Epoxy art was one of many new crafts I got into during the pandemic. I was inspired to pursue this craft because I wanted a beautiful way to preserve flowers I had saved from my 30th birthday. There are many epoxy options out there but my current favorite is this one. Epoxy art requires at least two components: epoxy and a mold. Additional components can include: dried flowers or other mix ins, epoxy colored resins, pigment/glitter, a variety of molds (such as jewelry, jewelry boxes, animal shapes, etc), and any other component you might want to preserve in epoxy (a photo can be cast in epoxy, for example).
Epoxy consists of two parts: epoxy resin and hardener which are added together in equal portions (so 1:1 resin:hardener). The best way to mix them is to carefully measure them and mix well but because I don’t have a silicone measuring device, I instead use clear plastic cups and a ruler to mark a line with a sharpie, add resin to one cup, hardener to the other, and then mix them together in a plastic bowl with a popsicle stick (where cups, bowl, and popsicle stick are then disposable). For the flowers I use in my art, I allow them to dry completely for a few weeks, usually by pressing them in pages of books or leaving them out on a paper towel (note: fresh wet flowers can damage book pages as they dry down so don’t use a precious book for this task). To create my pieces, I use a variety of fun silicone molds. I arrange dried flowers in the molds, add mixed resin/hardener, rearrange the flowers after the epoxy has been added if needed, and pop any bubbles that may form. Epoxy takes approximately 24 hours to harden, so I leave it on a secure surface overnight and pop my pieces out of the molds in the morning.
Troubleshooting: I learned the hard way that epoxy curing is very temperature sensitive. In the summer things worked beautifully but in the winter, no matter how many hours/days I left my pieces they continued to have sticky/uncured parts. I overcame this challenge by adding an epoxy shine spray and glitter to the uncured spots but ideally epoxy sets completely in a warm (but not hot) environment. The epoxy shine spray has a strong chemical smell, so I recommend using it outdoors or with an open window. I also highly recommend using gloves when working with epoxy. I like to use nitrile gloves to protect my hands. Uncured epoxy is super sticky and it is incredibly difficult to wash off even with repeated hand washings. Save yourself the sticky mess and use a plastic table cloth and gloves to protect your table and hands (but do make sure the table cloth lies perfectly flat, otherwise your molds will be tipped when you leave them to set).
To finish my jewelry pieces, I have a jewelry kit with various pliers, rings, and hooks to add earring hooks or loops for necklaces. I also like to make some of my pieces into key chains for a fun and pretty memento. I love wearing my pieces to remind me of my birthday or other special occasions. Epoxy art is a ton of fun and a great way to preserve beautiful memories while making pretty creations.
Millennial's Delight 