Flowers preserved in resin can be used for many different things. Whether as a decorative piece to hang on your wall, a keepsake of your wedding bouquet, a gift, or even jewelry, it’s a fun craft nonetheless. Resin is an excellent tool to preserve things and make art, which is why it’s usually the first choice for preserving flowers.

Flowers!

The most obvious step is to find some flowers to preserve in your resin. Some examples of flowers that are good for this type of drying are roses, daisies, and most white and pale-colored flowers.

Everything to Know About Resin

The use of resin dates back to ancient Greece and can be from plant or synthetic origin. All resins consist of base resin and hardener. When mixed, a chemical reaction causes it to harden by transforming the combined liquid state into a solid. Drying time varies from 12-48 hours. While drying, the resin passes into a cure phase where it begins to gel. This phase is between the liquid and solid phase.

If you don\’t have an even ratio of base resin and hardener (1:1), you’ll either end up with resin that’s too brittle or resin that’s too sticky. You’ll need a mold, either plastic or silicone. Silicone is a recommended choice because resin tends not to stick to it and it’s flexible enough to get the resin out of the mold.

Removing Air Bubbles

In order for their survival, organic materials such as flowers receive energy from a chain of reactions called respiration. In other words, they can “breathe air.” When you cover these materials with resin, the air bubbles release in the resin, creating the appearance of bubbles. Right after the resin is mixed and poured, remove any air bubbles with tools such as an artist’s torch, kitchen torch, lighter, toothpick, or straw. It’s important to check 1-2 hours throughout the drying process to make sure that any additional bubbles do not appear.

Press Drying

If you’re preserving fresh, natural flowers, it’s necessary for them to be completely dry before casting them in resin, for if there is any moisture left they will shrivel and brown as soon as they hit it. One technique is to put them into two sheets of napkins, or any other absorbing material. Put the napkin inside a heavy book and place the book under more heavy books to achieve the desired effect. Then leave it there for three-four weeks. The only downside to this technique is that everything could get flat, leaving the leaves and flowers fragile.

Protective Sealing

Another technique is to have it get a protective sealing, such as white craft glue that dries clear or hairspray.

Glue- mix with water evenly and either dunk the flower in the mixture or paint it on the flower with a soft paintbrush on both sides.

Hairspray- spray several thin layers of it on both sides. make sure to place the flowers on a non-sticky surface before doing so.

Now you know several ways to preserve your flowers in resin. Experiment with these techniques to find out which one works best for you, and make sure to try more crafts with this amazing tool.