How to Make Jewelry With Plastic Resin
Plastic resin, most often used in the creation of film props, automobile parts and toys, can also be used to create unique jewelry designs. Jewelry made from plastic is cheaper and easier to make than metal jewelry, as it can be mass-produced through the use of plastic molds designed to give a particular shape to the resin. The most common type of plastic jewelry is the bangle, although some artists use resin to create convincing fake gemstones and other jewelry pieces. For a beginner, the simplest project to start with is a decorative resin pendant.
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Things You'll Need
- Jewelry mold
- Mold release agent
- Particle ventilator
- Latex gloves
- Safety goggles
- Stirring tools
- Plastic cups
- Laminating resin and catalyst
- Paintbrush
- Resin pigment
- Heat gun
- Dried flowers
- Decorative object
- Sandpaper
- Auto wax
- Cloth
- Drill and bits
- Chain and clasp
Instructions
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Prepare the Resin
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1
Set up a safe work area in a well-ventilated room. Cover your work surface with plastic, so that any spilled resin does not damage your furniture, and set all your materials within easy reach. Put on latex gloves, safety goggles and old clothing before you begin working with the resin.
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2
Open your jewelry mold and coat the inside with a mold release agent. Let the mold release dry completely.
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3
Stir together some of your resin with its catalyst in a plastic cup, using the mixing suggestions on your resin product. Stop stirring when the resin turns a pale shade of the catalyst color.
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4
Add a drop of liquid resin pigment to the mixture and stir well. Add more pigment as needed to attain the desired color for your jewelry. You can also tint your resin using a powdered pigment or by crushing regular art pastel sticks into a powder.
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5
Add any small decorative elements, such as dried flowers or seeds, to the resin mixture. Make sure that they are evenly distributed throughout the resin.
Create the Pendant
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6
Pour the resin mixture into the mold slowly, avoiding air bubbles. Stop pouring when the mold is half filled.
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7
Press any large decorative jewelry elements, such as a photograph, plastic toy or metal design into the resin so that it is half covered.
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8
Pour the rest of the resin over the large decoration, filling the mold completely. Let the resin cure, or harden, for several days or until completely hard.
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9
Remove the resin jewelry piece from the mold. Sand the surface of the piece, working with several fine grains of sandpaper, until the piece is smooth and clear. Drill a hole in the top of the piece that is large enough to put the chain through.
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10
Polish the resin piece with auto wax and a piece of cloth. Slip the chain through the drilled hole.
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1
Tips & Warnings
Make sure that your jewelry mold is safe to use with resin products, otherwise you may damage the mold. You can find some resin-safe molds at the link in the Resources section. You can also make your own jewelry molds out of plaster. To get rid of air bubbles while you work, run a heat gun over the surface of the resin.
Do not get resin on your skin or breathe in resin fumes. Resin dust is toxic. Always wear a particle mask when sanding resin, or sand the resin underwater.
