Resin can seem daunting to many a new beginner, but Christmas is the perfect time to learn this skill. This project is perfect for gifting as well as for decorating your own tree. You can also scale this up to make other gifts such as trays, coasters and more for adding to your hampers.
Supplies
Since starting to use the Domed Sticker Starter Kit, I’ve become hooked on resin. I’m so excited to start using it onto new surfaces. With this project, I started with just a plain MDF blank. You don’t have to use the Silhouette kit however, as there are many other two-part resin sets out there. Always read and follow the safety precautions with regards to ventilation and safety gear. The Silhouette set has minimal fumes, but others can be stronger, so if this is likely to cause issues then look at alternatives such as UV-cured resin, clear enamel embossing powder (not suitable for vinyl), Glossy Accents and similar 3D varnishes.
You will need:
- Silhouette Domed Sticker Starter Kit or other two-part resin starter kit (or one of the alternatives listed above)
- MDF Bauble Blank
- Coloured Cardstock
- Acrylic Paints
- Gesso
- Vinyl: clear and any colours or special effect vinyls for decoration
- Transfer tape
- Ribbon or cord for hanging
MDF version
It is easier as a beginner to work on a flat surface so shaped MDF blanks are a perfect place to start. Firstly, we need to prepare our blank, and it is worth spending your time here to get a really good finish later. Firstly, if your blank has any loose fibres, sand them using a craft file, sanding block or nail file, Remove any dust or fibres with a lint free cloth. Then, prime your blank with a thin coat of gesso. The gesso provides a key and seals the MDF so be sure to get the back and all the edges as well. You only need 1 thin coat for this project, but if your gesso looks patchy, then do add another thin coat once the first has dried.
With the acrylic paint, you want to add your base colour, even if this is the same colour as your gesso. This layer will both add colour but also provide the surface for your vinyl to stick to.
Cut your vinyl design(s). In your software, start by adding a base shape to represent your MDF blank. You can then size your chosen design to fit this including any background pattern and sentiment. Cut and weed your vinyl: this is where we remove the waste that we don’t want to transfer to our project. Due to the intricacy of the text design, I used a couple of weeding methods. The background is easy despite it appearing complicated. Just remove the waste sections as they will lift away easily with the hook tool. Whereas, with the text, you need to do some reverse weeding; this is where we first apply transfer tape and then remove the waste. This method is useful where you have a lot of small, individual pieces.
Next, use transfer tape to lift the vinyl from its backing paper and onto the surface of your bauble. The vinyl should transfer easily. If not, lightly sand the acrylic paint and remove the dust using a lint free cloth. You can then transfer the next colour and so forth until all your vinyl elements are transferred.
Finally, we need to seal the piece prior to adding the resin. To do this, we use a clear vinyl straight over the whole blank and trim away the excess. Burnish this down well using the felt edge of a vinyl applicator. This stops the acrylic paint lifting into the resin as well as smoothing the path over your vinyl design.
Fill your applicator with 1:1 resin: whether that’s mixing it in a cup or using a syringe. The syringe is the easier option for beginners and is cleaner to work with. Place your blank on a waxed paper/palette pad surface to catch any excess; make sure your desk is level. Apply the resin to your surface.
While the resin is curing, you can add glitter, leafing, foil and other sparkles and top with more resin if needed.
You will need to allow the resin a good 12 hours to cure before proceeding with your finishing touches. Once fully cured, you can add your cord for hanging, along with bows and other embellishments to finish your design.
Using Coloured Card
So, you may ask, where does the coloured card come in? Well, if you are up for a challenge we can use card in place of the coloured vinyl. We would still recommend sealing with clear vinyl before applying the resin. If your design is particularly raised or dimensional, then you will need to be applying the clear vinyl between your layers rather than all over the piece at the end.
Another option is to just build your design from layers of cardstock and skip the MDF blank altogether. You would still apply your clear vinyl between layers, but then you could also try next techniques like stamping, colouring, inking and even add die cuts into your designs.
Conclusion
I hope this post has given you a bit more confidence to try resin work with your cutter. It’s certainly become one of my favourite things to do, but if it helps, try it with a buddy in case of accidents as an extra pair of hands is always helpful – even if it is just to squeeze the syringe.
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