mat or cover for your work surface
• Digital scales and a timer
• An airtight container
• A cover to place over the project while it cures
• Some scissors and tape
• Protective work gloves for demoulding the casting
You will also need to make sure that your working environment is at a constant temperature of 20°C for the duration of the project and that before you start working with any new materials that you ready and understand all the safety information provided with the products you will be using.
Step 1: Selecting, Preparing and Drying the Flowers
In the tutorial we cast a single red rose in resin - think Beauty and the Beast!
The following step-by-step instructions will take you through the processes and techniques needed to create a beautiful paperweight. The first step covers selecting, preparing and drying the flowers.
Selecting
The following points are worth considering during flower selection:
- It's important to remember that the fresher your flower is at the point of drying - the better the dried flower will turn out.
- Different types of flowers and colours will give different results and take different times to dry.
- For your first project we recommend working with a single flower head whilst you master the techniques.
There is lots more information in our flower drying guide attached to this step.
Preparing
To prepare your flowers ready for drying:
- Cut the stem between one and two centimetres from the base of the flower head.
- Make the cut at a 45° angle (this increases the surface area of the opening and provides a larger surface area for the moisture in the flower to be drawn out through).
- If your flower has any damaged petals we recommend leaving them on the flower during the drying process to add protection to the rest of the bloom. (we'll remove these once the flower is dry before moving on to the resin stage).
Drying
It's now time to dry the flowers using the flower drying silica crystals.
- Partially fill an airtight container with a layer of the crystals.
- Place the flower stem down into the crystals.
- Carefully fill up the container by pouring around the flower head and very gently pour the crystals inside the flower head.
- Seal with the lid to make it airtight, then leave in a warm, dry place for a few days
Note: drying times vary depending upon the type of flower being dried, but can take anywhere between 3 and 7 days.
- Check if the flower is thoroughly dry by gently pouring the crystals out of the tub to uncover the flower head.
- Remember your flower is now in a much more delicate state than before drying.
- Once the flower head is exposed, gently lift it out of the remaining crystals and turn it over and gently tap the base of the flower to loosen any crystals trapped inside.
You will know if the flower is completely dried if the petals have a papery, crunchy texture like autumn leaves and there will probably have been a colour change.
Finally, remove any damaged petals - any bruising or cuts on the petals could allow the resin to get into petal and give it a wet or transparent appearance - this will affect the overall look and make that petal look distinctly different from the others.
TIP: If you don't think the flower is completely dry, simply place it back in the crystals, cover and reseal, and leave for a few more days. It's very important that the flower is completely dried out before being encapsulated in resin. If it isn't properly dried, the flower would continue to decompose in the resin over time and ruin the project.
Attachments
Step 2: Setting Up the Flowers in the Silicone Mould
To achieve the suspended rose effect - where the flower head is completely encased by resin on all sides - create a simple clamp using lollipop sticks, a cocktail stick and tape to secure the rose:
- Tape together two lollipop sticks, binding them tightly at both ends
- Gently push the cocktail stick into the centre of the flower head (from the top) taking care not to push it straight through
- Then push the opposite end of the cocktail stick between the lollipop sticks to make a 'T' shape
- Simply check the position of the flower against the side of the mould and adjust if necessary
- Finally place the clamp over the mould, and ensure the flower is in the correct position
Step 3: Calculating, Measuring and Mixing the Resin and Layer 1
To completely fill the silicone cube mould that we used we calculated that we would need 250g casting resin.
We calculated the resin quantity based on our 65mm cube mould. If you are using a different shaped mould you would need to work out how much resin you would need by using a resin calculator like this.
This depth could be achieved in two pours, but because we wanted to avoid the potential of any heat build up during the cure we chose to fill the mould in three shallower pours.
The graphics above show the breakdown for the resin layers which equals = 83g for each
However due to the volume of the flower that we are encapsulating we can round down each layer to 80g as seen in the next image which gives us a new total of 80g per layer.
The resin we used - GlassCast 50 is mixed by a ratio of 100 to 45 by weight or 100 to 50 by volume, remember to always check your resin ratio of you are using an alternative product.
For each layer you will need to carefully weigh out 55g of part A (resin) and 25g part B (hardener) into a clean cup.
Then slowly and thoroughly mix the two parts together for 3 minutes using a timer. Scrape the sides and bottom of the cup every so often to ensure that no unmixed resin clings to the sides. By mixing slowly you will reduce the amount of bubbles that get into the casting. When the 3 minutes is up, transfer the mixture to a second clean cup and mix again in the same way for a further 3 minutes.
This process is called double-potting and is the best way to ensure a thorough mix. Once fully mixed allow the pot to stand for a few minutes, this will allow any bubbles present in the mix to rise to the top and pop!
Layer 1
This 1st layer will serve to secure the base of the flower in the resin enabling the subsequent pours to fully encapsulate the flower head.
