How to Make Resin Baseball Jewelry

Select a baseball photo to make resin baseball jewelry.

Baseball is a fixture in American culture. You can turn items you collect at a baseball game into fabulous fashion jewelry using epoxy resin and a hand made or commercial bezel. You can create an array of jewelry depending on the baseball items you choose. Go from sassy to serious, from elegant to everyday with your custom resin baseball creations.

Things You'll Need

• Bezel with finding
• Baseball memorabilia
• Clear drying decoupage glue
• Epoxy resin
• Wet/dry sandpaper (220, 400, 600 & 800 grits) (optional)

Instructions

1. Sketch out your resin baseball jewelry design. Select the bezel to match your sketch. Pay attention to the size of the bezel and the type of findings soldered to the bezel. The findings soldered to the bezel you select will determine the type of baseball resin jewelry you make. For example, if a bail is soldered to the bezel, you can make a pendant or earrings.

2. Gather your tools and materials. In addition to the hand made or commercial bezel with finding, you will need epoxy resin, a decoupage glue and a baseball item to embed in the resin to make your baseball jewelry. You can use an old baseball card, a program from a baseball game, a piece of fabric from a baseball uniform or even a piece from an old baseball to create your baseball jewelry.

3. Clean the bezel with acetone to remove dirt. Rinse the bezel with distilled water to remove traces of the acetone.

4. Measure the baseball memorabilia you selected. Be sure you can cut the paper, fabric or leather to fit inside the entire base of the bezel. Use a craft knife or scissors to cut the baseball memorabilia to size. Check as you work to ensure that the insert covers the entire surface of the bezel bottom.

5. Coat the memorabilia with a clear drying craft or decoupage glue to preserve and protect the image before you embed it in resin. Allow the glue coating to dry.

6. Place the coated item into the bezel. Trim as needed until the coated memorabilia sits flat in the base of the bezel.

7. Mix the epoxy resin according to the manufacturer's instructions. Take care when you mix that you do not add air to create bubbles in the resin.

8. Pour the resin into the bezel so that it coats the baseball item. Continue adding resin until the resin forms a dome at the top of the bezel. Pour slowly so you do not overfill the bezel.

9. Allow the resin to cure according to the manufacturer's instructions, usually over night. Do not touch the resin with your fingers to test if it has set or you may be left with an unsightly fingerprint on the surface of your resin baseball jewelry.

10. Remove any excess resin that spilled over the surface after it has set. Sand away the excess, if any, using 200 grit wet/dry sandpaper. Switch to 400, 600 and 800 grit sandpaper, as you work until the bezel has no resin or scratches on the sides and the metal has a high polish.

Tips & Warnings

• Repeat as needed to make the number of bezels you need for your resin baseball jewelry. Complete the jewelry per your designs. For example, slide a pendant onto a hand made or commercial chain. Attach ear wires to charms. Link bezels to make a bracelet or necklace.

• Work in a ventilated space when working with resin.

• Use gloves when working with resin.

References

• The Art of Jewelry: Plastic & Resin: Techniques, Projects, Inspiration‬, Debra Adelson, 2008.
• The Art of Resin Jewelry, Sherri Haab, 2006.
• Resin Jewelry‬, Kathie Murphy, 2003.
• 500 Plastic Jewelry Designs: A Groundbreaking Survey of a Modern Material‬, Lark Books, 2009.