Looking for a creative project that combines functionality with stunning artistry? Resin bookmarks are the perfect DIY trend to try! Whether you’re exploring unique bookmark ideas for personal use, thoughtful gifts, or even a small business venture, resin bookmarks offer endless possibilities. In this post, we’ll guide you through the basics of creating these eye-catching accessories, share tips for customizing them, and help you unlock the potential of resin art for your next creative endeavor.
Supplies
You don´t need much but there are a lot of optional things that can improve the quality of the outcome significantly but are not recommended for beginners.
You will need:
- Epoxy Resin. Resin is available in a variety of types, each suited for different purposes. For this DIY project, I recommend using art resin—a thick, two-part resin ideal for creating projects with a depth of up to 1/4 inch. (Amazon Link)
- Some Protection. You will also need some rubber gloves and a protective mask when working with resin. Resin is toxic before and during the curing process. It will become harmless once it has hardened fully.
- Stirring sticks and plastic cups. Some plastic cups and some stirring sticks, for mixing the resin, are also needed.
- Silicone mold. A mold for casting resin. I made my own silicone mold but you can also buy a silicone mold like this energy bar mold from Amazon.
- Alcohol Inks, Acrylic paints, or Mica powder. You will need a way to color your resin. I personally prefer alcohol inks for transparent resin pieces and acrylic paint for opaque resin pieces. Mica powder can be used for glitter or opaque resin pieces.
Supplies, that are optional but will help you a lot:
- Silicone mat. A silicon mat is useful when working with resin. Resin is very sticky and difficult to clean but nothing sticks to silicone but silicone. So when you spill something on a silicone mat, cleaning it up becomes a breeze. (Amazon Link)
- A vacuum chamber. A vacuum chamber is an invaluable tool for eliminating bubbles from resin. If you’re aiming for a flawlessly clear resin piece free of any bubbles, using a vacuum chamber is the most effective solution. It´s NOT recommended for beginners though. (Amazon Link)
Calculate the Amount of Resin Needed
There are several ways to calculate the amount of resin needed mathematically but I personally simply use some water and a measuring cup.
Just fill your mold with water and then fill the water over to the measuring cup. Now you know exactly how much volume your mold has by reading the scale on the measuring cup.
If you don’t have a measuring cup then you can also use a disposable plastic cup and simply mark the waterline with a marker.
Mix and Color the Resin
Next, we need to mix and color the resin.
Art resin usually has a mixing ratio of 1 to 1 but be sure to read the instructions of your resin to make sure that you mix the resin and the hardener in the correct ratio.
Mix both parts and add some alcohol ink or acrylic paint of your choosing. Acrylic paint will make the resin opaque while alcohol ink will color the resin while keeping its transparency.
If you want to know more about coloring resin then consider reading my article on coloring resin with different colorants right here.
Mix the resin thoroughly to ensure that both parts of the resin are mixed properly.
Remove Bubbles From Resin
Most art resins that you can buy nowadays are degassing, meaning that bubbles in the resin will rise to the top and pop on the surface. This works quite well but the bubbles sometimes need help popping. This can be done with a propane torch by torching the surface of the resin every few hours for the first 10 hours after pouring.
My personal favorite method of getting rid of the bubbles inside the resin is using a vacuum chamber. The vacuum chamber is connected to a vacuum pump that will remove any air inside the resin in mere seconds. After that, the resin can be poured and it will cure perfectly transparent.
Pour the Resin and Decorate
Pouring the resin is straightforward. Simply pour the resin carefully and in a thin stream inside your mold.
Once the resin is poured, you can decorate your resin bookmark. This is by far the most fun part!
You can add dried flowers, acrylic paint, wood pieces, and much more.
In this example, I added some golden acrylic paint to the resin and then used a stirring stick to swirl it around.
If you have a plotter like a Cricut for example, then you can also add some foil or vinyl to the resin bookmark after it is cured.
Let the Resin Cure
Most art resins need about 24 hours to cure. The curing process has several phases to it.
First, the resin is liquid. For the first hour or so after mixing the resin, you can pour the resin and add decorations.
Secondly, the resin will become jello-like. The resin will change its viscosity slowly within the first five hours of mixing. It will become thicker and thicker.
In the third phase, the resin will be solid and you can remove it from the mold. But you can still deform or bend the resin. In this stage, you can add a bend to the end of your resin bookmarks or even twist the top part of the bookmark. This phase starts usually about 15 to 20 hours after mixing the resin.
And finally, after 24 to 28 hours, the resin is completely solid and fully cured. At this stage, the resin can be safely removed from the mold without deforming it.
