Pouring flowers in epoxy

With epoxy casting resin you can immortalize your beautiful wedding bouquet, birthday flowers or funeral flowers in a simple and beautiful way. After reading this clear DIY you will know exactly how to cast flowers in epoxy.

Can you cast fresh flowers in epoxy?

The answer to this question is no. You cannot pour fresh flowers into epoxy. Always dry flowers first before adding them to epoxy. If you use fresh flowers or leaves, there is a chance that the rotting process will continue in the resin. And you don't want that. There is also a big chance that fresh flowers and leaves will discolour in epoxy.

Casting flowers in epoxy is a relatively simple method to preserve your unique and meaningful flower arrangements for a long time. By drying flowers well in advance and then placing them in epoxy, they will remain beautiful and unfaded forever.

How to Cast Flowers in Epoxy? 6 Simple Steps

So you've probably seen it before: beautiful dried flowers cast in a transparent layer of epoxy. This way you can keep your flowers forever and create a unique eye-catcher for your interior.
Gather all the necessary materials and get started with this fun DIY. In this article we will tell you step by step how to cast flowers in epoxy.

Supplies

- UltraEpoxy casting resin
- UV Blocker
- Silicone mold standard (holds 1500 ml of epoxy)
- Large dried flowers , small dried flowers or dried flowers yourself
- Cups for mixing, stirring sticks, gloves , masking tape, scales and scissors

Step 1: Preparation

Choose flowers of your choice for your project. In this manual we explain in 6 steps how to pour a bouquet in a large silicone mold .
Make sure your flowers are well dried. There are many ways to dry a flower. See: manual: dry flowers yourself .

Prepare your workspace. Gather all the flowers and plants you are going to use, the silicone epoxy mold, epoxy, and tools. Clean the silicone mold again with a little alcohol . You don't want any residue or dust in your final product.

Select the flowers you want to use to cast in epoxy. Turn the mold over and start composing how you want it to look. We often choose thin leaves like ferns for the first layer. Satisfied? Then turn the mold over again. Now the real work begins.

Step 2: Pouring the first layer

If you are going to cast flowers, you should use a high-quality epoxy casting resin that is suitable for this type of project. Many artists and hobbyists therefore choose Ultra Epoxy . Are you going to cast transparently? Epoxy will yellow over time. To prevent this, add a little UV Blocker to the epoxy, so that your creation always remains beautifully clear.

This mold is 5 cm deep and holds about 1500 grams (information is on the product page). Projects like this you pour about 0.5-1 cm per layer. We poured this example in 7 layers, in layers of about 200 ml. Mix the epoxy according to the instructions on the bottle. Pour a base of about 0.5-1 cm with Ultra Epoxy and place the first layer of flowers on top.

If necessary, trim the flowers and leaves a little with scissors. After pouring, pop air bubbles with a heat tool . Be careful not to burn the flowers. Do not touch the edges of the mold. Protect your artwork from dust by placing a plastic container or fly net over it and let it harden for 24 hours. After about 1 hour, perform an air bubble check and remove the last air bubbles.

Step 3: Applying the second layer

Now that you have poured a base, you can really get creative! Be careful with the dried flowers, because they have become very fragile due to drying. Try to make a nice composition, so that it forms a nicely filled whole. Sometimes your plan changes as you arrange the flowers. But you do not have to fill all the empty space, because you can admire this work of art from multiple angles later.

Prepare another 200+ ml of epoxy and pour this very carefully in small amounts around the flowers. Pour very carefully over your flowers otherwise the composition can move. Make sure you have poured under, next to and in the flowers. You can help guide the epoxy a bit with the gloves you are wearing. Pop air bubbles with a heat tool. Be careful: do not touch the edges of the mold. Cover and let harden for 24 hours. After about 1 hour another air bubble check.

Step 4: Apply the next layers

Pour the next layers of flowers and epoxy as in the steps above until the edge of the mold is filled. So you pour this in about 5-7 times with about 200 ml of epoxy per layer in this mold. If you were to pour it all at once, all the flowers would float to the top and you would have a lot of air bubbles in your artwork. In this step you really have to pay attention to the last air bubbles that are released from the flowers. Cover and let the layers harden for 24 hours each. After about 1 hour another air bubble check.

Step 5: Applying the final layer & de-molding

Prepare for the final layer before you remove your beautiful work of art from the mold. Fill the mold to the top, so that all flowers are "under water". Pop any air bubbles with a heat tool. Cover and let this final layer harden for 24 hours. After about 1 hour, check for air bubbles again.

After the last long 24 hours, carefully remove that beautiful work of art from the mold. Just a moment of gratitude. Be proud and admire your work and patience!

Step 6: Finishing and possibly a top coat

This step is optional. For the most beautiful glossy result you can finally pour a thin coating over your artwork.

Make sure your surface is completely level. Epoxy flows out level, so you should always make sure your table is level. Place masking tape neatly and tightly over the bottom of your artwork. We are going to pour epoxy over the top and this will also drip down the sides. This final layer of epoxy provides a glossy and protected finish.
Place your artwork on a platform (for example 3 small containers spread across the bottom where the artwork will stand).

Prepare 100+ ml epoxy and carefully pour it on top of your artwork. The epoxy will spread by itself. You can spread the epoxy with your hands if you want. Of course, wear gloves when you do this. Make sure the epoxy is evenly distributed over the edges. Pop the last air bubbles with a heat tool . Let this last coating layer harden for at least 72 hours. Do not touch it in the meantime. Enjoy the result :)

More information?

Do you have questions about making art, jewelry or casting/coating floors or other objects? At itsOkay, several epoxy experts work with each their own expertise. We are happy to help you.

Please contact itsOkay customer service or take a look at the Epoxy knowledge center .