How to resinate paper, photos and fabric?

This creative technique is interesting because it allows you to recycle various materials to create very personal and original DIY objects or costume jewelry. For example, that dress you loved so much, but which is all worn out, can be cut out and used as a pattern in cabochons; that photo at the bottom of your bag can, once protected and solidified, become an original key-ring or a magnet to stick on your fridge...
We'll show you how.

Resinating fabric

The first step is to analyze and choose the right fabric:

• Is the fabric thin? Lift it up in front of your eyes to see if you can see through it.
  It's easier to use a slightly thicker cotton fabric that won't let the light through. Liberty cotton fabrics are ideal for this purpose, but if the fabric is thin, the pattern will be a little transparent.
• Is the fabric very porous? The tighter the weave, the easier it is to work with. A fabric with a more airy yarn assembly, such as double gauze, is difficult to work with, as air is easily trapped in the fabric and bubbles appear when resin is poured over it.

You can use inclusion resin or UV resin if you're using a transparent mold.

Instructions for resin and fabric

1. Pour a few millimeters of resin into the bottom of your mold, and wait for it to harden - one day if you're using epoxy resin, or one pass under a lamp if you're using UV resin.
2. Pour a little resin into the mold on the first layer, and place your cut-out fabric on top. Use a stick to press the entire surface down, so that any bubbles rise up from the sides, and any air that may be trapped between the two layers is forced out.
3. Completely cover your fabric with resin. Wait two days to unmold if you've chosen epoxy resin, or run your creation under the lamp on both sides.

Follow our video tutorial to create original DIY rings.

Resinizing paper and photos

The first thing to do is choose the right paper. Photo paper, for example, is thick, opaque and non-porous, making it easy to resine.
Beware of newsprint or magazine paper that is too thin, where the transparency once the resin has been applied is such that the pattern is barely visible. There's also the risk of a reaction with the ink that's been used: it can smudge and spoil everything.

Resin and paper instructions

1. Like the fabric, you need to apply a preparatory layer of resin to the bottom of the mold, a few millimeters thick, and wait for it to catalyze (harden).
2. Pour a little resin over the first layer, then place your photo, press the air out of it with an object, then pour more resin over the image to cover it completely. Wait two days before unmolding your creation.

There are a number of ways to successfully resine thin paper: you can glue it to a thicker white or white-painted surface before using it as an inclusion in the resin, or add a layer of resin tinted with white dye to the back of the photo as a final step.

For the more inquisitive, we show you how to insert photos into epoxy resin in our decorating tutorial.