I made these cute little paperweights and coasters using clear resin. In the desert, we actually NEED paperweights….the weather is beautiful so we keep the windows and doors open….and it gets windy! You can cast anything in resin really…..it’s a great way to capture some mementos and trinkets from a trip. Carefully drill a hole through one and hang it from a window!
The paperweights I made using a box of colored pencils.
I asked my brother-in-law Jason to cut them all up into 1/2″ pieces using his table saw. Poor guy….they were like bullets flying around!
To make the resin you need clear casting resin and the catalyst which makes it harden….available at most craft stores:
You’ll need a mold too…..soap molds work or smooth tupperware. This was some toy packaging I had kept after Boo’s birthday (Melissa and Doug Doughnuts):
I filled the bottom of the molds with a layer of cut pencils:
First I mixed my resin….basically it’s the resin and a few drops of catalyst (follow the directions) and MIX OUTSIDE or in a garage! The fumes are too strong to mix it indoors…..you need some good ventilation.
Pour the resin in a small stream to reduce air bubbles to cover all the items:
Note: wood floats…so you will want to pour in small layers:
Add more pieces to the mold:
And add another layer of resin……not enough to completely cover the pieces though if you are using wood. You’ll have to pour another layer after this one has time to set (about 30 minutes):
Add the final small layer so the pieces are covered completely:
You can make a thinner version as a beverage coaster…..here’s one I did using buttons:
Let the resin set completely. It should only take a few hours. Once the resin is set it should pop out of the mold very easily!
Just think of all the combinations and trinkets you can make!
Looks great! We’re need new coasters at our house and I may have to try this out-thanks for sharing!
Kari
Great idea! Can you use a photo in the resin?
Brilliant. Wonderful. Graphic. Beautiful.
LOVE THIS IDEA!! Thanks and….. so glad to hear your last test results were so positive.
Very cute idea! We will have to try this next weekend:)
These are so cool! I am addicted to your site. You are amazing. Congratulations again on the fantastic test results yesterday! You are really spreading the message to Choose Joy! It is wonderfully contagious and I am so grateful to have dicovered you and your blog (and the LilBoo Crew).
Oh, this looks fun!
I recently heard of resin trying to figure out how to make charm bracelet charms from vintage stickers. I never got around to trying it thinking it would be hard (pun intended). This looks relatively easy.. and fun. Cutting stuff up? Yes, please. Oh, you might have started an addiction… 🙂
I hopped over here to check out your super cool paperweights….now I’m crying my eyes out because I watched your A Right of Passage video. You are a beautiful woman in will be in my prayers.
xoxo
Elyse
So great! I love this; definitely will try!
Awesome tut :). Thanks for sharing :).
those are awesome!1 and I love how you said you can capture stuff “for infinity” on FB!! hehehehehe, so true!!
That is awesome! Can’t wait to try it!
Cute!
Might try using paper clips of varying colors and sizes.
Glad you had a good day – praying for your immediate and permanent recovery.
Neat idea, could be really cute as a teacher gift!
I am so excited right now! I have a ton of sea glass and shells from my honeymoon last year that I have been wanting to something with forever. I’m not crafty and couldn’t think of anything. Not anymore!!! Thanks for the idea:)
Dearest Ashley, I have been praying each morn and every nite. I know you will be spared and that you will be 100 % well and totally healthy. I have asked the lord to heal you beyond your wildest imagination. I am sending all our love and the love of God. I will not stop praying for you. I just want to have you well and that you dont have to go to Chemo on Thurs ever again. I want to send you some thing Please send me your snail mail ok I know where you live but dont want to intrude. So please when you can send me an email then i can give you my home info i live in Henderson Nevada now i am from Newport Beach Ca and i have gone to Palm Desert alot. I am a Cancer survivor so i do know some things I had cervical ca. I had radiation therapy and was going to have chemo but lucked out. I also had a baby at the time and named him Ashley . So when you can do send me a email ok be well you are loved you are so beautiful and your baby Sienna is awesome . I was able to only have one child also so when you get lemons you make Lemon cream pie. love and Blessings to you and your family Cheyenne
I am just catching up on the last couple days of blog reading, and I was so excited to read your good news! Congratulations and keep up the good work. You are doing a fantastic job of getting well!
