Fast-curing resin products cure in just a few minutes, so they’re perfect for learning, for whipping up a quick piece of jewelry, and for working with children. (My favorite brand is FastCast™, but you can use any brand you prefer.) The normal color of the finished resin is creamy beige, but you can add a dye. The end result will always be opaque and less heavy than regular two-part resin. It is perfect for keeping the weight down in large pieces. The key to any fast-curing resin product is the temperature. If the product is too warm, such as if you left it in your car, it will set in under a minute—which is not enough time to mix and pour.
Skill level: Easy
Time: 20 minutes
Supplies
♦ Disposable gloves
♦ 1 oz. (30ml) plastic measuring cup
♦ Disposable wooden stir stick
♦ Marker
♦ Two-part fast-curing resin
♦ Protected work surface
♦ Wet wipes
♦ Red resin dye
♦ Heart mold
♦ Mold release
♦ Small drill bit (3/32"/2.4mm) and drill
♦ Jump rings
♦ Wire
♦ Pink bead
♦ Chunky chain
♦ Lobster claw clasp
Gay Isber
1. Prepare the mold with a mold release and allow to dry. Get everything ready to go. You will not have any extra time once the resin is mixed—it cures very fast, so read the instructions before getting started. Pour the two parts of the resin into a measuring cup as directed.
Gay Isber
2. Once you have each part added but before you mix the two parts, add a few drops of red dye, which will make a pastel pink. The cured resin will be much lighter in color and more pastel than the liquid color you initially create.
Mike Mihalo
Gay Isber
3. Mix the resin and the color together. Work quickly at this point, or it might cure in the cup.
Gay Isber
4. Pour the mixed resin into the molds. You can make many hearts at one time to use across different projects.
Gay Isber
5. Wait about ten minutes for the resin to cure. You can watch as the resin changes color from red to soft pink. It blooms like a rose.
Gay Isber
6. Pop the cured hearts out of the molds. I usually wait until the pieces are totally firm (about ten more minutes) so they won’t be damaged by handling. You can then easily drill a small hole or use glue to add a jump ring to each one. Create a bead link with a bead and some wire and suspend the bead and the heart from a chunky chain. Finish with a lobster claw clasp. Bam! Done!
VARIATIONS
This more elaborate beaded necklace will take more time than the featured necklace, but it’s totally worth the effort.
Gay Isber
Simple and speedy earrings require just two jump rings and two earring hooks.
Gay Isber