Made It! Monday - Felt Flower Wreath

Here was the inspirational pin:

This gorgeous wreath was created by Nest of Posies. I love vibrant colors and the black and white stripes - so eye-catching!

But I love how you can take a great idea and still make it your own.

Here's how I put it together:

You'll need:

• Wreath. (I bought mine at a craft store, but then saw this idea that will only cost you $1.)
• Felt. Since this is going outside, I just used the cheap craft felt - I think they are 9" x 12"?
• Fabric - I didn't have any striped fabric, but I found this fun zebra print bandanna for $1 at Michael's.
• Scissors
• Glue Gun

 There are so many different ways to make felt flowers and if you do a quick search on google or pinterest you can easily pull of a plethora of great tutorials.

I chose to make just 2 types - pompoms and roses.

To make the pompoms:

1.  From the longest side of your felt, cut a strip 2" wide. Lay down a thin line of hot glue on the bottom edge (long side) and fold over.
2. On the folded edge, make 1/4" wide cuts all along the length of your felt strip. Cut on the fold towards the raw edge, stopping before you reach the hot glue. It doesn't need to be exact, but leave maybe 1/4" or so un-cut.
3. Then, start rolling it up from one side, securing with hot glue as you go.
4. Here's how the underside will look.

If you'd like a bigger flower, add another felt strip - just continue rolling where you left off. You could even use another color for an extra fun look.

To make the roses:

1. Cut a circle of felt. (I traced a circle using a dessert plate, about 6" in diameter, which produced a 2 - 2 1/2" rose. To make a larger or smaller rose, simply change the size of your circle.)  Cut the circle into a spiral, about 1/2" wide.
2. Starting from the outside edge, start rolling the felt. To make the rose petals, twist/fold the felt as you roll it. It's a little hard to explain in words exactly - but it truly isn't complicated, once you give it a try you'll figure it out lickety-split! Secure with hot glue as you go...
3. Here's how the underside will look with the twisting and rolling.
4. And here's the front.

For another felt flower design, roll your spiral, but don't twist it - cute!

Next, the wreath:

1.  Cut your fabric (bandanna in this case) into strips, approximately 3" wide.
2. Wrap around your wreath base, securing with hot glue here and there to hold in place.
3. Arrange your felt flowers as you like them, and attach with more hot glue (oh boy, I love that stuff!)
4. Voila!

This was sort of a two-for-one pinterest challenge, because I've been wanting to make some felt flowers forever! Turns out, they were super easy. I have a stash of nice quality wool felt in super yummy colors and can't wait to use my new skills making some fun felt flower pins, and maybe some hair clips.

But that may have to wait a bit, as I already decided what to make for this weeks challenge - it's something practical, simple, and makes a great gift....



Look What You've Made!

I absolutely love it when my Resin Tutorial readers take some time to tell me about their journey into the world of resin and to share what they've made.

So there will be a new blog feature showcasing your own amazing designs!

To start things off, check out these stunning flower resin pendants, created by Chris, who sent me this lovely photo:

Chris said this was only her second attempt, and they turned out beautifully! Working with delicate flowers like these presents a lot of challenges including preserving their vibrant colors once embedded into the resin and also keeping those fine, soft petals from folding, breaking, and shifting. Chris did an amazing job - so very pretty!! ♥

So for all the rest of you out in blog-land, I would love to see some of the fun things you've made! You can email photos directly to me at jen_skinner@charter.net

Ooh, I can't wait to see more wonderful resin!

Make Your Own Play Dough and a Porcupine Too

I've tried a few dough recipes, but they always seem a little too gritty. This one is smooth and soft - fairly close to the store-bought version - and stays amazingly soft and pliable even after being left out for hours (or overnight in our case).

Here's what you need:

1 cup flour

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 cup water

1/2 cup salt

2 teaspoons cream of tartar

optional:

food coloring

glitter

scent - (you can use an extract like lemon or vanilla)

Combine all your ingredients in a large saucepan. Stir with a wooden spoon over medium heat. Stir constantly. It will be very soupy for several minutes and then suddenly it will start sticking together and can be stirred into a ball. It will look very lumpy too - don't worry. Remove from the heat and keep stirring briefly. Turn the whole lump out on a floured surface and knead as it cools. Just for a few minutes - you'll see when it's the perfect consistency.

It will store nicely in Ziploc bags or of course, old play-doh containers (we've only got about 30 or so laying around). If you're not going to use it for a while, storing it in the fridge or freezer will make it last for a long time.

Here's an easy project for the little one's to make with their new dough.

You will need:

play dough

2 small beads or button (for eyes)

round toothpicks

1. Roll a handful of play dough into a ball.

2. Pinch one end to form a nose.

3. Press your beads into the clay to make eyes.

4. Cover with toothpick "needles".

 Here is my 3-year-old's version, (completely unassisted). I love that this is so easy, and yet adding the toothpicks takes a bit of time, so you'll have some peaceful moments as your kids are thoughtfully placing each one.

Here's another my 5-year-old. Don't you love the big eyes and goofy smile?

Have fun!

