It is the holiday season and snow globes help set the scene. I have been asked to try and make snow globe coasters for a couple of years now. I resisted as long and I could. I couldn’t figure it out how to make them, until the idea came to me recently. I thought I’d give a try. I did and I still met with some pitfalls, but I worked around it.
1. Using a brush, brush the PearlEx pigment powder into the mold.
2. Mix resin according to the package directions. Pour one ounce of resin in the coaster mold. I used Fast Cast, but you can definitely use Easy Cast, or whichever resin you like to work with. If you want to do three coasters, you need to do three ounces. I used the Fast Cast because it’s a time saver, but also because it cures white and gives me a good background.
3. While the resin is curing, take the plastic coasters from Dollar Tree and remove the cork and any adhesive residue.
4. Once clean, mix the Easy Mold. The Easy Mold is a silicone mold making product that you can use with resin. I used 1/3 ounce of each the Part A and Part B and it was enough to make three silicone discs. Once you mix the Easy Mold, pour it into the plastic coasters and let it set. I tap it on the table to help bubbles rise to the surface. Let it cure.
5. While the resin and silicone are curing, find images you want to put into your snow globes. Print them on transparency film and cut them out with a circle cutter.
6. When you first layer of resin has cured, mix one ounce of clear resin (for each coaster) and pour it into the mold. Add your transparency images and press any bubbles out from under the images, with your stir stick. Pop bubbles with your lighter and let it cure.
7. Once everything has cured, remove your silicone discs from the plastic coasters and center them on top of the resin coasters you are working on.
8. Put a small piece of Silly Putty between the silicone disc and the
9. Mix one ounce of clear resin and carefully pour it on the sides of the silicone discs. This will create the wall portion of your snow globe.
10. Once cured, remove them from the mold and take out the Silly Putty.
11. If there is a thin skin where the Silly Putty was, be sure to take some old scissors and cut it off and clean it up.
12. Mix three more ounces of clear resin and pour it into the mold. Pop bubbles and allow to cure.
13. Remove them from the mold
14. Put Silly Putty back in place where you took it out of.
15. Mix a little more clear resin – you won’t even need an ounce. Drip it onto the edge that was created when you had the silicone discs on it. (See video for a better explanation).
16. Take the clear piece and and place it on the top, so they can adhere to each other. Allow to cure.
17. Once cured, remove the Silly Putty.
18. Add glitter, water and glycerin into the coaster. Fill it to the top.
19. Prepare a small amount of jewelry clay.
20. Flatten a piece and put it over the hole. Make sure it is sealed. Allow to cure.
21. There will be some imperfections on the coaster, so be prepared. I covered them up by putting glue and white glitter around the outside of the coasters and along the top edge. That covered up the imperfections and the jewelry clay.
That’s it! Thanks for stopping by!
Remember: Life’s too short not to shimmer, so grab your glue gun and your glitter!™ Stay safe!
