How to make a necklace or pendant with a resin finish
Here's a fun way to make some awesome, original pendant necklaces of your own design. Great for gifts! For our pendants we have used original artwork, pressed flowers and favorite images from printed paper and card. The resin gives a professional finish and also helps to protect your pendant.
What you will need...
1. Metal pendants from your local craft store
2. Spray adhesive
3. Sharp Craft Knife
4. Cutting board
5. Original Art work / pattern paper or card / pressed flowers
6. Resin Please visit our resin tips before starting
7. Straw to blow resin about and to remove the bubbles
8. A punch for making holes
9. Tacky putty and stand to hold pendant while pouring the resin
10. Protective gear: Mask and gloves
11. Paintbrush for cleaning excess resin
12. Wooden stick for stirring resin
13. Cord for necklace
A few pics followed by the write-up
Step 1. Choose your images
Choose a selection of your favorite images or artwork that you wish to display on your pendant.
Step 2. Trace your artwork
Position the blank pendant on the part of the image you want displayed, then trace around it. Turn the image over. Before spray-gluing the back and sticking on your pendant, you will need to be able to see exactly where to place it. To do this, you will need to redraw the trace line you created on this reverse side. If the paper is translucent you can hold the image up to a window to see the correct position and redraw on the back if you need to.
Step 3. Glue your pendant
Spray glue on the reverse side of the paper and then stick the pendant down onto it. Give it a minute to dry. Once it's securely stuck then use your craft knife to cut around the pendant as precisely as you can.
Note: If your image covers the entire pendant, including the loop for the chain, you need to punch out the image from the hole before you pour on the resin.
Step 4. Pour over the resin
It is best to create a stand to secure the pendant onto while you pour on the resin. This should allow the resin to flow smoothly off the sides. We found an old lamp base worked perfectly with a large piece of tacky putty on top to secure the pendant. Mix the resin and pour over the pendant starting from the middle area of the pendant.
Step 5. Removing bubbles and sealing
Using a straw, blow the resin from the middle of the pendant out to the edges, letting it flow over the edges. This will remove bubbles and seal in the artwork. Delicately remove excess resin which has flowed underneath with your glove or a paintbrush. Allow time to dry - about 24hrs.
Step 6. Finishing touch
Once the pendant is dry, loop a chain or necklace string through the hole to complete!