A resin art party!

Here's the other part of Jazz's birthday celebration at home with her school friends. We hosted a resin art party with four of her friends. And her birthday party theme was, avocado! Not that she loves eating it, but she just loves it being nicely coloured. I guess. We didn't do much with the preparation, simply gathered whatever avocado we can find within the home as her decorative prop. It was also then that I realised her avocado collection is getting huge!

Avocado themed party

Epoxy resin is a two-component system consisting of resin and hardener. By mixing the two components, a chemical reaction takes place so that the liquid resin gradually hardens to a solid plastic. The result is a high-gloss and clear surface art. I bought the brand, ArtResin on Lazada. A popular brand of clear epoxy resin used by artists. It's non-toxic, but because it contains a small amount of Bisphenol A, it is recommended that you work in a well ventilated area with it. 

The art you can make out of resin is limitless. We didn't get too adventurous, we stuck to just using moulds to make little trays and coasters. I got most of the stuff from taobao, and below are the items and links used.

What you need for a resin party:

1. Epoxy resin and Harder (Lazada)

2. Gloves (Local pharmacy)

3. Moulds

4. Plastic cups

5. Wooden ice cream sticks

6. Colour pigment powder

7. Dried flowers

8. Weighing scale

 

Gloves are very much needed for resin play, because resin is stubborn to remove when it gets onto skin. Resin in Chinese is 水晶滴胶. You can do a search to find other more interesting tools for resin art. I bought the moulds, decorative stuffs from these 2 taobao links:

1. Moulds

2. Decorative stuff, pigments and small moulds

Materials needed

A variety of moulds

 Directions

1. Epoxy resin needs to be mixed in 1:1 ratio. The resin and harder have to be in equal portion before mixing. The plastic cups I bought did not come with measurement marks, it is best to weigh them equally on a weighing scale. If not, you will have to trust your eyes for the best estimated level mark, which can be a risky reliant. If the portions are not mixed equally well, the resin will not cure and harden well. 

2. Once the 2 components are mixed, use the wooden stick to stir the portion extremely well. Scrap the side of the cup to make sure it is well mixed. It is recommended to stir at least 3 minutes, but that could be lesser if the portion is small. You will have to gauge the amount of resin used from the mould size you are working with. 

3. After mixing, you may add in the coloured pigment powder. Adding too much color will get in the way of the resin curing and make it softer, so don't go generous on that. Slight tinting will do. Mix the colour well, and it's ready to go into the mould. If you are working on a big mould with ample depth, like a pencil holder, you may add the dried flowers in the mould before pouring the resin. If the mould is shallow, you may add the decorative elements after pouring the resin in the mould. Do remember that whatever you put within the mould can only be visible if the resin colour is light. You may leave it uncoloured too.

4. Set aside and allow it to cure up to at least 24 hours. 72 hours to be totally harden. 

Curing process

 

If the artwork is too soft or sticky to touch, which is most likely due to the unequal mix of resin and harder, you can try to salvage it by adding another well mixed layer over the affect area. Worst case, you may have to ditch it.

So yeap, resin art is one easy fun with endless creativity within! It kept the daughter and her friends very well occupied. 

Completed artwork

After some art fun, the girls did pinata, an avocado pinata of course! Shared the steps to DIY pinata in the son's birthday party post previously.  

Avocado pinata

 

And with much thanks to Sgtoysrock, the girls got to bring home a Real littles backpack (goodie bag) each. These micro bags contain tiny and cute usable stationery, with a range to collect. Hope the girls love it as much as Jazz! 

Real littles backpacks

 

Party planning isn't my forte, I find it stressful to be organising one, especially within the home. There are so many aspects to take care of. But occasions and milestones are moments that we can't recall once missed. It is better to create wonderful memories than letting it slide, perhaps this is one way we can show our support on their choice of friendships. And of course, we all have different ways of celebrating milestones. Some years we have it cosy within the family, and some special years with friends. 12th is special, isn't it? It a final primary school year.