Make epoxy coasters in 3 steps
Making epoxy coasters is a very creative and relaxing thing to do. Making your own unique epoxy coasters is a fun and creative way to decorate your home or give as a personal gift.
Start making unique and elegant coasters today! Read the complete online guide for a resin art coaster with tips and tricks.
Supplies
Making epoxy coasters is not difficult at all. To make epoxy coasters you will need the following materials:
1 x Epoxy coasters package . This contains:
- Reusable silicone mold coasters
- 2 x pigments colours of your choice
- 500 grams of epoxy
- 1 jar of gold decorative epoxy flakes
- Booklet with examples and manual
You can also buy the items separately:
- Silicone Molds Coasters
- Epoxy casting resin for art
- Color pigments
- Epoxy mixing cups, stirring sticks, gloves (in short , resin art tools ).
Step 1. Preparation
In this example we cast coasters with the Silicone Mold Geode Coasters . Choose a silicone mold of your choice or use this mold.
For casting 5 coasters, in the geode coaster mold, you need a total of 400 grams of epoxy. Choose an epoxy of your choice. In this example we use the easy epoxy casting resin 1:1 mix from UltraEpoxy. This epoxy is mixed, as the name suggests, 1 on 1. Weigh 200 grams of component A and 200 grams of component B. To prevent air bubbles, it is best to stir in one direction. Stir for about 3 minutes and then go to step 2.
How to Make Colored Epoxy Coasters
If you want to make colored coasters, mix a few drops of black or gold color pigment into the mixture. Then divide the epoxy into 3 different mixing cups. For example, add gold flakes to the first mixing cup, add a color of your choice to the other and add another color to the last cup. Let this 'rest' for 10-15 minutes so that any air bubbles rise and pop. Are there air bubbles in the epoxy after pouring? You can easily remove them with a blowtorch or the Bubble Blaster .
Step 2: Filling the epoxy mold
Carefully pour the epoxy resin into the silicone mold and fill it to the edge. Then pour a little more epoxy to just over the edge of the mold, so that a bulge of epoxy is created. Epoxy always shrinks a little when it hardens. This way you ensure straight coasters. Remove any air bubbles with a burner, but be careful not to damage the mold. Otherwise, they can stick to the epoxy. A safer choice for removing air bubbles is the Bubble Blaster.
Are you going to pour in colors? Pour the color you want as the dominant color on the outside. Then pour epoxy with the other pigment color in the middle of the mold. Make sure you know how you want it to look in the epoxy coaster, so you can work layer by layer. This way you get the best result.
Step 3: Let the epoxy cure
Epoxy casting resin hardens within approximately 24-48 hours if the room temperature is stable. It is important to let your epoxy creation harden at room temperature 20°C in a dust-free environment. Place the silicone mold with the epoxy on a level surface and cover it with a piece of cardboard or plastic. This prevents dust or hair from getting on your artwork.
After about 24-48 hours the epoxy is fully cured and you can remove the resin art coasters from the mold. Sharp edges of the coasters can be removed with a deburrer or sharp knife.
For a nice finish and glossy effect you can apply a gold or silver border to your coasters with a posca marker . These are paint markers, especially for epoxy.
Tips for working with epoxy
- Always work on a firm, stable and level surface
- Wear disposable gloves to avoid contact with epoxy.
- Always read the instructions on the packaging before working with your epoxy.
- To prevent air bubbles from forming in epoxy, it is best to mix and pour epoxy in small quantities.
Choosing a Silicone Mold for Epoxy Coasters
Use high quality molds to create epoxy coasters . Epoxy resin and silicone molds form the basis of epoxy coasters. If you do not choose good quality molds, creating your artwork will be a lot more difficult.
Cheap silicone molds, for example those from abroad, can break faster and therefore do not last as long. This is because such molds are made of cheaper materials. It would be a shame if your beautiful epoxy creations come out of the mold with bits of silicone stuck on. Therefore, always choose good quality molds.
Tips for casting epoxy coasters
Making epoxy coasters doesn't have to be difficult. That's why we'd like to share some handy tips with you, so that you too can create the most beautiful coaster yourself.
Clean work area and tools
The workbench always comes first. When your workbench is a mess, it is difficult to work with epoxy. To guarantee a perfect curing, it is important to keep the mixing ratio when using a two-component epoxy casting resin.
For mixing epoxy, use clean mixing cups. Preferably choose silicone mixing cups . These mixing cups are made of high-quality silicone, to which the epoxy does not adhere. You can use this measuring cup well while making your Resin Art and easily clean and reuse it.
Gather all the supplies you need for epoxy coasters
Gather all the materials you need to make your epoxy coaster. Think of epoxy casting resin, a burner or Bubble Blaster for the bubbles, pigment for fun effects and decorations for the 'geode look'.
Creating Geode look
To create the real 'geode look' it is important to pour the epoxy with colors in phases. First you pour epoxy mixed with the darkest color pigments into the mold. After this you work more and more towards the lighter colors. In this way you give a nice depth to your geode coasters.
Use reusable silicone molds
By using high quality reusable silicone molds, you can easily remove the epoxy coasters from the mold after curing. If you work with stiff and cheap molds, you have a greater chance of damaging the epoxy coasters when removing them from the molds. Therefore, always choose high quality silicone molds.
Choose quality products
It is important to choose quality epoxy casting resin . With cheap epoxy resin, the base of your coasters is not optimal. Cheap epoxy resins use cheaper materials. The chance of not (fully) hardening is greater for a number of reasons.
At itsOkay you can find the best epoxy resin for your projects, at the best price. These epoxy resins are made for do-it-yourselfers and almost always harden beautifully clear. This allows you to make the most beautiful epoxy coasters or beautiful jewelry in no time.
Download the manual for free:
> Manual for making epoxy coasters <
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 .