How to Make Resin Earrings * Moms and Crafters
Table of Contents
[ad_1]
Learn how to make resin earrings using molds – including resin hoop and flower earrings. This post contains affiliate links.
Today, I’m going to share with you some basics of how to make resin earrings using UV resin. I made a few styles to show a little variety.
This is a beginner-friendly tutorial in that it can be the first resin project you ever make. It’s so easy. That is because I used UV resin, which doesn’t air dry, rather, it cures with a UV lamp.
In this post, you’ll find the mother load of tips. It’s perfect for those just starting out, as I was a beginner not long ago – so I am aware of which things you may need to be told that a true pro might not think to explain.
I offer advice for mixing colors, making your flowers pop, avoiding air bubbles and holes, and attaching on posts.
Why I choose UV resin for resin earrings
A few months ago, I shared a guest post featuring basic supplies needed for art resin crafting. UV resin was not on the list for a few reasons, but mainly because I find it best for two purposes:
- Connecting parts that need to be held in place and dried quickly.
- Small projects.
I very much prefer UV resin for small projects such as earrings because mixing up your batch of resin can be a whole project in its own right. UV resin comes ready-to-go. And since you’re using small amounts, having it ready in a small bottle with a pointed nozzle is just way too convenient.
Another reason I prefer UV resin for making resin earrings is simply because when I’m layering multiple projects like this, I like to be able to set the resin quickly.
You’ll see in my instructions for how to make various types of resin earrings that layering really helps you achieve desired results. UV resin can be set in a minute so you can move on to the next layer.
The main reason you may NOT want to use UV resin is the cost. It costs many times what regular epoxy resin would cost. For small projects it still makes sense, taking into account how much waste will happen if you try to mix up your own. For large batch crafting, it may not.
How to Make Resin Earrings in two styles
I experimented with two different styles of resin earrings in this tutorial: resin flower earrings and resin hoop earrings. Essentially, there is overlap (meaning, you can inlay flowers into hoop earrings but overall, each has its own set of tips and instructions.
Resin flower earrings
To make resin flower earrings, I used dried baby’s breath, purchased from Michaels.
At first, when I made them, I was not aware of how easy it is to have air bubbles in the gaps. Because flowers are so irregularly shaped, if you’re not conscious to tuck the resin around the flowers, you’ll have bubbles. I used a toothpick to do this.
My first pair is definitely still pretty enough to wear!
Another tip to make the flowers in your earrings really pop is to use strong contrast. On the gold pair, while I managed to avoid air bubbles, the gold was sadly not enough contrast for the white flowers. I still love this pair, but it doesn’t have that floral vibe.
By the time I made my third pair of resin flower earrings, I think I got it right. I used white to contrast with coral colored baby’s breath. I tucked the white around the flowers to get rid of gaps. And I just love how the flowers pop!
Resin Hoop Earrings
Resin hoops are a bit of their own story, simply because of perspective. While you might be used to working in layers, on resin hoops, the layers you do will show on the side, not forward facing.
Molds also don’t typically come with a place to add the post in the resin directly (which may not be the best approach anyway, as the UV light won’t cure through the post.
I kept mine simple, and layered clear resin with my add-in (gold flakes or flowers). If you do try to layer, keep in mind how the layers will show up on the front too.
I glued my ear pieces on with Krazy Glue and propped the hoops upright until they set. And then I added resin on top and cured it (more details in the step by step).
Once you give these styles a go, play around with all sorts of fillers and shapes. Just be aware when purchasing molds that if the designs aren’t doubled, you’ll want to buy two! I made that mistake with the mold I purchased for the two-part earring.
What you need to make resin earrings
Love this post and want more like it? Hit “Thank the creator” in the sidebar, the beginning, or end of this post, and send over some confetti so I know to create more like this! You can choose from free or paid stickers. Any sticker shows me you loved this. Paid stickers sponsor the coffee to fuel the next post.
How to make resin earrings
Below I’ll be showing you the process, step by step, with images, how to make resin hoop earrings and resin flower earrings. There’s lots of overlap in the two processes. I show in the first tutorial all the details you need for how to make any resin earrings so you’ll definitely want to read that, even if you’re adding flowers!
Making the resin hoop earrings
1. Start by applying a thin coat of UV resin, directly from the bottle, at the bottom of your mold. Pop air bubbles and spread as needed with a toothpick.
2. Cure for 1 minute using a UV light. Note: your resin may come with instructions for curing in sunlight. You can definitely do that, but be aware that it’ll be much more cumbersome to go through the process with the longer wait times.
3. Add in your add-ins. I used gold flakes for this tutorial. Since they come apart when handled, it’s best to handle as little as possible. Dabbing a drop of resin on a toothpick and using that to place it really helped. Don’t worry about having them in the exact spot – place them approximately.
You can see where the flakes crumbled apart on the mold. Try to drop your pieces right in.
4. Add some more resin. Use a toothpick to place your flakes (or other add-ins if needed) more precisely and to pop air bubbles. Cover with resin until the mold is full but not overflowing. If you’re particular to get really neat, polished edges, you’ll want to clean up your mold before curing.
5. Cure for another 2-4 minutes.
6. When the mold has cooled, take the earrings out and cure on the other side as well, if you feel it needs it. I find it to be a bit tacky without.
7. Hold your hoop upright, add a drop of Krazy glue and add a flat pad ear stud. You’ll want to make sure it’s drying in the correct spot. You can prop it in a clamp like this one, lean it against something gently, or just hold it upright for a minute.
8. When your ear stud is in place, add a tiny drop of UV resin on top. You might want to spread it with a toothpick. Cure upright under the UV lamp for a minute so that it sets without dripping. (I held it in place, so that my hand wasn’t underneath but the post was. )
9. Cure for another minute. Add a back and you’re done! Aren’t these resin hoop earrings gorgeous and simple?
Making the resin flower earrings
1. I needed to do the process of the drop twice, as I only have one mold. Start it as you did above, with a thin layer of clear resin, cured for one minute. Then place another very thin layer and add a few pieces of baby’s breath, carefully placed. Cure it for another minute.
2. While it’s curing, prepare your top/background layer. Place a little resin in a small cup (disposable or silicone). Add a small squirt of opaque resin dye. Mix it and add a little more as needed, until you’re happy with the color.
3. Cover your flower layer to fill your mold, wiping any excess from around your shape. Use a toothpick to make sure it gets in between the flowers, and to pop air bubbles.
4. For the stud portion, I used micro beads instead of flowers. For that, I did a clear layer, layer with microbeads and then gold resin, and the stud layer. The studs were placed on top of cured resin and covered with a thin layer of uncured resin.
The last layer should always be cured for 2-4 minutes. After demolding, cure the other side for another couple of minutes.
5. Attach your two portions with a jump ring.
Your resin earrings are complete and ready to wear!
I hope you enjoyed learning how to make resin earrings with flowers and in hoop shapes! Which is your favorite pair? Comment below!
[ad_2]
Source link