Your resin moulds are quite an investment in your resin hobby so you want to make sure that they last a long time. After you've been resin crafting for a while, you'll start to get quite a collection of moulds. No matter what type of moulds you have, they won't last forever. But if you look after them, you'll get many, many casts from them.  So, let's break this down into the two main types of moulds you'll use with resin :    PLASTIC and SILICONE ,   and look at what the best practices are for caring for each type of mould . Plastic Resin Moulds Plastic resin moulds are inexpensive compared to silicone moulds but because they are vacuum formed, mould shapes are limited to simple shapes. Because the moulds don't have as much flexibility or stretch as silicone, they need to be wider at the top of the mould or straight-sided to remove resin from them. The plastic used in resin moulds is polypropylene. This is a type of plast...

If you've got the resin bug and have started making resin charms and cabochons, you no doubt want to turn them into head-turning pieces of jewellery that everyone swoons over. After all, you've spent time and money and poured not only the resin but your creative heart into these pieces, so you want them to look professional and have that exclusive designer look about them. Right? But you probably didn't give too much thought to how you'd assemble the charms once they cured and now you're asking yourself "How do I turn all these charms into jewellery?" Well, there are many ways to assemble your resin casts into jewellery and wearable accessories. You can get as creative as you like with your designs but before you can do that, you'll need some basic methods that will allow you to connect pieces together first.  Here's a few ideas that you can try: Glue on a flat pad components Drill a hole Embed a finding in the resin as it cures Wrap with a filigre...

Are you a fan of smooth, glossy resin and the way the light makes the colour look so rich and vibrant? Does it make your heart sing when you see that highly polished, light-reflecting surface that you can see reflections in? Or do you prefer the look of matte resin and the way light is absorbed by it, giving it a flat, frosted, almost sea-glass look? It's definitely a personal preference and there are plenty of pluses for both looks.  But most people new to resin jewellery making want their resin to be glossy.  And how do I know this? Because it's one of the most asked questions by new Resinistas,  "Why isn't my resin shiny when I take it out of the mould?" The anticipation and excitement they felt when demoulding their first resin piece soon turned to disappointment when it came out with a matte finish. But why did that happen? The back was shiny and glossy, so why wasn't the front? Well, there's actually a very simple answer to this question. It all depe...

Creating with resin is hugely rewarding but it does come with its challenges. It's a more technical medium to work with than most and it's a bit particular about you doing things right so that you get great results every time. Here are my top 10 resin tips to get you started on your resin journey. 1. Get your Workspace Ready Clear your workspace and then protect it. Lay down a sheet of plastic or a few sheets of newspaper to keep your table free of sticky resin. I also recommend that you work on a non-stick material like a Teflon craft sheet , silicone mat or a sheet of waxed paper (resin won't stick to it). It's so easy to peel cured resin off these surfaces or to wipe off uncured resin with methylated spirits (denatured alcohol). 2. Prepare your moulds beforehand Once you've mixed your resin, the clock is ticking. And that goes for slow curing epoxy as well as quick curing polyurethane. You really want to pour that resin straight away. If you don't have your...