Open charm with epoxy casting

In this tutorial I will teach you how to easily and quickly cast open beads with epoxy.

We are going to cast this open charm with epoxy and glitter. A while back I saw a picture of a piece of jewelry that was made with glitter and epoxy resin. Simple, yet mesmerizing. It looked like the glitter was floating in the jewelry. I was obsessed.

The amazing thing about making open charms with glitter is that it looks like the glitter is floating. Plus, glitter is slightly sheer and shiny, which adds an unexpected layer of beautiful detail. This is a necklace that will get you tons of compliments when you wear it.

Before we go any further, I want to say this:

I always try to write simple tutorials because I know life is busy. This piece is easy to make, but it is not quick. It takes time, but it is worth it!

After reading this tutorial you can make your own beautiful open charm pendant.

Supplies:

1. Epoxy resin - I have been choosing UV Resin epoxy for years, especially for making epoxy jewelry. A jar of 100 grams is more than enough to make 10 pendants. I still have about half left.
2. Pendants with open frames or raised edges - see the open charms here .
3. Glitter - These are included in the starter pack or you can use the chameleon flakes .
4. Tape for the pendants. You will need special jewelry tape for this.
5. Materials to protect the workspace while working with the resin. Such as a garbage bag or plastic sheeting. I always use newspaper as a base or a plastic sheet.

Start by covering your workspace. Drops that you spill on furniture or the table are difficult to remove.

Are you ready.. let the fun begin!

Step 1: UV Resin

An important thing to mention: the pendants need 24 hours to dry if you use 2 component resin. You also need to mix this with the right ratio. If you use the ready-made UV Resin from itsOkay, it dries in direct sunlight (outside) or inside under a UV Led Lamp for a few minutes.

Tip: Work in a place where you won't have to move your hangers or work on a tray or baking sheet that you can very carefully carry outside so the epoxy can dry in the UV light of the sun.

Step 2: the pendants

I bought two packs of the various open beading for epoxy at itsOkay, each with 10 frames in it. For the example I used the oval and round hangers.

Place the metal frames on a surface so that you can fill them with epoxy. I often place them on a plastic sheet and glue the edges to the sheet. For this example, I glued the pendants to a piece of masking tape: I also find that easy to work with. You can also use the tape for resin jewelry for pendants from itsOkay.

Tear off a piece of tape that is slightly larger than the frame. Press the frame onto the tape.

Step 3: Pour the UV Resin

Now you're going to get excited...

Once all the frames are set up, it’s time to pour the epoxy. I say pour, but it’s best to apply the epoxy carefully with a spatula or spray it straight from the bottle if you’re using ready-made UV Resin.

Since this is already a super long blog, I'm just going to go through the entire process for you haha.

First add the glitter to the frame (the amount can vary depending on the look, but we'll just start with this). Next take the epoxy resin and add a small amount on top of the epoxy. You'll be amazed at how quickly the frame fills up. You don't want to overfill it and have it spill over the edge, so work slowly and add a small amount at a time.

Use a stir stick or toothpick to spread the epoxy resin (and glitter within it) to the edges of the frame. Add more resin until you are happy with how it looks.

Once the epoxy is poured into the frames, you may notice a few bubbles. Use a straw and gently blow on the surface of the epoxy to pop these bubbles (the heat from your breath will pop them). Be careful not to get any moisture on the epoxy. You can also use the Bubble Blaster from itsOkay.

After about 15 minutes in direct sunlight (even when cloudy) the resin is hard. You can also put the pendants under the UV LED lamp for 30 seconds to harden. If epoxy has dripped outside the frame, you can use pliers or scissors to cut off the excess epoxy. A nice tool set is the luxury tool set jewelry making .

Step 4: Finish the open charm pendants neatly

After 15 to 30 minutes you can remove the tape or plastic sheet (I couldn't wait and pulled the tape off earlier, because I was so excited).

If there is any excess epoxy around the pendants, you can remove it with one of the tools from the luxury jewelry making tool set .

Add jump rings to your pendants and hang them on a ready-made necklace .

That's it! It's a job but...well worth it!

This is one of my favorites . You can't tell much from the photo but the glitter looks like it's floating in the air and gets deeper towards the edges. There's so much depth and shine to it...

The results are incredible and honestly, if you think these look good on your screen, you should see them in person... I hope you leave a comment on this blog because I'm so excited to see the jewelry you make!

Wishing you lots of fun and crafting fun. Greetings Linda.

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