Between layers you will need to cover the project to stop dust landing in the resin. However it's important that you allow some airflow by using an open sided cover. In between layers 2 and 3 you will need to allow the resin to partially cure before pouring the next layer. You will need to let the resin 'firm-up' but not fully cure so that we can pour on the 2nd layer, this will take approximately 12 hours.
Step 4: Layer 2
The level of cure needed before pouring the next layer can be checked using a gloved finger or the end of a clean mixing stick.
The surface should feel firm but still slightly tacky, if you are checking with gloves on - it will feel a bit like touching sticky tape, you should be able to press the surface and feel a tack but no resin should stick. This is what we call the 'b-stage' which means that the resin layers will crosslink and result in less visible layer lines.
Now the flower head is secured in the 1st layer of resin you can remove the clamp by carefully cutting the tape and removing the lollipop sticks, then very gently twist and pull out the cocktail stick from the centre of the flower.
Layer 2
Prepare the 2nd batch of resin following the instructions in step 3 and leave the mix to stand again to release bubbles. With the 2nd layer of resin, carefully and slowly pour the mixture into the flower head to help to push out any trapped air from between the petals. You may need to keep checking for bubbles, then cover as before and leave for a further 12 hours to reach the B-stage.
Step 5: Layer 3
Layer 3
Check that layer 2 is at the B-stage in the same way as before and once again follow the same measuring, mixing and pouring instructions in step 3. Pour the resin slowly into the flower head again to push out trapped air. Fill the mould up to the top to ensure the flower is completely encased on all sides with resin, then for the final time, cover and leave to fully cure.
The full cure time for our resin - GlassCast 50 is 48 hours. Over the first few hours of the cure make sure that you check back a few times and pop any bubbles that may appear in the final layer. Remember: the 48 hour cure time is subject to an ambient environment of 20°C, if your temperature is above of below this it can increase or decrease the cure times.
Step 6: Demoulding the Casting
After 48 hours have passed your piece should be cured. To check if the casting is ready to be demoulded use a mixing stick to press firmly on the surface. It should feel rock solid and no marks should be left on the surface of the casting.
To be completely sure pick up the mould and feel all around the mould.
We recommend that you wear work gloves to demould the casting as the top face were the resin meets the mould can result in a meniscus or raised edge which can be very sharp.
Break the airlock by prising and loosening the mould all around the cast block, then turn it upside down and press firmly down, pushing the cube out of the mould.
It looks amazing already - but the top face will need to be flatted and polished to give it that incredible glass like appearance.
Step 7: Flatting and Polishing the Top Face
To get that super flat glossy finish you will need to flat and polish the top face of the casting, we followed the steps below. It's really important that you work through each grit abrasive paper to get the best results:
Flatting
- Starting with 120 grit abrasive paper, wrap it around a block (this will help to keep the surface flat)
- Sand in one direction, this helps to ensure the whole surface is equally abraded
- Next change the paper to 240 grit and repeat the process
- BUT this time rotate the casting 90° and sand in the opposite direction
- Before moving on to the next grit check that all scratches have been removed from the grit below
- Repeat the process for each grit abrasive paper - 400, 800 and 1200 grit ensuring that you turn the casting each time
Polishing
Now for the final step - polishing!
Using a polishing compound - we used a diminishing compound as this gives better results.
- Get a small amount of polishing compound on a soft cloth
- Work the compound in a circular motion until the compound has completely dimished
- Wipe away any residue and repeat the process as required - probably 3-4 times
It's entirely possible to achieve this level of shine by hand polishing but if you have a polishing machine it will be a much faster and considerably easier process. You can find more information regarding the flatting and polishing epoxy available in the Learning Area of the GlassCast Resin website which is really useful for larger projects and if you are using a power polisher.
To prolong the beauty of your casting please note the following:
UV Light - GlassCast® 50 has been designed to have the best UV stability of any epoxy resin on the market and should withstand years of indirect sunlight with very little effect. However, common with just about all materials of this nature, prolonged exposure to UV light, particularly direct sunlight, can eventually cause some change in the appearance of the resin. For this reason, finished GlassCast® projects are not recommended for outdoor use and should be kept away from direct sunlight where possible - if you use an alternative product please be aware that this will happen in time.
Scratches and Marks - GlassCast® 50 is a very hard wearing plastic and will hold up to the rigours of light daily use without marking. However, accidental damage can be caused by sharp objects scraping over the surface of the resin or from things being dropped onto it. If this occurs, these can be polished out using the same process that was used for the initial sanding and polishing ; i.e. abrasive paper (for coarse scratches) followed by polishing compound to restore the gloss.
Step 8: WOW - Your Finished Rose and Resin Paperweight!
There you have it - a stunning rose and resin paperweight - it's classically beautiful! The mould has given us a smooth surface to the casting and the top face has come up beautifully.
The only thing you need to decide upon is which flower you're going to cast!
We would love to hear what you think of this project, be sure to let us know what you think and if you have any questions don't hesitate to ask.
Thank you for reading our Instructable!
