Virtual Advent Calendar Day 23: Mini Resin Ornament Garland

2 Days Left Until Christmas!

Mini Resin Ornament Garland

We are getting down to it.  Frantic last minute shopping, gift wrapping, baking.  Me?  I'll be baking tonight and tomorrow night--cinnamon rolls, yulekage and, if I can manage it, another batch of krumkake.

Today's retro craft is the resin project I alluded to here.  Resin is so awesome!  Once again, I have turned to BHG's Holiday Decorations You Can Make, 1974.  

The "picture cutouts in resin" ornaments on the lower right were my inspiration.

Materials Needed:

• Resin (I used I used Envirotech Pour-on)
• Silicone ice cube trays from Ikea (I see these almost every single time I go to Goodwill)
• Stuff to encase--pictures, sequins, beads, glitter, miniatures
• Lighter
• Dremel drill (or a drill with a very small bit)
• Cording and thread

Instructions:

Step 1:  Make sure your silicone ice cube trays are clean and dry.  I used a mold release spray on one tray, but found it was not at all necessary as the finished ornaments will pop right out without it.  Also, the mold release spray I used seems to have clouded the resin so I really would not recommend it.

Getting ready to resin up.

Step 2: Pour enough mixed resin to completely cover the bottom of the mold, no more than about 1/8-1/4 inch thick.  Allow to set up (about 1-2 hours).  Tip:  if you have lots of bubbles in your resin, go over the surface with a flame and the bubbles will just disappear.  I use one of those long, kitchen lighters.

Getting the bubbles out of the poured resin.

Step 3:  Once the resin is set up (it does not have to be completely dry), put what you are going to encase in the mold.  I used beads, sequins, glitter, pictures and the head of one plastic deer (which turned out to be my favorite!).  You don't need to push these into the resin, just set them on top.  Here's a hint for any pictures you use:  put a layer of decoupage medium on both sides of the cutout first.  Resin will soak into paper so this will prevent that.

Molds are ready for the second resin pouring.

Step 4:  Mix up some more resin and pour enough on to cover whatever objects you are encasing.  Go over the surface with a lighter to get rid of any bubbles.  Let dry thoroughly--about 24 hours.

Everything is encased in resin and waiting to dry.

Step 5: Pop your ornaments out of the molds and remove any rough edges.  Take your Dremel drill and drill a small hole through which to string a hanger.

The ornaments popped out of the mold, drilled and ready for hanging.

Step 6:  Use thread, fishing line or whatever you have to attach your ornaments to the cording.  I threaded a thin, but strong, length of gold thread through the hole in the ornament, then used a needle to sew it to the cord. 

A close-up of a couple of the ornaments.  The deer head is my favorite!

Cost:  If you have to buy resin, this will be expensive.  However, the resin you buy will make about ten million of these little suckers so per ornament, the cost is not that bad.
Time to Complete:  The actual work is about 2 hours.  The drying times are well over a day so start early.
Skill Level:  If you can pour a cup of coffee, you can do this.

I didn't tie one ornament on with a correct double knot so if fell off as I was hanging this.  Oops!

One more day!  Christmas is almost here.  See you tomorrow for Christmas Eve!