I want to let you into a little crafter’s secret. I’ve mentioned it once or twice before. It is the key to making stuff that really doesn’t look home made.
Sometimes homemade IS the look you want; mismatched fabrics, crazy collections of buttons, novice stitching. But other times you want to be able to say “I blooming well MADE it!” without stating the absolute obvious.
Let me welcome to the stage, Resin. Crystal Resin.
I whipped up some bottle top magnets a bit earlier and waterproofed a jar lid before, but today resin is moving up from supporting act to main. 
I embedded some paper – a tiny cut out deer (I Pompei’d his ass) and a sentence that said “so busy dreaming” – I love that you can see the words all the way through as they curl round. I also cut up a few flecks of sweet wrapper to act as glitter. And thirdly a scrabble letter. No craft experiment of mine is complete without getting a least one old scrabble letter in there.
The thing I especially love is that you could put absolutely ANYTHING inside and it would come out looking cool. An insect flew into the resin as it set – it looked grotesqely nice before I fished it out. Imagine getting your kids to collect random objects and then setting them in?!It is a way of making something together that you can both be stoked with. (Pasta shape pictures only go so far, eh.)
“Here mummy! Here’s a slug!” “Oh, darling. Such a shame, it’s not going to fit into the mold.”
As you can see, I made a necklace and I made a pencil end – it funks up a boring object, transforming it into a magical wand. But you could really do ANYTHING with these molds. Magnets. Brooches. Rings. Leave them plain and put them in people’s drinks along with the ice as a delight for their eyes as they sip. Party favours or place settings even.
Logistics
At first it doesn’t seem hugely cheap- I use Gedeo which at the moment is online for £12.95 for 300ml. I fill the molds only a third up, so this makes these come in at about 50p each, which I think is pretty bargainous for a gift or bit of jewellery.
Have you noticed, apart from using the drill, this is completely skill free?! If you don’t know how to use a drill I suggest you sort that out pronto. It will change your life. You know the little bits that you poke into the end of the drill? Do you know what they are called? Drill Bits. Yep, it’s true. If that genius simplicity doesn’t make you want to learn how to use it I don’t know what will.
Linking up with Lakota’s spanking new Ta Da! Tuesday.
Also, if you get a moment to vote for me in the MADS, in the Thrift and Craft catergories, that would be phantasmagorically wonderful!
What reckon ye? Got any imaginative ideas for these molds or things to embed?
Crystal Resin? It sounds like it should be illegal. Those are very cool creations. I’m scared to try it in case I get hooked!
Lol it totally does sound serious doesn’t it.
Once you pop this you truly can’t stop, eek.
These are awesome. Now you can make your own hilarious fake ice-cubes like my eldest is always putting in my drink (the ones with plastic spiders in). And I absolutely agree about the crafting potential of scrabble letters – you could make several spelling a child’s name and stick them on a bedroom door? Obviously you already know I glue anything that’s not nailed down to a ring back, but I also have a Christmas decoration fetish, lots of possibilities for these there…
Have I commented before you’ve linked up? Cos I just saw this post in my sidebar, it’s not on the linky yet.
x
Yeah, I forgot to actually do that bit – corrected!
You must have biggest collection of rings in world by my reckoning.
Ooh, door idea is an ace one.
You are bloody clever Lucy AitkenRead.
Um, it’s Lulastic, actually.
JOKES.
Thanks 🙂 🙂 🙂
I really really love this! Going to have to give it a try! My 3 little girlies would be so excited by the stars!! Thanks :0) x
My Ramona has been wandering around with the “wand” all day.
They’ll love it! 🙂
How stunning is that? I love love this idea, oh and the bottle tops too. Clever yoo hoo xox Thanks for sharing, i think I’m off to buy some resin!
Yeah do it! Show us how it goes!
x
This is really cool. So many craft possibilities. (Off to buy a bottle of it now)
SO many eh?
Sheesh, I should get a free bottle for all the trade I’m sending there way eh!
this is great! i didn”t know there was such thing as mix-it-yourself resin! looks fab! well done and thanks for the inspiration!
I know, i have known about it for a while but felt a bit daunted but it really couldn’t be easier. Woot for that, alright.
Love it Lu! Especially the scrabble letter – my fave
Ah thanks Lizzy. Yeah, love a good scrabble letter eh
🙂
Beautiful!!!
But (gulp)… dare I ask about the environmental impact of this *resin* ??
Oh I’m so glad you did. Totally totally guilty of compartmentalising my craft and art stuff – still use acrylic paint etc and appease other compartments of mind by focusing on all the recycled materials.
Looked into it though and seems as if eco options are available for resin for comparable which I will now do.
THANK YOU!
🙂
http://www.castingabout.co.uk/www.castingabout.co.uk/Eco-Resins.html
Buy here-
https://secure.canonburyarts.co.uk/shop/category/bioresin/
Brilliant, might have to get myself a bottle of the green stuff then 🙂
They are lovely! I can’t use a drill though, far too scary. One of those things that the husband does for me!
Oh no. Not having that.
You get yourself on Youtube immediately! Get a bit of wood and have fun making holes. You will love it and will become confident in about six minutes.
Good luck!
🙂
might be a good way to deal with my growing stash of my sons milk teeth (The ones that I’ve managed to keep : ) or locks of baby hair that are between the pages of books here, there and everywhere! I’m going shopping on t’internet asap – you should get a discount on the next lot you buy! Lot’s of ideas, the possibilities are endless : )
Ah yeah- a way to treasure keep sakes, lovely!
Faborama! Defo something to bear in mind for all those teeny pebbles, seashells and daisies my kids are forever giving me…thanks for bringing this magical stuff to my attention! x
These are great – I can see me catching unsuspecting flies now to make my own fake amber.
I’ve got some resin but not tried it yet – it sounds very complicated and hugely toxic. I got the one you have to activate or summat?
Do you have to mix together? That’s the one I have, really easy but you have to stir SO well. It’s pretty toxic so will be buying green version above from now on!
[…] I use the flexible ice tray, and fill them up to the level that I want my thing to be. I used a star mold last time, and made a scrabble letter pencil end and a tiny deer necklace. […]
How fantastic! I think I’ve just discovered my new craft addition. Have a feeling this is going to be a resin-based Christmas :p
x
[…] have a few cool shaped ice trays, I always pick them up in charity shops and car boots and I use them for resin craft, (Well, I did try, um, baking in the elephant shape one and melted half of it. Really, they look […]
[…] few cool shaped ice trays, I always pick them up in charity shops and car boots and I use them for resin craft, (Well, I did try, um, baking in the elephant shape one and melted half of it. Really, come on, […]