Actual Pressed Flower Resin Jewellery Making Utilizing a Microwave Flower Press and Laminator

The flowers are beginning to bloom with spring underway. Time to attempt making actual pressed flower resin jewellery?  I discussed utilizing a laminator the final time I wrote about this method.

Resin typically renders some, however not all, flowers translucent as you possibly can see from my early tutorial on actual pressed flower jewellery making. So previously, I’ve needed to defend dried flowers with some glue – both some Mod Podge with a brush or a sprig sealant – earlier than immersing them into the resin. An excessive amount of Mod Podge leaves a visual residue. The spray sealant tends to ship mild dried flowers flying!

Pure floral pigments range so some fade in a short time whereas others are extra sturdy.  I by no means use the standard technique of urgent flowers between paper and beneath some weight because it takes too lengthy and permits the floral colours to fade much more.

Utilizing a laminator is not going to solely defend the flowers from the resin but in addition helps protect their pure colours. I wish to microwave press them and laminate the flowers not lengthy after.

I bought an Apache mannequin of laminator as a result of it was comparatively cheap and got here with trial packs of 5 mil and three mil thickness of laminating sheets.  I might then check which thickness I most well-liked – each labored.   I’m certain different manufacturers will probably be simply as helpful, not just for pressed flowers however for all kinds of laminating jobs like preserving paperwork and so forth.

My ceramic microwave flower press is from the Canadian Lee Valley firm.  I’ve to watch out with it as I might break it if I drop it! This one can be expensive so that you may need to test different makes like this one.

I used items of reduce up outdated cotton pillow case instead of items of paper. These are washable and reusable.  On my ceramic press, I sometimes zap at 100% energy for 40 – 50 secs for small flowers.  You’ll have to experiment to seek out the optimum time and energy for those who use different presses and have completely different microwaves than mine (LG model).   

Replace :  I initially forgot to say that these flowers have been harvested final summer season and sealed with the laminator to check if the flower colours remained vibrant over a number of months. 

Notice that the laminating sheets are doubled with a fold at one finish.  I like to recommend you chop strips to make use of moderately than try to laminate a full web page of flowers. There’s a threat of flowers shifting for those who try to do an excessive amount of directly.


After urgent, I often go away the flowers for just a few hours.  I then opened up the laminating sheet strip, spacing out the flowers or floral and leaf compositions.


It solely takes the laminator a couple of minutes to heat up. Then it’s a matter of feeding the strip by.

Reduce round every flower – don’t reduce proper alongside the precise flower edge. You want the glued on sections across the reduce outs to nonetheless maintain the flowers in place. 

You should use a paper punch to get neat edges – the three mil thickness is simpler than the thicker 5 mil. 

Or use a template.  Any marker pen marks might be eliminated later with some rubbing alcohol. 

You’ll be able to simply punch some holes with a 1.eight gap punch pliers, add soar rings and ear wires and name it carried out.  The 5 mil thickness will probably be extra sturdy however even then, the plastic sheets will present put on and tear pretty shortly.


An alternative choice at this stage is so as to add a layer of Little Window’s Good Resin on each side of the laminated reduce outs.  You’ll be able to see an amazing demonstration by proprietor, Fran Valera, on how to do that in her newest video.  She is utilizing photograph paper as the bottom moderately than laminated sheets.

I extremely advocate their jewellery grade resin as it’s a low bubble producer,  has an extended shelf life
and isn’t poisonous.  Notice that each one resins, irrespective of how good, will yellow with time. So all the time retailer the bottles and cured resin items away from excessive warmth and light-weight.

Readers get a 15% low cost from Little Home windows. Use this code : BG1516.

I’m carrying gloves, not due to toxicity, however as a result of working with resin is sticky enterprise! I used to be making a number of pendants so I wanted to maintain my fingers clear.

I’m demonstrating learn how to use Little Window’s medium silicon mildew.  I added sufficient combined resin, ready following their directions, to cowl the underside of the mildew.

Discover I place the mildew on their silicon doming tray? This catches any drips that are straightforward to take away after they remedy. A tip I discovered from Fran is to place the doming tray on clipboard. You’ll be able to then preserve the tray stage as you progress it someplace protected for curing.