Hi again,
LOVE your site and so happy you did this tut. When I was a girl scout, forever and about a million years ago, we did paperweights like this. We weren’t allowed to pour the resin, but we made them like this, with little photos etc. LOVED how they turned out. Yours look WAY better, and so many years have passed, I’m sure resin has improved. So, I’m ready to do some new versions of my old girl scout paperweight. Well, once I finish all the items I make to sell and a pair of bride boots I’m working on a for a young bride.
Thanks for being you and such an inspiration.
Quinn
Ashley, you are so amazing!!!
Hi Ashley! First time commenting but I visit often! I have to tell you – you have been such an inspiration to some very important people in my life — I love your transparency and your willingness to share your story! AND your gifts! So excited for the recent news – we celebrate with you and your family – Blessings abound! thanks so much for choosing joy and … choosing to share it!
Love this project idea! The paper weights will make great teachers gifts. Thank you so much for sharing!! Oh, I must tell you about this guy at the local craft fairs who uses scary bugs and little sea creatures in his resin molds..the kids love them!
Hugs
This is such a neat idea! I was just playing around with buttons the last 2 days.
Cute !
AH AH AH … strange : on the box of crayons it is written in french !
Thank you for sharing this! I am eager to try it out… maybe some cute Christmas gifts this year… I know.. it’s “only” March, 😀
so lovely 🙂 thank you
I love it! What great timing, I was just wondering how to do this and what that resin stuff is, and here you go! Thanks and God Bless You!
Lauren
what a great, great idea! I looked so long for nice paperweights and this idea is just the one I was searching for. Thank you so much for sharing…I`m up to get the resin!
I´m very happy you get better!!!!
greetings from overseas
fraufertig
What a wonderful idea! I especially like the buttons in the resin. And with the pencils, this could be a way of putting itty bitty pencil stubs to some funky use instead of throwing them away.
Cheers!
Wonderful!!! Added to the (…infinite…) list of things I want to do! 🙂
How many paper weights does one container of 16oz casting resin make?
I was wondering also how many paper weights does one container of 16oz casting resin and one container of catalyst make? Also..can you put pictures inside of them? My son and I were thinking of making these for his how to..project. He has to make at least 75 to give away so I was wondering how expensive they would be? They would probably be a little smaller than those you have pictured!
Hi Ashley,
Thank you for participating in the Scribble Shop Challenge. We love the way you used the colored pencils and buttons to make paperweight and the glass magnets were really cute! We are posting the finalist on our facebook page http://www.facebook.com/ScribbleShop tomorrow, March 30th, 2012. Stay Tunned!
Thanks for the pictures and easy to follow instructions, Ashley!
I’m going to turn my boyfriend’s race medals into coasters with your instructions. Thanks!
The button ones would make awesome pattern weights.
I love the resin idea for coasters. Do you put felt or anything on the bottoms to absorb moisture or protect furniture?
You weren’t kidding about needing a well venitlated area. I used the resin last night to make retro bottlecap magnets. I live in an apartment and did it on our patio. Even though I did it outside, we smelled it for a few hours after. But it was much less scary than I thought it would be. 🙂
LOVE LOVE LOVE these !! I have an aunt that is using her 4 year old grandson’s crayon pieces to make a paperweight as soon as she gets out of the hospital (Yep, Ashley……chemo buddy Sharon!!)……and she gave me an awesome idea for one to make myself…….I have quite a bit of coin that I’ve collected from foreign countries……..what a cool way to preserve some of them !! Thanks for the idea !! =)
XOXO
Kara
Thanks so much for this tutorial. I want to try this, but will have to wait for warmer weather. It is just too cold right now. Thanks again. Yours are beautiful.
I followed your directions and was so excited but it won’t come out of mold! What do I do? I looked now on other sites that said use vasoline before pouring but I didn’t and now I can’t get it out! Any suggestions?
I love these and I am trying to make a few as gifts. The first few I made, I used buttons and the resin is lifting the color off the buttons. Is there something I can do to prevent that? In your pictures it doesnt look like you are having that same issue. hmmm…… any thoughts?