QuestionMy little sister is getting married in the upcoming month. She would really like to have 3 flowers from her wedding bouquet coated in resin. I have seen a few stores on line who do them, however I can not find "how to" steps on how to do it. I have tried on random one around our yard as I did not want to "test" out our products on the ones from her wedding bouquet. I was wondering if you could please give me a little guidance. I have purchased easycast clear casting epoxy coat (small box as I am only doing a few flowers) and silica gel to dry out the flowers.
I would great appreciate any help and/or guidance.
Thank you very much for your time
AnswerHello Kurt,
Sorry for the delay in answering but it's Carnival time here in New Orleans...
You are on the right track with the silica gel preceding resin preservation. If the flowers are thick petaled ( gardenias, tuberose, etc.) you may want to remove all green matter before drying and then reattach it after processing as those species can brown easier than , say roses. Roses on the other hand require your getting the silica gel all the way into the head as possible. Not hard to do: holding it straight up take a teaspoon or demitasse spoon and get the gel down into the open bloom ( you may have better luck in the long run if you don't attempt to use a rosebud, but use a rose that has not quite fully blown open) Next prepare a paper or plastic cup that allows for some space above and below the actual flower and fill with silica gel or use sand that is completely dried to take up some depth in the cup with a layer about 1/2" thick all round of gel crystals, punch a few air holes around the base with nothing larger than a bamboo skewer as you don't want your drying agent to spill out( if your drying agent does start to spill a small piece of paper first-aid tape can be used to stop it). then sink the stem of the flower into the cup( again with all greenery removed. You can add velvet or paper leaves if desired after drying, If you really want the roses leaves dry them flat with blotting paper and reattach with florists tape in the end). Then filling the flower head as full as possible without making it bulge- as it will shrink- go around each layer of petals adding silica gel as you turn the cup. You may need tweezers or a small paint brush to open the petals the further into the centre you go. Place the finished assembly in a dry airy location not in the sun or on a window sill. Repeat for each flower you want to dry.
When drying is finished empty the flower of all gel and brush it off on the outside with a paint brush ( foam brushes won't work as well) particularly if you have stretched the gel with sand. Being certain there is no moisture in any of your flowers, mix the resin using a wood implement with a point in case you have air bubbles the tip can deflate them.Mix it according to directions and slowly .some products recommend your pouring it from container to container, I find this can be effective with certain types of plastic cups only and in more cases adds excessive bubbles.Once mixed you have some time to work with most brands(allowing 30 minutes max is usually safe).You want to mix only enough for each flower head unless its a spray rose cluster or other miniature spray, or sturdy single petaled plants like gerberas which are easy to work with.Coating it by dipping is generally accepted as the way to go.If you try to get resin down into each layer sometimes , particularly with large roses ( which really shouldn't be used), the whole becomes too thick and heavy and won't look natural filled to the centre.I have used a syringe to fill roses and gardenias but still they never look as good as you would think.Twist the head when you are near the top/end of the dip to make sure it fills in the top and down the stem at least two or three inches..I don't know how else to explain that ' twist' , but it will seem right when you see what happens when the flower goes into the thick resin as a way to remove and seal it without bobbing it up and down which will create air pockets and bubbles in the resin. Pouring it over the flower only works for single petaled flower species.You can always trim the stem to length after preservation in resin as you may need to hold it to re-coat it after the first attempt.
After complete curing according to the manufacturers instructions, examine it thoroughly and if you believe an additional coat can only improve the appearance mix more and go for it: use a pair of locking pliers ( vice-grips)to hold it second time around.Tweezers, even cross locking ones aren't strong enough to do all the potential moves in resin guaranteeing you are securing it well on the tool.
Some flowers are not at all easy.Some resins are too thick ( the ones more suited to coating a table top for instance).There are a number of new brands on the market and in crafts stores.Ice brand is ok for easy flowers.Lapidary Journal /Jewelry Artist had an article , though lacking in depth, that surveyed some new brands.I would suggest looking at it before you use the actual sentimentally valued floral materials. I would seriously consider experimenting with dring and dipping or pouring resin before you start the actual project.Also, I can assure you that no one is a professional at this technique yet on a small scale.Sure there are factories in Thailand that process great quantities of leathery orchid material, but it is done at the loss of at least 1/3 of the material they begin with on a as massive scale.The idea of making a paper weight type thing out of a pressed or dried group is actually the easier way to go as there are usually two pours to embed one or a few sealing it and using, oddly, less than some people use in trying to fill all the layers.
It will loose some colour.
If poured over a flower on its side the weight of most resins will flatten it if you haven't filled and cured that side first.
Air bubbles have to be popped when you notice them on the floral material.
Think about holding the flower(s) and stems and tooling as well as drying scenarios.
This is by no means an easy thing to do, so if you don't succeed at first try another method but call the manufacturer and ask for the least viscous ratio they can recommend for their product.
Good Luck,Ari
