When you're a newcomer to epoxy resin, sometimes the hardest part is deciding what to try first. Because of epoxy's versatile application nature, there are numerous different types of projects that one can start with—even projects that are beginner friendly.
And if you are a newcomer, it's a good idea to start with one of those beginner-friendly projects. These types of projects can help you grow you skills and try different things without using up a lot of material or making things too complicated.
In this article, we'll be giving 7 different creative ideas for making epoxy resin art. But before we do, let's quickly address the fundamentals of epoxy resin.
The Fundamentals of Epoxy Resin Projects
Epoxy projects are performed in several phase, each of which has a few steps to follow. Some of these steps are repeated at different points in the process, so it's important to understand them well.
Here's a quick list of different steps and phases worth knowing before you begin an epoxy project, click on the links to learn more about each one:
- The Seal Coat Phase. In this phase, you'll apply epoxy to any porous substrates, which will help prevent air bubbles from forming.
- The Batch Mixing Phase. This phase can be divided into three smaller phases.
- The Air Bubble Removal Phase. During this, you gently apply heat to the curing epoxy surface to remove air bubbles.
- The Curing Phase. This mostly hands-off phase involves allowing the epoxy to cure while maintaining an appropriate environment.
7 Ideas for Epoxy Resin Art
Starting out your epoxy journey can be a bit daunting. That's why we're here with this list of 7 manageable epoxy resin art projects for resin beginners!
We'll list them in order of complexity, starting with what we consider to be the simplest:
- Epoxy Resin Coasters. Simply an object to rest your drinking glass on.
- Epoxy Resin Trays. A flat surface to carry small objects on—or to just look nice. Your call.
- Resin Wall Art. Art that has been coated in epoxy resin. A coating of resin can embellish the depth and vibrancy of different colors.
- Epoxy End Tables. A bigger project than the others, for sure, but not much more complicated.
- Epoxy Resin Decorations. Place these on a tree, in your car, wherever you'd like.
- Resin Jewelry. Trickier than the others, but worth it. Highly customizable to meet your preferences.
- Epoxy River Table. Both form and function combine in this beautiful project. More time consuming than the others, but easily a centerpiece in any room.
Many of these use silicone molds to maintain form during the curing process. Others use a substrate material that directs the flow of the resin. Let's take a look at each project one-by-one.
Idea #1: Epoxy Resin Coasters
First up on our list is epoxy resin coasters. These remarkable items are typically made using a silicone mold, some epoxy resin, and your choice of colorants or embedments to give it some flair.
We put epoxy resin coasters first on our list because they're small enough to require very little epoxy, but not so small that they become intricate and difficult to craft. In fact, making epoxy resin coasters is the project we recommend for parents wanting to create something with their children.
Such projects work great because the children get to create something that is their own, and the parent can easily supervise accordingly. And, with such a small, straightforward project, mistakes and messes are quite unlikely. An ideal place to start.
We've written a guide to crafting epoxy resin coasters. The fundamentals here can be applied to most epoxy projects.
Idea #2: Epoxy Resin Trays
Number two is epoxy resin trays.
Crafting an epoxy resin tray can be very similar to an epoxy coaster, just bigger. Epoxy resin trays are nice because they're larger, leaving you with more room to maneuver when it comes to decorating it and adding your own embellishments. It also means you can create more elaborate designs or image if desired.
The great thing about doing an epoxy resin tray is that with a suitable resin mold, you still only need the resin and any decorative elements—no substrate material required (though those are great, too!). This keeps the project simple and convenient for inexperienced creators.
Idea #3: Resin Wall Art
This might secretly be the easiest project. Or at least the most wide-ranging in terms of scope. Epoxy wall art can be as simple as a work of art (e.g., a painting) sealed within a layer of epoxy, to something complex and layered like the evergreen epoxy ocean art.
The key is to choose something you can handle, and work your way up from there. Consider beginning with the most basic of basics: a simple flood coat on a finished work of art. From there, you might try making the art with the resin itself, using colorants and embedments.
At the end of the day, we believe enjoyment should be part of your objective during an epoxy project. If you're not enjoying the process, try something different, something new. You're bound to find what works for you eventually.
Idea #4: An Epoxy End Table
Now we're getting into the more complicated territory. An end table is the first project that absolutely involves non-epoxy elements in its framework.
Most end tables are made of some type of wood, though this doesn't have to be the case. In many cases, a clean, clear coating of epoxy resin is all you'll need to produce something aesthetically pleasing, but there's so much more potential if you want to get creative.
Adding colorants to your epoxy resin, for instance, can be a great way to generate your own beautiful designs with your own personalized touch. Many users also like to create themed epoxy table tops, such as a beach theme, or one with mementos/memorabilia (thin, flat objects are best, as they can fit within a single layer of our Primaloc Bar & Table Top Epoxy).
Idea #5: Epoxy Resin Decorations
Next up, number five—epoxy resin decorations. This is a very diverse category. In a way, almost any small or medium-sized object can be used as a decoration, but in this case we're primarily thinking about stuff intended to be decorative from the start.
This encompasses smaller creations, such resin pieces with distinctive shapes, such as those you can make using animal or plant-shaped resin molds. This can also include bigger things, such as resin figurines and keychains.
Idea #6: Resin Jewelry
Resin jewelry is a fun way to create something wearable with epoxy resin. Commonly, people interested in this will start with pendants or earrings, but you can also make rings and other things as well.
For resin jewelry, you'll need related components, such as jump rings, memory wire, necklace chains, etc. You'll also want resin molds that match the shape you'd like for your jewelry.
Idea #7: An Epoxy River Table
Last on our list is also the biggest project—an epoxy river table.
This type of table involves making an epoxy vein (i.e., the "river"), which "flows" deeply between chunks/slabs of substrate. The epoxy vein can be sleek and streamlined, or it can be rough and irregular (often accomplished using live-edge wood).
Most users who create river tables elect to use epoxy powder pigments in their vein batch. This infuses the epoxy with an eye-catching multi-toned tint.
Primaloc Epoxy: Premium Epoxy for Premium Results
When it comes to epoxy resin, Primaloc Epoxy gets the job done. Our epoxy resin is premium-grade, with high performance in every category, making it exceptional for resin art.
Epoxy resin can be beautiful, strong, and long-lasting—which is why you shouldn't compromise on quality. With Primaloc Epoxy Resin, you get the ultimate finish in durability and visual appeal.
Protect your surfaces by giving them a rock-solid epoxy finish. Choose strong. Choose reliable. Choose Primaloc.