Business Cards to Bookmarks

 I had thought about this as a possible marketing idea a while ago, but of course never actually did anything about it. The last few days, however, I've been little by little going through the disorganized shelves and piles of do-dads, who-zits, and what-zits to try to bring some order to the regular chaos that is my work area.

I have these terribly ugly glass beads in an enormous quantity, together with this pack of embroidery thread that I would only ever use for something other than embroidery...

So I took a few minutes to finally see how these business card bookmarks might come together.

I'm hoping people would be less inclined to simply toss them if they are also somewhat functional.

Easy to make, so I'd thought to keep all the supplies in a box and ready to go so I can mindlessly make a bunch while I also mindlessly watch TV.

And if I can start putting to use these otherwise useless odds and ends, I will be very happy!

Color, Color, Color! - Alternative ways to color resin...

I've seen some conflicting information on what you can and cannot use to color resin. Now, as far as I know you can use practically anything sort of dry pigment - such as (my favorite) Pearl Ex powders, tempura powder, pastels, micro glitter...you get the idea...

Now for liquids, I've read some sources that say you can ONLY use dyes and pigments specially formulated to work with resin. But I've also run across some other sources that say you can also use oil paints.

If you can indeed use other types of pigments it would open the realm of color possibilities, so I decided to do some experimenting. Since I had no idea what would or would not work, I purchased some oil paint, and then randomly chose a few other liquid dyes.



Here's what I tried:

• Blick Studios brand Cobalt Blue Oil Color - (oil paint in a tube)
• Dye-na-flow by Jacquard in Teal - (fabric dye most often used for resists on silk, etc.)
• Vitrail in Lemon yellow - (glass paint used to imitate stained glass)
• Transparent Glass Paint in Purple - (another type of glass paint)
• Acylic paint in Orange - (the cheap-o kind you can get in a 24-pack in any craft store)

Since I didn't know how each would react with the resin, I wanted to use only a relatively small amount. I mixed up a batch of resin and divided it among several mixing cups, filling each one to the 1/2 oz mark.

I started with the oil paint - squeezing a small less-than-pea-sized-amount onto my stir stick, and mixing it up.

As you can see, it mixed up fairly well, but left quite a few dark particles floating around. (Granted, I didn't spend an enormous amount of time trying to blend it.)

Next, the Dye-na-flow fabric paint. This is in a very liquid form, so I simply dipped a clean stir-stick into the bottle, and whatever was left on the stick I stirred into the resin.

It mixed up beautifully! Gorgeous color - isn't it?

I used the same method to use the Vitrail (also very, very liquid).

I forgot to take a picture of the mixing - but like the Dye-na-flow, it mixed beautifully. Very clear yellow.

Next, the glass paint.

This was a little more gooey, so I squeezed a drop into my resin. I stirred and stirred, but could never mix it beyond what you see in the picture. So the glass paint was a bust. One good thing though - I could just scoop that little paint glob out and use the resin for something else. So, not a total waste.

I poured all the colors that mixed into a mold. Then went back and doubled the amount of pigment in each and poured the doubled portion into the mold as well.

After I poured the resin and set it aside to cure, I remembered the acrylic paint. Oops!


I only had a small amount of resin left - so I added a small bit to about 1/4 oz. of resin.

Of course, my pictures are lapsing again, but the acrylic paint mixed great - very smooth consistency, no globs or blobs, and much more opaque than the other pigment tried previously.

I poured the orange into the mold and let them all cure overnight.



Here are the results:

I was pleasantly surprised, but they all cured properly! All hard - no softness, tackiness, or other weirdness!

Wow! - I am so excited because this really provides a lot more easy color options.

Just think of the entire wall of Americana brand acrylic paint at your local craft store? Thousands of colors - you can probably find the exact shade you want with no mixing. And, it's way cheaper than special resin dyes.

Here's some shots of each piece held up to the light, so you can see the transparency and color consistency:

1. - Oil paint

2. - Oil paint, doubled

3. - Vitrail

4. - Acrylic paint

5. - Dye-na-flow

If you'd like to try these alternative colorants for your next resin project, here are some things to consider....

• I only tried this with Easy Cast Epoxy Resin. Results may be different with different types of resin such as Colores, or Castin' Craft Clear. (I will experiment with other types in the future and post results as I get them.)

• Only a small amount was used - approximately 1 drop of color to 1/2 oz. resin. I'm not sure at what proportion any of these colors not let the resin cure...so as usual, just add the smallest amount you need, 1 drop at a time, until you get the desired color.

• I didn't try mixing any of these, and am not sure how they would work mixed with other resin colorants...

• There may be many more types of dyes and pigments designed for other mediums that may well work with resin. So if you're feeling experimental, please give it a try...

And please, if you have tried any other types of pigments, or have tried these with other types of resin, of have any other insights please leave a comment so I can update this post - maybe start creating a list of what we can use...

(If you are looking for any of the above mentioned products, I purchased all these colorants from Blick Art Materials online. They have super prices, and I have always been pleased with their customer service and speedy delivery.)

