Casting rose in epoxy in 7 steps
Casting a rose in epoxy explained in 7 steps. In this example we cast a rose in a cube.
Drying flowers is an art form that has been done for many years. Nowadays there are many easy ways to extend the beauty and life of flowers. One of them is preserving flowers in epoxy resin . With epoxy resin you can easily and quickly immortalize your wedding bouquet, birthday flowers, funeral flowers or a beautiful rose.
Supplies
- Epoxy casting resin
- Silica granules (to dry the flowers) + container to dry the flower in
- Cups for mixing, stirring sticks, gloves, skewers, clothes peg, scales, scissors and of course the flower of your choice.
- Silicone mold (epoxy mold) of your choice
- Large dried flowers or small dried flowers
Step 1: Drying the flower
You can choose a flower of your choice for your project. In this manual we explain, in a few steps, how to incorporate a beautiful rose into an epoxy casting resin cube.
In this example we dry a flower with silica granules. There are many other ways to dry a flower, see: dry flowers yourself .
You start by cutting off the stem of the flower. You do this 1 cm from the flower. You cut the stem diagonally at an angle of 45 degrees. This gives the rose a larger opening to drain its moisture. Do not remove any damaged leaves before you start drying. These leaves can protect the beautiful leaves during the drying process.
Pour a base of about 2 cm with silica granules. Place the flower in it with the stem down. Then carefully fill the container with the granules until the flower is covered. When the container is full, close it and let the flower dry. After a few days the flower will be dry. Carefully pour the granules back into the packaging. You can reuse these for a new project.
Be careful with the flower, it is now very fragile. When you can see the flower, you can remove it from the container. Turn the flower upside down to let the grains inside fall out. You can tap the bottom of the flower so that the grains come out well. If it is good, your flower is now well dried and feels like an autumn leaf. If your flower is not completely dry yet, place it back in the grains. If you do start working with a not completely dried flower, it will rot in your creation and this will become very ugly after a while. It is normal that the color of the flower has changed slightly due to drying. Usually they become a little darker.
Now you can carefully remove the less beautiful or damaged leaves. Drying the flowers can be done in different ways, this is the fastest way and with the most beautiful result.
Step 2: Location
During this step you will determine where the flower will go in the cube. If you want the flower to 'float' follow these steps. First pour a thin layer of epoxy casting resin into the mold and let it harden. You can then place the flower upside down in the mold. Or you can let it hang. You can do this by carefully poking a skewer into the flower. Then hang it in the cube and keep the flower in place with a clothespin or 2 popsicle sticks. If you don't do this, it can sink/rise or hang crooked.
Stick 2 popsicle sticks together at the ends with some tape. Then stick a skewer in the flower in the flower part. Stop before you reach the stem. Then put the other end of the skewer in the middle of the 2 popsicle sticks. Then check on the outside of the mold if the flower hangs well and high enough.
Now the flower is ready to hang in the mold. The popsicle sticks rest on the sides of your silicone epoxy mold.
Step 3: Mixing the epoxy casting resin
Mix the epoxy casting resin according to the instructions on the back of the bottle. Calculate how much epoxy you need for this mold. If you order from itsOkay.nl , the required epoxy per mold is on the product page. Are you going to cast a flower transparently? Then always add UV blocker to your epoxy mixture.For the best result, always pour such a mold in 3+ times. If you pour it in 1 time, there is too much epoxy at once and it can get too hot, with the result that you damage the flower and the mold. You also have a lot of air bubbles.
For the 6.5 cm cube mold we need 250 grams of epoxy. So we are going to pour it in 3 times. Without flower you will end up with 3 layers of approximately 83 grams of epoxy (250/3). Because you also have to take the volume of the flower into account, it is best to round this down. Then you will end up with 3 layers of 80 grams of epoxy each time. So do not mix more than 80 grams of epoxy each time. You let it harden for 12 hours per layer and then continue. If you are going to pour a larger mold with epoxy, we recommend not pouring more than 1-2 cm at a time to prevent heat build-up. In the meantime, pop the air bubbles with, for example, the Bubble Blaster .
Step 4: Pouring the first layer of epoxy
Now you can pour your epoxy mixture carefully and slowly into the mold. Do this on the side of the mold and not on top of the flower to avoid damaging the flower.
A few air bubbles are normal during this process and most will already burst during pouring. Because the flower is very fragile, it is not advisable to remove bubbles now with a heat tool or alcohol spray. This can damage the flower.
After pouring, cover the silicone cube mold so that no dust/hair/insects can get to it. Do not seal it completely because air must still be able to get to it. Now let your epoxy harden for about 12 hours before pouring the second layer. In a room where it is 20 degrees it will take about 12 hours.
Step 5: Pouring the second layer of epoxy
After 12 hours you will have reached approximately the hardness you want for this project. Hard on the outside, but can still be a little sticky here and there on top. This is good so that the second layer can adhere well to the first layer. The layers will then slowly flow into each other and this ensures the least line formation in your creation. Now you can carefully remove the sticks in the flower. Then you are going to mix the epoxy for the second layer, exactly as for the first layer. Mix carefully again and stir for at least 3 minutes. You are going to pour this layer slowly on top of the flower so that any trapped air in the flower can escape properly. This process will continue so check your project every hour to carefully pop any air bubbles with a toothpick. If you do this regularly you will significantly reduce the chance of air bubbles in your creation. You will let this layer harden again for about 12 hours, covered but not airtight. You want the same degree of hardening as with the first layer.
Step 6: Pouring the final layer of epoxy
The last layer of epoxy resin is poured in exactly the same way as the previous two layers. Pour on top of the flower and now fill the mold completely to the edge. It is best to leave it slightly convex, because the epoxy shrinks a little. Cover the mold again but not airtight. This last layer must harden for about 48 hours before you can remove it from the mold. Check your creation every now and then to pop any bubbles that have appeared. If the bubbles are in the flower, try to get them to the surface with a small skewer. Very carefully so that you do not damage the flower. Once on the surface, you can easily pop the bubbles.
Step 7: Removing your creation from the mold
After about 48 hours, your mold should be ready to be removed from the mold. When you hold the mold, it feels rock hard. If you press it with the blunt end of a stick, it will not leave an imprint. This way you know for sure that your creation has fully hardened. Carefully remove your creation from the mold, try not to pull too hard to prevent the mold from tearing.
It is wise to wear gloves as the edges can sometimes be sharp and you can cut yourself. Start at the top of the mold by pushing off the outside edges of your creation.
Turn the mold over and press firmly on the bottom. This will make the mold come loose from your creation and you can easily remove your cube from the mold. Your cube with flower is now ready and you have your own epoxy flower. This way you can also store your bridal bouquet in epoxy!
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 .