Little Home windows have templates which match their molds. So I used these to assist me put together my floral reduce outs.

The laminated reduce outs can  simply slipped into the resin layer.  That is precisely the identical manner I did the Simple Picture Jewellery tutorial.  Having the flowers and leaves encased means they don’t seem to be going to shift through the remedy.

I used the stirring wand to push down the reduce out to make sure there are not any giant air bubbles beneath.

You too can put together a coloured base resin layer.  Little Home windows has a white resin dye.  I’ve used it earlier than with nice outcomes because the white is an efficient distinction for the flowers.  This time, I experimented with a drop or two of clear blue resin colorant. I let a skinny base layer of this to remedy. The subsequent step is so as to add a little bit clear resin and safe the laminated reduce out on this second layer.  Let this remedy earlier than topping up with extra resin.

In the event you try to hurry and add a thicker clear resin layer, you threat the reduce out floating up as proven right here :

I additionally tried including separate dried parts layered with the reduce outs.

At all times use a canopy when curing the resin in a single day (12+ hours). This prevents mud particles from settling down on the resin. 

Silicone molds make removing very straightforward as you simply need to peel the cured items out.

When you take away the items, the tops need to be sanded easy. I do that with 400 Grit moist/dry sandpaper in shallow water which comprises the mud. 

There’s a slight concave to the resin items. I moderately just like the ensuing “body” impact as proven with the sq. and the rectangle pendants under. It’s because the bases of the pendants are barely smaller than the tops.

However you possibly can all the time prime up with a ultimate layer of resin for those who want a extra rounded impact as proven with the oval pendants above. 

Fran makes use of the spiral ratchet drill or spring drill as she calls it. She provides it in addition to a number of drill bit sizes in Little Home windows.  Her video above exhibits how it’s used.  If you do not have the persistence, I recommend you utilize the spring drill first to bore the opening a minimum of half manner down and comply with by with an influence drill.


Utilizing an influence drill all the way in which does disrupt the layers of resin. Discover the shadowy space on the prime of the pansy flower on the left piece under?  That’s what I imply. The pendant on the appropriate was drilled fully by hand.

In the event you selected to make use of a stable shade as the bottom, then you should utilize glue on bails and even wire bails. See Fran’s video above for some nifty suggestions and tips.

Hate the considered drilling holes?  Take into account one other kind of silicone mildew which has silicone pegs built-in just like the one I used under.  You should purchase it from some Etsy shops like this one.

This mildew has very crisp edges (under proper) which should be sanded to be easy.  Little Home windows molds (the piece under left) are rounded on the decrease edge – is smart as that’s the half which is in touch with the wearer.


I recommend you additionally put together a template for these molds to make your reduce outs work. As you possibly can see, I did not and was compelled to chop off the highest of the leaf under to slot in the flower half :


Additionally fill these molds together with your layers of resin. Don’t try so as to add extra resin after you take away your items.  I did this for this leaf piece with gold flake backs and a few resin dripped into the opening. This meant I must sand the offending resin protrusion after which drill out the closed gap.


It is trickier to make use of laminated reduce outs with my wooden frames as a result of shallow depth.  The larger frames just like the spherical ones will work higher than shapes with slender components just like the tear drop ones under.  You’ll be able to see a big bubble behind the appropriate one under the place I did not remove the air bubble once I positioned the reduce out straight down as a substitute of sliding it in from an angle. 

The bleeding coronary heart flowers under didn’t retain their beautiful pink colours even with fast microwave drying and lamination.  So please check the flowers you utilize. Some will work higher than others,  

Listed here are a few of my favorites! Hope you’ll have enjoyable together with your backyard or patio flowers this season!




I added a little bit of glitter within the resin for this pendant


Clear blue resin again with metallic gold flakes
Earlier than You Go:

Images
I used  my iPhone eight+ for ultimate product pictures in pure mild. I used the Orangemonkie studio which comes outfitted with LED lights – for synthetic mild pictures in my windowless basement studio. The Foldio2 Plus is superb . I take advantage of the Foldio3  as a result of I would like the room for tutorial pictures.  Try my Easy methods to Jewellery Webinar .join the notification so I can let you understand when my e book is prepared.

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