Resin Tutorial - Drilling and Finishing

This installment will show you how to finish a resin piece by describing how to:

(1) Drill a hole for inserting a jump ring.

(2) Or, add a glue-on bail.

(3) Restore sanded edges to their shiny resin luster.

For drilling, you will need the following materials:

(1) Small hand-drill, such as a Dremmel, (I'm using a Craftsman Rotary tool.)

(2) Drill bits of your desired size.

I almost always use a 1/16" bit, which is perfect for inserting jump rings. If you are going to string your finished piece on thick cord or chain, you will need a larger bit. Be sure to purchase the regular bits used for wood (not the type for glass - tried it accidentally - does not work!)

(3) A particle mask or dust mask.

Resin behaves much like wood when drilling and even makes the same sort of huge mess. However, unlike sawdust which is natural, cured resin is a synthetic and can be harmful if inhaled. Please be sure to wear a mask to avoid breathing in any particles.

A particle mask is best (such as a painters mask) but a regular dust mask will work just fine. But please use something - even a bandanna if you don't have a mask (think wild-west-bandit style).

(4) A table vice or clamp to hold your resin piece securely.

(5) Leather pieces to protect your piece from being scratched while in the vice.

Most craft stores carry small pieces of leather; I used an old belt, cut it into pieces, then secured the pieces onto the inside sides of the vice:

Place your resin piece in the vice and close to hold tightly. You'll have to experiment a bit to find how tightly you need to grip the piece; too loose and the drill will shift it and make a crooked hole, too tight and you may crush and even slightly dis form your resin piece - I mostly find this happens on round pieces; shapes with flat edges are harder to squish.

Now you are ready to drill the hole where you like it.

I always drill back-to-front, and on a slight angle. This is to accommodate a jump ring. You could also drill straight through - side to side, or back to front - and string it instead of using a jump ring.

Again, you're going to have to experiment to get the right feel for how to hold the drill, at what angle, and much pressure to apply. If possible, use some pieces that aren't your favorites, to practice on.

Here are some more photos with a white resin piece that may be easier to see:

You can see what a mess this makes!

Here are some finished drilled pieces. A little rough looking - (like this out-of-focus picture, sorry!)

The holes will be filled with particles of the drilled out resin, and will need to be cleaned.

Wash the pieces in plain water. To clean out the holes, you can try holding them under a running faucet, but that is not usually enough pressure (at least at my house).

I ended up using our Water Pick. Yes, normally it's for cleaning teeth, but it turns out to be multi-purpose. It does a remarkable job in cleaning those holes out.

You could also use a bead reamer, or even a toothpick to poke the little bits out.

Here are some drilled pieces that have been cleaned:

You can see that the drilling has left the holes looking dull. These may be just fine for what you are trying to do, or depending on the color of the resin.

If your resin pieces are clear, you will notice obvious white spots where you drilled:

If you don't like this, you will need to re-coat the drilled hole in resin to repair the surface and restore the shine.

You will need to mix up a small batch of resin:

For this, I used 7.5 ml each of resin and hardener:

Mix thoroughly.

Even with this small amount, you will have plenty left over. So you might as well set out a mold so you can pour the left-resin and start making some new designs.

Once your resin is thoroughly mixed, grab a toothpick - I found this is the perfect diameter instrument for my 1/16" holes.

Dip the pick into your mixture and scrape the excess on the side of the cup:

You want just a light coating of resin on your toothpick, not globs. Just a very thin coat of resin is all that is needed to restore the shine to your drilled holes - if you use to much it may plug the hole and you will have to re-drill.

See? It looks like I nearly scraped it clean:

Run the toothpick through the hole and swirl it around. You will be able to see the hole turning from white to clear again.

Set the piece down on a non-stick surface (such as waxed paper) and allow to dry thoroughly before handling.

Here are some pieces with re-dipped holes:

You can still see the holes, but it is a vast improvement.

Now, you can repeat the process for those dull, sanded edges.

For this dome shaped piece, I used some of my son's playdoh to form a nice little nest to hold it securely. (I've tried just holding them in my hand, but inevitably make a mess - especially with the domed ones.)

This time, run the toothpick gently along the sanded edge.

You could also use a small paint-brush if you prefer. I like the toothpick because it has a small contact surface and does not hold a lot of resin, as a brush might.

Allow to dry before handling.

You will now be ready to add your jump ring, chain, cord, or whatever you wish to string your finished piece:

And you will have a beautiful, ready to wear pendant!

If you do not have the equipment for drilling, you can easily attach a glue-on bail.

The most commonly used types are called "Aanraku", which are marketed for fused glass pendants and cabochons. But they work a treat for resin as well.

Affix the bail using a waterproof glue, such as E6000, or a quick-cure epoxy adhesive like Devcon 5-Minute Epoxy. Both kinds can usually be found at your local craft or hardware store.

Glue-on bails are an quick and easy alternative, and they result in a lovely finished necklace!

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial and found it easy to understand and informative. I have complied all my tutorials, refined them, added new information and pictures, and added 2 complete step-by-step project instructions in this 32-page digital booklet, "Getting Started With Resin Jewelry". For more information, click here.