Making storage bottles and coasters with epoxy resin, mica powders, and a couple silicone molds.
I wanted to make a couple epoxy resin storage bottles for myself or as a simple holiday gift for someone. I had a couple 3-1/4" tall storage bottle silicone molds, 2-part clear epoxy resin, and a couple mica powder pigments for this resin craft project.
Supplies and Stuff
These are the items I used to craft my resin storage bottles:
Waterproof tarp
Gloves
Paper towels
Tape
Craft sticks
Torch
NOTE: The silicone molds, epoxy resin, and mica powder pigments were gifted to me by my Dad. I don't know how much he paid for the items, but I know he takes advantage of sales when possible. He's also an Amazon Prime member and purchased most items through Amazon.com.
I linked to similar, if not the exact, online product listings in case you're curious to know where my Dad likely purchased these exact items.
Location and Setup
I first need to decide on a well-ventilated location and setup my workspace. I setup my Customized Portable Table in the garage. I chose the garage because it's well-ventilated, especially when the garage door's partially opened to let in fresh air.
I draped a cheap waterproof tarp from King Dollar ($1.39 USD) over the table. It's easy to wipe off spilled resin or peel off cured resin from the tarp. I then set out the supplies I wanted to use for this resin craft project.
I placed the two sets of storage bottle and lid molds on the table. The molds were thick and rigid. I didn't worry about it being too thin to hold and maintain its designed shape.
I decided to use haze and powder mica powder pigments to mix into the epoxy resin. I set out two disposable 8 oz measuring cups, one for each color.
I knew I wanted to mix 16 oz of epoxy resin, but the amount would be more than I needed. I set out my coasters mold to pour any excess resin into.
Mixing and Coloring the Resin
I've used clear epoxy resin from The Epoxy Resin Store before to resin coat a couple tabletops. It's a 2-part resin consisting of Resin Part "A" and Hardener Part "B." Both parts are mixed in a 1:1 ratio.
If you're interested in learning about my experiences with the tabletop resin craft project, check back as I hope to share that with you in a few weeks.
I decided to mix two separate cups of colored resin simultaneously. I taped the cups to the tabletop to prevent them from tipping over while I stirred the two parts. Normally, I'd use one hand to grip a cup securely while stirring with my other hand.
I filled the cups with one part of the epoxy resin up to the 4 oz line. I then filled the remainder of the cup to the 8 oz line with the second part of the epoxy resin.
I set a timer for four minutes and stirred with craft sticks. I learned from watching various YouTube videos and experience that stirring slowly produces less bubbles than if I stirred quickly.
After four minutes, I let my hands rest. It's recommended to stir until the cloudiness is completely gone from the mixed parts. The mixtures were still cloudy, but I went ahead and added the mica powder pigments.
I think I used too much of the powder color based on the results I received at the end. Fortunately, using too much mica powder pigment in the mixture didn't seem to have a negative impact on the curing process. It just caused the colors to separate in a way I didn't intend for them to do so.
Once I mixed the mica powder pigments in their respective cups, I stirred the mixture for another four minutes.
Pouring and Torching the Resin
I wanted a marbled look but didn't know how to achieve it with the pour. I figured I'd try pouring the two epoxy resin mixtures simultaneously and then one right after another to create a varied look.
Sure enough, I had left over colored epoxy resin mixtures after I filled all molds to the top edge. I poured the left over into a couple coaster molds.
It only took a couple minutes to realize the colors started separating. I wasn't sure if this was due to the uneven amounts of mica powder pigments used for each mixture, as I suspected, or if I should've let the resin sit for several minutes before pouring. My only concern with waiting before pouring is that the epoxy resin would be too thick to fill-in the tight gaps that I couldn't push the epoxy resin into.
I swirled the surfaces of the epoxy resin with a craft stick to create a faux marbled look. I then torched the surface bubbles before leaving the epoxy resin pieces to sit for over 24 hours.
Demolding the Resin Pieces
The next day, I demolded the epoxy resin pieces. The lids demolded easily. There were holes from bubbles that formed and popped within the molds. These were in areas I couldn't reach with the torch.
The storage bottles were more challenging to demold due to the large size and rigidness of the silicone molds. After a while, I found that folding and rolling the molds inside out made it easier to demold. The part of the mold within the epoxy resin pieces were a little trickier. Folding the mold and twisting slightly eventually made it come out without force.
My attempts to create a marbled effect didn't work. However, I was pleased with how the colors separated. I especially liked how the powder color sank and the haze color rose within the molds. Like Bob Ross often said, they were "happy little accidents."
The lids twisted on and off the storage bottles with ease. At approximately 3-1/4" tall, these storage bottles will hold a decent amount of something. They're quite deep, and the large, round storage bottle is wider than the other.
There were some sharp edges along the bottoms of the storage bottles and coasters. I'll need to sand down those edges later, but it won't take much effort to do so.
My Thoughts
I loved these storage bottles! I'll let the pieces sit untouched for several days to a week in case they haven't fully cured yet. At least this way I'll be less worried about the lids sticking to the storage bottles of something sticking inside of them.
I haven't figured out if I'll keep these for myself or gift them to someone special. If I gift it, I hope the recipient will be happy to receive it.
What's Next?
The holidays are coming, and I have many arts and crafts projects I want to do. Check back to see what I craft next. On Thursday, however, my blog post and YouTube video will focus on some new tech I got late last month.
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Thanks, and have a great day!
Simply Jelly Jam
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